Dorsey, (Mr. Phelps,) that they should now as-
sign delegates to the new county, seemed, at
first blush, somewhat reasonable. But Alle-
gany was the most progressing county in Mary-
land, and he thought that in ten years it was
destined to be the most populous, as it was now
the most valuable. Pass this bill, and give them
the law now asked, and in a few years the popula-
tion in the proposed new county would entitle her
to the delegates allowed the smallest counties,
Before that which is now comparatively a wil-
derness had a population of ten thousand, the
residue of Allegany would be larger in popula-
tion than Frederick. Ho thought this would be
concurred in by every gentleman from Allega-
ny. When under these circumstances—the
great inconvenience to be experienced by the
people traveling such a distance, and the con-
gregating of a large population in that section
of the country—it seemed to him nothing but
fair and reasonable, that when the majority of
these people voted for a new county, they
should have a delegation equal to the smallest
county.
Mr. JENIFER said that he would state the rea-
sons which would influence his vote. He was
disposed to vote for the proposition now before
the Convention, although the representation of
Allegany was larger now then she was properly
entitled to under any distribution, that county
falling short of the rates now proposed to be in-
corporated in the Constitution. He had not any
objection to the division of Alleghany upon
the terms proposed, provided it did not entitle
her to an increased representation; bethought
that if Anne Arundel was divided into two
counties, Allegany might be before the next
census, entitled to a division of the county for
the same purpose that Anne Arundel was, by
creating Howard District, now county, for the
benefit of local purposes. He proposed to add
the following proviso to the report:
"Provided, That the number of delegates in
the Legislature from the two counties when di-
vided, be not increased until after the next cen-
sus."
Mr. DORSEY desired to correct his friend from
Charles, in the comparison lie had made between
this case and the division of Anne Arundel coun-
ty. Howard District did not apply to be made a
county merely because she had territory without
population. It had upwards of 12,000 popula-
tion, and in addition, had, he believed, between
three and four millions of assessable property,
upon which it paid taxes. It appeared to him
that the reasons assigned by the gentleman from
Charles, did not apply—that this was to be made
a new county because Howard Howard District
was made a county, it had already an existing
adequate population, which was constantly in-
creasing; and in addition it did not reduce the
county of Anne Arundel below what was reason-
able and right, in respect to territorial extent and
population: it left the remaining portion of the
county with a population of upwards of 20,000.
What was the situation of Allegany county now?
She already had more Delegates than she ought to
have, because a considerable portion of that pop- |
ulation, when the census was taken, were not
bona fide citizens and residents of Allegany coun-
ty, but merely itinerants and sojourners, tempo-
rarily employed on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
Road, and entitled the county to no increased
delegation on account thereof, Allegany county
had already obtained more members in the House
of Delegates than it was justly and properly en-
titled to. It was unreasonable, therefore, thus
prospectively to provide for a new county being
carved out of it,
Mr. JENIFER said he would alter the phrase-
ology of his proviso, to read as follows:
"Provided, the Delegates from the two coun-
ties thus divided, shall not be increased by the
Legislature until after the next census."
The question being on agreeing to the amend-
ment,
Mr. BOWIE said that he had not given the sub-
ject much attention, but he would say that he
thought they should not pass this bill; and he
particularly hoped that the whole Eastern Shore
and the lower part of the Western Shore, would
unite in preventing its passage. What had they
done? Look at the bill passed the other day, fix-
ing the ratio of representation. Gentlemen might
doubt and question as much as they pleased, (and
he did not venture to say that at this time there
was any thing like a disposition on the part of the
Western counties to abolish slavery; he was will-
ing to take the protestations of gentlemen on that
subject;) but those gentlemen told then, that there
was a growing disposition to get rid of slave labor
among the people of that portion of the State.
If the time ever should come (which God in
his mercy avert) when this question shall arise in
the State of Maryland, the conflict would be be-
tween the Western portions of Maryland, the
lower counties, and the Eastern Shore. Looking
at the basis of representation in this bill, as it
now stood, no man could deny the fact that the
slave interest hah been struck down, irretrievably
and fur ever struck down. And now, after having
thus imposed upon them, and reduced them to
this condition, in view of the growing disposition
to get rid of slavery, would that convention still put
another anti-slave county upon them, with increased
representation, and additional power in the Sen-
ate? He entreated them not to do it. He called
upon all, without respect to party, from every
portion of Maryland, even his friends from the
Western portion of the State, not to inflict fur-
ther oppression upon the slave interest. He did
not charge them with being unsound now. He
hoped it might never take place. But it was as
clear as the sun in noonday, that if ever the con-
flict did lake place, it. would take place between
those two portions of the State. He hoped that
no portion of that body would be found at that
early day laying the foundation for additional
fetters on slave labor. What had been stated by
the gentleman from Anne Arundel was true, that
a new county, with all its claims to a full repre-
sentation, would be created in ten years. By
this constitutional provision, they had given Alle-
gany county four Delegates for at least ten years.
if the county now proposed to be made, should
have a population of 10,000, which she was to |
