venience would be consulted by the refusal of
the Convention to adopt such a resolution—but,
in the absence of the gentleman who offered it,
he had thought it right to say a few words in
explanation,
Mr, RANDALL said, that the gentleman from
Frederick now in his seat, (Mr. Johnson,) had
some time since introduced an order having for
its object the appointment of a Committee of
Revision. Being near the gentleman at the time,
he (Mr. R.) had suggested to him this plan,
which he (Mr. R.) supposed would be the best.
The matter was laid over, and he supposed it
was from the conversation which then took
place, so near to the seat of the gentleman from
Prince George's, (Mr. Tuck,) that this propo-
sition had now been made. The idea then en-
tertained by gentlemen within range of the con-
versation was, that the various chairmen having
had the custody of the various measures, knew
more as to the motives which induced the com-
mittees to come to the conclusions they had
adopted, than any other gentlemen.
Again, it was thought important that the va-
rious branches of the government should be so
organized that there should be no inconsistency
in their various branches. The object was to
dovetail (if he might be allowed the expression)
all these various parts of the constitution, so as
to prevent inconsistencies and incongruities.
Then again, it seemed to many gentlemen
who were inquiring into the matter at the time
referred to, that the phraseology of the different
branches of the constitution should accord.
Mr. R. gave a case in illustration.
There could be no danger to be apprehended
from the appointment of such a committee, be-
cause the committee was merely to recommend
matters to the Convention for its final adoption
or rejection, so that no important change could
be made without the sanction of the Conven-
tion itself.
He was satisfied that these were the motives
which influenced the gentleman who had offered
the proposition, and he thought it was due to
that gentleman that it should be so stated.
Mr. THOMAS said he had already intimated his
opinion that a committee less numerous than that
proposed by the gentleman from Prince George's,
(Mr. Tuck.) would be more convenient, and
more likely to come to a harmonious conclusion.
it was well known that a great many provisions
had been introduced into various parts of the
Constitution, changing entirely that part of the
instrument in which they were incorporated
from the form it took as it came from the com-
mittee. For example, the chairman of the
Committee on the Executive Department of the
Government was in part the author of that
branch of the constitution which related to the
apportionment of representatives—not the gentleman
in his eye, (Mr. Chambers, of Kent,)—
who was the chairman of the Committee on
Representation. And, if gentlemen would ana-
lyze the subject, they would find the fact to be
in nine cases out of ten that the reports of the
committees had been so modified as, instead of
being the productions of the chairmen of the |
committees, to be the productions of some half
dozen gentlemen on the floor, (of whom, however, he
was not one.) He did not know that a
single provision had been introduced into the
constitution on his motion, it was understood
between his constituents and himself that his
private engagements were such as would pre-
vent his attendance here, except at such times
as might be convenient to him. And upon no
other terms would he have come here.
He repeated that if these matters were sub-
mitted to a committee of fourteen, and they
were to sit as one body. the object in view
would not be attained; that was to say, the
Constitution would not assume the form of one
harmonious production, the emanation, as it
were, of one mind.
He objected, however, to so numerous a body.
He would rather assign the duty to the Presiding
Officer alone than to a committee of fourteen.
He would rather entrust it to the official re-
porter of this body than to such a committee.
He certainly would prefer a committee of three
to a committee of fourteen or fifteen. It was
one of those cases in which the patient should
not have too many nurses.
He submitted that it would not take more
than two or three hours to see what corrections
or changes of phraseology would be requisite.
He perceived that the whole instrument would
be very little larger than one of our morning
journals. He desired that it should be sent out
in such a form as would do credit to the Con-
vention; and he believed that a committee of
three would be infinitely more competent to the
accomplishment of that object than a commit-
tee of fourteen or fifteen.
Mr. CHAMBERS, of Kent, rose simply to re-
mark that he disclaimed any attachment to this
particular mode of proceeding. He had not
had the slightest participation in its introduc-
tion. The gentleman, however, had greatly
undervalued the labor which had to be per-
formed in the revision of this Constitution, if
the gentleman from Frederick (Mr. Thomas)
would assume the duty, nothing on earth would
give him greater pleasure. And, if before one-
fourth of the labor was disposed of, the gentle-
man did not discover that he had made a most
unfortunate prophecy, both as to time and labor,
he (Mr. C.) would abandon all further conjec-
tures on the subject.
One thing might be regarded as certain. He
(Mr. C.) did not intend to serve on any such
committee, of three members only. That was
one fact established. (Laughter.)
Mr. THOMAS said he did not suppose that the
gentlemen would require him to say what he
(Mr. T.) would, with the greater cheerfulness
say, that his relations to this body differed, per-
haps, from those of any other gentleman; other-
wise a conscientious source of duty to his con-
stituents would keep him constantly in his seat.
Without referring more particularly to his pri-
vate affairs, he might be permitted to say that
they were so complex and complicated as to
make it physically impossible for him to be here
oftener than he had been, and he must again be |
