charged me "with virtually betraying my trust."
I heard no such thing from him. I heard him
say that I did not correctly express the senti-
ments of my people, but I heard nothing which
amounted to a charge of traitorism or betrayal
of trust. I can only say that I do not recognize
in that speech, or version of my remarks, what
I did correctly say. I do not know the person,
in any shape or form, who wrote the letter. I
am only responsible for what appears in the re-
port of the official reporter to this body.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION
Mr. JENIFER rose, he said, to offer an order, the
adoption of which, he thought, would be attended
with advantageous results. He believed that
every member of the Convention was perfectly
satisfied that they were as far removed from an
adjustment of the question now as on the day on
which they first proceeded to its consideration.
The object of the order was to bring the Conven-
tion to a fair expression of opinion, so that some
compromise might be presented which would
command the votes of a majority. If it failed no
harm could be done-if it succeeded, practical
good would follow. The order did not come in
conflict with the appropriate duties of the com-
mittee which had heretofore been appointed on
the subject. Every portion of the State had been
heard, so far as the views of each portion were
concerned; and yet, as things now stood, the
Convention was as far from a practical result as
ever.
The order was read, as follows:
"Resolved, That a committee of seven be ap-
pointed, to consist of two members from the coun-
ties of each gubernatorial district, and one from
the city of Baltimore, to take into consideration
the question of Representation, and to report to
the Convention the most expedient mode of apportionment
for the House of Delegates, and that
said committee have leave to sit during the sit-
tings of the Convention,"
Some explanation passed between Messrs. Dor-
sey and Jenifer.
Mi. MORGAN moved to amend said resolution
by striking out from the word "seven," in first
line, to the word "district,'' inelusive in second
line, and inserting in lieu thereof "twenty-one;"
be appointed to consist of one from each county.
Mr. M. argued that, under the adoption of the
amendment he had proposed, some compromise
might possibly be arrived at, and some definite
action had upon the report of such a committee.
But he could not conceive, he said, that any committee
raised upon the plan pointed out by the
gentleman from Charles, (Mr, Jenifer,) could ar-
rive at any conclusion which would either expe-
dite the business of the Convention, or bring the
Convention to any definitive vote.
Mr. JENIFER briefly replied to the objections of
Mr. Morgan, and contended that the appointment
of a committee such as that proposed by the gen-
tleman from St. Mary's, (Mr. Morgan,) would be
equivalent to referring the subject to a second
Convention, and would delay the business of the
body. He hoped that his own proposition would
be adopted. It might do good, and at all events
could do no harm. |
Mr. MORGAN said, it was not enough that the
proposition of the gentleman from Charles (Mr.
Jenifer) would do no harm. The question was,
would it do any good? If not, wily should it be
adopted? He wanted to see the labors of this
Convention terminated; he was tired of sitting
here. Mr, M. replied to the objections of Mr.
Jenifer to his [Mr. M's] amendment; he con-
tended that they were not well founded, and that
it was only by the adoption of some such propo-
sition as he had offered that a definite conclusion
could be reached.
Mr, CHAMBERS, of Kent. disagreed with the
supposition of both the gentlemen who had pre-
ceded him, as to the impractability of doing any
thing on this question of representation without
some extraneous influence. He did not believe
that the labors of the Convention, in the efforts it
had made to adjust the question, had been lost.
He did not think that the Convention was as far
from a decision as it was at the beginning. But
he argreed with the gentleman from St. Mary's,
(Mr Morgan.) that, upon the hypothesis that the
Convention were as far from an agreement as
ever, he [Mr. C.] believed that the plan of the
gentleman from Charles (Mr. Jenifer) was not
one calculated to expedite its approach to the terminus
ad quem, A report from a majority in favor
of any given proposition was calculated to fasten
and rivet upon that portion of the body with
whose opinions it might concur, their precious
judgment. The complaint was now that gentle-
met) would not abandon the positions they had
occupied. He thought that the philosophy of
the case was this; that whenever the members of
the Convention should be satisfied that every
means which could be used to attain the result at
which they aimed had been exhausted, and had
proved ineffectual, they would then be prepared
lo make some advances in another direction. He
did not speak with reference to any particular in-
dividuals; there might be individuals actuated by
some ulterior motive) of which he knew nothing.
He spoke of the views of the members. That
point had nearly been reached. Every member
of the Convention had offered his first love. The
gentleman from Charles (Mr. Jenifer) had offered
his. He [Mr. C.] here offered his; and he was
satisfied that the matrimonial contract never could
be consummated between the high-contracting
parties on this floor. Although he was anxious to
have a Constitution, he deemed it hopeless to ex-
pect one if gentlemen were to say that they would
adhere tenaciously to their own propositions, and
would take no other. The spirit of compromise
was abroad. Various propositions looking to that
end bad been offered. Some projet must be
adopted. Let the Convention continue voting
until that projet should turn up it was not by
the advice, or the weight, or the influence of a,
committee that this question was to be settled,
but by the deliberate judgment of the different
parties of the State.
After a remark from Mr. JENIFER, (imperfectly
heard by the Reporter,)
Mr SPENCER said, he conversed pretty much
with the gentleman from Kent, ( Mr. Chambers.)
He [Mr. S.] did not think that the slightest pos- |
