Convention should will on this subject must,
of course, meet with acquiescence on the part
of the minority. He would now ask if it was
the settled purpose on the part of the majority
that the new constitution was to commence its
operation, by the election of officers, prior to
the next meeting of the Legislature? The bill
under consideration provided for the election of
Senators in the ensuing fall. He had supposed
It would be absolutely necessary that the Legis-
lature should enact various details, necessary to
the accomplishment of the objects of the consti-
tution, before it could get into operation, if,
however, this was not the sense of the Conven-
tion—and he felt no disposition to make con-
verts to his opinion—let it be so understood, and
let us not act with our eyes closed to the fact,
that we are putting an end to the term of Sena-
tors who have been elected by the people since
we ourselves were elected.
If it be decided that the constitution was not
to go into operation until after a session of the
Legislature, then some measure must be adopt-
ed to delay the election of Senators until after
that period. We must adopt one theory or the
other, and make our action conform to it through-
out.
Mr. DONALDSON said, he had a further sugges-
tion to make. By this section it was proposed
that the whole Senate should be elected anew
next fall. Now one-third of the present Sena-
tors were elected last fall for the term of six
years, and they had never even taken their seats;
another third had four years, and the remainder
had nearly two years yet to serve. He desired
to know whether it was the intention of gentle-
men here, that these three classes should all be
swept out together by the adoption of the new
constitution. He had hoped that some amend-
ment would have been prepared, providing for
an equitable arrangement of the whole matter;
he had none himself, because he always pre-
ferred to withhold his own suggestions and to
adopt the plans of others, if any were offered
which at all approached a coincidence with his
views and wishes. Such an arrangement it
surely would not be difficult to make, if the majority
were disposed to take up the matter in an
equitable spirit.
He took this occasion to state, that it had not
been his desire to shorten the term of the pre-
sent Governor, and that by voting in favor of
fixing the elections for that officer in 1852 and
1856, his only object had been to make the terms
expire in the even years. Such an arrangement
was at that very time on foot, as was soon after-
wards offered by the gentleman of Prince
George's, (Mr, Sprigg,) for continuing the pre-
sent Governor for the full length of his term,
But as it did not seem proper that the Gover-
nor elected in October last should have his term
shortened, neither was it proper that all these
Senators should be at once swept from their
places, some of whom had just been elected for
the period of six years under the old constitu-
tion. This is what he had intended to suggest
to his friend from Kent, (Mr. Chambers,) but
that gentleman had misunderstood him. |
Mr. GWINN said he believed it was the practice
of other States, in conventions of this character,
to prepare some schedule in which pro-
vision was made for setting the machinery of the
new Constitution in motion. The Senatorial
elections could be provided for in it. He could
not agree with the gentleman from Queen
Anne's, (Mr. Grason,) that the newly-elected
Senators should be entitled to their full term.
He saw no reason why a new election should not
be had. It would not work injustice to the
counties--because, if each was entitled to a
Senator—the new choice would work no disad-
vantage. Besides, it was not right to retain the
old Senators, more than the old judges. The
system should be a unit. It was for the benefit
of the whole people, not only those now living,
but of those who were to succeed them; and the
adjustment should be made, not with a view to
the convenience of those holding political trusts
under the old constitution, but with an eye sin-
gle to the permanent good of the people of the
State.
Mr. THOMAS abserved, that he would be glad
to have Some specific motion made on this subject,
in respect to the newly-elected Senators;
but, as the question had been mooted, he thought
it was necessary to respond to it. There was
no difficulty in his county; his partner in the
practice of the law, and a gentleman with whom
he was most intimate, was a Senator elect, but
had not taken his seat, and did not expect to do
it, and he (Mr. T.) knew that that was the ex-
pectation of those who elected him. There was
this difficulty in permitting the old Senators to
take their seats under the new Constitution.
There was a difference in the new from the old
Senators as to the term of service, and this
Convention ought not to make a change in this
term of service—he would make a change to
suit purposes of any character. He was free
to give utterance to his wishes on this occasion
on another account: he was one of the members
of this body who were disposed to give effect to
the new Constitution as early as convenient. So
far as it affected offices, the tenure of which was
changed, he was for re-electing them, and
would not vote to give to them a tenure differ-
ent from that the people expected they would
have at the time of their election. Having this
purpose to give effect to all the branches of the
Government at as early a day as possible, he
could not make an exception in favor of a
personal friend.
Mr. JENIFER. would ask the gentleman, (Mr.
——,) how it was that the Governor and
Senators being elected by the people on the
same day, a distinction should be made? Now,
this distinction appeared to him to be without
reason. He was opposed to abridging the term
of service for which the present Governor was
elected—and he saw no good cause why the
present Senators, who were elected on the same
day with the Governor, should not be entitled
lo their seats as Senators, instead of being sent
back for a new election.
They, like the Governor, had been elected
after the Convention had been called, and with |
