absent for some eight or ten days. For these
reasons it would nut be possible for him to serve
on any committee that might be appointed.
Mr. SPRIGG, (to the Chair.) is it in order to
move that the further consideration of this ques-
tion be postponed until the gentleman who had
introduced it should be in his seat?
The PRESIDENT said such a motion would be
in order.
Mr. SPRIGG then moved that the further con-
sideration of the order be postponed for the pre-
sent.
The question was taken, and the consideration
of the order was postponed.
Mr. TUCK, at this stage of the proceedings,
entered the Hall.
On motion of Mr. TUCK, the Convention re-
sumed the consideration of the said order.
Mr. TUCK said, we have passed upon several
articles of the Constitution, nearly all of which
are in an unfinished state. Our labors should
now be drawing to a close, and we should finish
as we progress. The order provides that when
the Convention disposes of an article, it shall go
to a committee to be revised and arranged in
order with the others, and printed for the final
action of the body. There are fourteen com-
mittees. It is presumed that the chairmen who
have made reports, have attended to the prog-
ress of discussion and proceedings on these sev-
eral subjects, and are, therefore, better prepared
than others to serve on this committee. He was
aware that the size of the committee would be
an objection; but he thought the weight of ar-
gument was against this objection. Some of
the most prominent and distinguished of the
Convention would be on the committee. He
might refer to the chairmen of the committees
on the Bill of Rights, the Executive, Legisla-
tive and Judicial Departments, the Treasury,
the Representative, the Elective Franchise and
others.
Any arrangement of the parts of the Consti-
tution that these gentlemen might make, he pre-
sumed would be concurred in by the Convention.
At any rate, eight would be a quorum, and we
should calculate, at this late day of the session,
on the attendance of that number on so import-
ant a duty.
Mr. GRASON said that the gentleman from
Prince George's was always so careful in pre-
paring every proposition which he submitted,
that he felt some reluctance in opposing his
views. But he was really of the opinion that three
members would perform the work much more
effectually and expeditiously than by having a
committee composed of so many members. He
believed that it would be better to select the
committee from members who had not prepared
the articles to be submitted for revision. The
chairman of each committee would adhere to
the style and arrangement of his own report,
and would reluctantly yield opinions to the sug-
gestions of others.
Mr, TUCK suggested to the gentleman from
Frrderick, that if the committee he had proposed
was too large, three would be too small. The
.three members, of which the gentleman had |
proposed to compose the committee, according
to the gentleman's argument, would be required
to be there all the time; but they might desire
to go away, and then there would be no one
then to attend to their duty, Mr. Tuck would
suggest five, if fourteen be deemed too many.
Mr, THOMAS expressed a regret at having
made his proposition, fur he thought it would
go through without discussion. He took it for
granted, that the President could ascertain what
five members would be here until the end of the
session, and place these five qualified and re-
spectable gentlemen on the committee. He
would modify his motion by making the number
of the committee five.
Mr. GRASON suggested that the President he
allowed till to-morrow to consider who would
be the proper persons to compose the commit-
tee. He hoped, at the same time, that he would
not think of appointing him as one of the com-
mittee. He had been very unwell, and would
be obliged to pair off soon.
Mr. BUCHANAN said that it seemed to him very
important that the President of the Convention
should be one of the members of the committee.
They would find that they would have constant
occasion to refer to his journal, as also to the
journal of the clerks; and without this aid, they
would not be able to get along satisfactorily.
The President begged leave to say that he cer-
tainly would be very willing to discharge any
duty which the Convention might think proper
to impose upon him. Without being named for
that service, he would with pleasure attend the
meetings of the committee at any time, and give
such aid as would be in his power.
The question was then taken on the amendment
of Mr. THOMAS, that the committee consist of
five members, and it was agreed to.
The order, as amemded, was then agreed to.
DIVISION OF ALLEGANY COUNTY.
Mr. SMITH moved to take up the report of the
Special Committee on New Counties, in relation
to Allegany county; which motion was agreed to.
The Convention accordingly proceeded to the
consideration of the said report, which was read
as follows;
When that part of Allegany county, lying
south and west of a line beginning at the summit
of Big Back Bone or Savage mountain, where
that mountain is crossed by Mason and Dixon's
line, and running thence by a straight line to the
middle of Savage river, where it empties into the
Potomac river; thence by a straight line to the
nearest point or boundary of the State of Virginia;
then with said boundary to the Fairfax stone,
shall contain a population of ten thousand, and
the majority of electors thereof shall desire to
separate and form a new county, and make known
their desire by petition to the Legislature, the
Legislature shall direct at the next. succeeding
election, that the Judges shall open a book at
each election district in said part of Allegany
county, and have recorded therein the vote of
each elector "For or Against" anew county; ill
case the majority are in favor, then said part of
Allegany county to be declared an independent |
