that had not been postponed upon the application
of a single member. Now, this bill came up
to-day, without any expectation, when the chair-
man of the committee was unprepared; and not-
withstanding this, Convention refused to adjourn,
or to lay it over till to-morrow. He would
make a motion to lay the bill over until to-mor-
row.
Mr. HICKS said:
That from the commencement of the session to
the present time, there had been a disposition
throughout that respectable body to commit itself
and its action, as far as possible, to the members
of the Convention. Although there were a por-
tion of the members who would be necessarily
compelled to be absent a week, and as it had
been the case that members had been accommo-
dated by the postponement of a question until
their return, yet the Convention had refused this
courtesy to those who were compelled to be ab-
sent, which had been extended heretofore to oth-
ers.
He did not desire to retard the business of the
Convention, hut as there were other subjects in
which they could be profitably employed, there be
ing many unfinished reports from standing com-
mittees, he could see no detriment that would re-
sult from postponing the bill now before them
until Tuesday week.
An additional reason for doing this, would be
the number of members that were now absent,
who were obliged to be away on account of busi-
ness. He would, therefore, move to postpone
the subject until Tuesday week.
A motion was made to adjourn.
Which was negatived.
The question being on the motion to postpone
the further consideration of the subject until
Tuesday week,
Mr. GWINN demanded the yeas and nays ;
Which were ordered.
Mr. MERRICK moved to amend the motion by
striking out the words " Tuesday week," and in-
serting the words, " next Saturday."
The question was first taken on the amendment
proposing the longest time—that of Mr. HICKS.
And it was not agreed to, by the following
vote:
Affirmative.—Messrs. Morgan, Dorsey, Wells,
Randall, Weems, Dalrymple, Jenifer, Sherwood,
of Talbot, Crisfield, Dashiell, Hicks, Hodson,
Goldsborough, Eccleston, Phelps, Sprigg, Dirick-
son, Sappington, Schley, Neill, John Newcomer,
Harbine, Kilgour, Waters and Smith—25.
Negative.—Messrs. Buchanan. President, pro
tem., Lee, Chambers, of Kent, Donaldson. Sell-
man, Brent, of Charles, Merrick, Howard, Bell,
Welch, Chandler, Lloyd, Dickinson, Williams,
Chambers, of Cecil, Miller, Bowie, McCubbin,
George, Wright, Shriver, Biser, McHenry, Nel-
son, Stewart, of Caroline, Hardcastle, Gwinn,
Stewart, Baltimore city, Sherwood, of Baltimore
city. Ware, Fiery, Brewer, Weber, Hollyday,
Slicer, Fitzpatrick, Parke, Shower and Cockey
—39.
The question then recurred on the motion of |
Mr. Merrick to postpone the further considera-
tion of the subject until Saturday next,
And being put,
Was decided in the negative.
The first section of the bill was then read.
Mr. DONALDSON moved to strike it out,
Which motion was agreed to.
And the Convention then adjourned until to-
morrow at 10 o'clock.
FRIDAY, March 21,1851,
The Convention met at 10 o'clock.
Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. GRIFFITH.
The roll of the members was called, and the
journal of yesterday was read.
On motion of Mr CRISFIELD, it was
Ordered, That it be entered upon the journal,
that the absence of Mr. DASHIELL, of Somerset, is
occasioned by the illness of a member of his
family.
On motion of Mr. MITCHELL, it was
Ordered, That it be entered upon the journal,
that his absence from the Convention for seve-
ral days past, was occasioned by indisposition.
On motion of Mr. JENIFER, it was
Ordered, That it he entered upon the journal,
that Mr. CHAPMAN, the Hon. President, is de-
tained at home by the illness of a member of his
family.
On motion of Mr, BROWN, it was
Ordered, That it be entered upon the journal,
that his absence from the Convention for seve-
ral days past, was occasioned by indisposition.
On motion of Mr. DORSEY,
(By the unanimous consent of the Convention)
he was permitted to amend the amendment of-
fered by him on yesterday, to the 2d section of
the report of the committee on the Attorney
General and his Deputies, on page 466 of the
Journal, by adding at the end thereof these
words, "or the city of Baltimore."
LICENSE SYSTEM,
Mr. KILGOUR presented a petition of sundry
citizens of the State, praying that provision be
made in the new Constitution to restrict the
privilege of selling intoxicating liquors, &c.,
Which was read, and
Referred to the committee already appointed
on that subject,
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.
The Convention resumed the consideration of
the unfinished business of yesterday, being the
several reports of the committee on represen-
tation,
Mr. FIERY moved to amend the report sub-
mitted by Mr. MERRICK, as chairman of the
committee on representation, bystriking out all
after the words "the House of Delegates," in |
