cept it be approved by a majority of the voters
in said district; and
Mr. GAITHER presented a petition of sundry
citizens of Frederick county of similar import.
Which were severally read, and
Referred to the subject committee already ap-
pointed on that subject.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Mr. THOMAS gave notice that when the report
of the committee, No. 14, creating a Board of
Public Works, should come up for considera-
tion, he should offer as a substitute for said re-
port, the following, which he desired should be
entered upon tje Journal and printed:
"At the first general election of Delegates of
the General Assembly after the adoption of this
constitution, four commissioners shall be elect-
ted, as hereafter provided, who shall exercise a
diligent and faithful supervision on all public
works, in which the State may be interested, as
stockholder or creditor; and shall represent the
State in all meetings of the stockholders, and
perform such other duties as may be prescribed
by law, and shall each receive a salary to he
fixed bylaw, which salary shall not be increased
or diminished during their continuance in office.
"That one of these commissioners shall be a
resident at the time of his election, and shall
have been a resident at least years next
preceding his election in a district to be com-
posed of the counties of Allegany, Washington,
Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore; one of these
commissioners shall be a resident and shall have
resided at least years next preceding his
election in a district to be composed of the
counties of Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arun-
del, Calvert, St. Mary's, Charles and Prince
George's; one of these commissioners shall re-
side at the time of his election, and shall have
beep. a resident at least years next preced-
ing his election, in a district composed of the
city of Baltimore; and the other commissioner
shall reside at the time of his election, and shall
have been a resident at least years next
preceding his election, of a district to be com-
posed of the counties of Harford, Cecil, Kent,
Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester,
Somerset and Worcester.
"Art. 3. The said commissioners shall be
elected by the qualified voters of their several
districts respectively, the returns of their elec-
tion shall be returned and certified to the Gov-
ernor, who shall, by proclamation, declare the
result of the election. Two of said commis-
sioners shall hold their office for years, and
he other two for years from the first Monday
in December next, succeeding their election;
and at their first meeting after their election, or
as soon thereafter as practicable, they shall de-
termine by lot, who of their number shall hold
their offices for years respectively, and there-
after then shall be elected as aforesaid at each
general election of Delegates two commissioners
for the term of years, to be taken from the
district respectively wherein the two commis-
sioners resided at the time of their election,
whose term of service has expired, and in case |
of a vacancy in the office of either of said com-
missioners by death, resignation or otherwise,
the Governor, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, shall fill the same until the
next general election; and in case of an equal
division in the Board of said commissioners, on
any subject committed to their charge, the
Treasurer of the State shall have power, and
shall be called upon to decide the same."
FREE NEGRO POPULATION.
Mr. JACOBS, chairman of the Committee on
the Free Negro Population of this State, sub-
mitted the following
REPORT:
The select committee, raised by order of the
Convention on the 4th December last, to whom
was referred the subject of the free colored'
population of this State, were also required to
report specifically "their actual numbers in the
State, at the several censuses of the United States
down to, and including that just returned; their
annual increase; the numbers that have been
colonized in Africa; the amount of colonization
taxes, and to what purposes applied; together
with such laws as had a particular reference to
that class of our population."
They were also required to submit to this
Convention, "some prospective plan, looking to
the riddance of this State, of the free negro and
mulatto population thereof, and their coloniza-
tion in Africa."
Although more than three months have elaps-
ed since that committee was raised, the nature
and importance of the subject committed to
their charge, was of such peculiar character as
to forbid any hasty report; and the delay has
been occasioned more by the difference in mode
than the object sought to be secured. It will
readily appear that the duties of the committee
were those of no sinecure office.* For, while
to obtain the necessary information asked for in
the order, they had to wade through a labyrinth
of statistics, diffused through a lapse of 60 years;
they had to meet, also, the more difficult task of
recommending to the Convention some feasible
plan, by which to consummate the ultimate de-
sign of colonization, viz—the riddance of and
settlement In Africa, the free colored popula-
tion of this State.
The first point to which the attention of the
committee was called, was the actual numbers
of said population at the several censuses, &c.
By the census of 1790, the free negro popula-
tion of this State amounted to 8,043
By census of 1800 they amounted to 19,587
do. 1810 do. 33,927
do. 1820 do, 39,730
do. 1830 do. 52,938
do. 1840 do. 62,029
do. 1850 do. 73,158
* The committee take pleasure in returning
their thanks to Jno. H. B. Latrobe, Esq., of
Balt, city, for his kindness, in furnishing much
of the statistics and other data contained in this
report, |
