mine by lot, who of their number shall hold
their offices for years respectively, and
thereafter there shall be elected as aforesaid at
each general election of delegates, two commis-
sioners for the term of years to be taken
from the district respectively wherein the commissioners
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 commissioners,
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 treas-
urer of the State shall have power, and shall be
called upon to decide the same.
Mr. DAVIS said he should like to hear from
gentleman who proposed this Board of Public
Works the powers they proposed to invest in the
Board, and the duties to be required of it. He
saw from the bill before the Convention a considerable
parapherial to— a great deal of space
devoted to the mode of election, and the location
of the members of the Board but very little
as to their duties and powers. These appear to
have been of secondary consideration, and are
left extremely vague and uncertain. He should
like to hear from gentlemen, what the Board is
to do, and where it is to obtain and how to exercise
the authority to perform the duties ex-
pected of it.
Mr. JENIFER said of his friend from Montgom-
ery would have a little patience he would give
him the information desired. He would however
first state that the report he had made, proposing
to constitute a Board of Public Works, which
was now under consideration, was not entirely
according to his views of the subject. Several
propositions had been referred to committee No
14, of which he (Mr. J ) was chairman, none
of which did he and the committee generally con-
cur in, and the present report was made by him,
as coming nearer to the views of the committee
than any other; and it was understood that no
member of the committee was pledged to the
support of this particular plan. Mr. J. said the
question of a Board of Public Works was not one
to which he had devoted much attention, because
there were other members of that committee more
experienced and familiar with the subject than
himself. He had therefore left the question
more to the consideration of the distinguished
gentleman from Cecil; the learned gentleman
from Anne Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey;) said his friend
from Queen Anne, (Mr. Grason,) two of whom
have had much to do with the internal improvements
of the State, The report therefore came
before the Convention, more to discharge a duty
which the committee felt devolved on them by
the reference of several plans to their considera-
tion, than from any predilection of their own.
The question was now before the Convention to
alter, amend, adopt or reject as may be deemed
proper.
Now. in reply to the inquires of the gentleman
from Montgomery, (Mr. Davis,) Mr. J. said |
he would refer him to the messages of the late
Governors of Maryland in relation to these pub-
lic works, and he did not know how he could
better satisfy his friend and other members of
the Convention of the propriety and expediency
of some such board, than by calling their attention
to the messages of Governor Pratt, and Governor
Philip Francis Thomas to the Legislature during
their occupancy of the Gubernatorial chair,
In his message of December session, 1846, Go-
vernor Pratt calls the attention of the Legislature
to the importance of having an agent or a
board of agents," to superintend the public works
to which their "entire energies and time" should
be devoted. Governor Pratt, as afterwards
Governor Thomas, seems to have come to the
conclusion that some board should be established,
whose whole attention should be devoted to the
subject, which cannot be expected from gentleman
who are called on to make personal sacrifices,
as is the case at present, by the gentlemen
who have meritoriously accepted and now dis-
charge the duties of State agent, or board of
managers, without compensation—not even their
expenses paid. Give an ample compensation to
such gentlemen, as you now have acting as
agents or managers, and there might he no necessity
for a board of public works; but at present
the State expects every thing, and gives nothing.
Mr. J. here read from Governor Pratt's mes-
sage. and said he would direct attention especially
to the following paragraph, which would be
found on page seventeen of his message, December
session, 1846:
"Gentlemen, if you were placed individually
in relation to those works, precisely in the situa-
tion which the State occupies, with the same
power and control over their, and were now as-
sembled to act for yourselves, personally you
would establish such regulations for the government
of each work, as would in your opinion
most increase the revenue from all. You would
not entertain the, Utopian idea, (upon which the
action of the State appears to have been based )
that because this vast outlay had been made by
you, that it required no supervision; nor the
equally fallacious opinion, that you could procure
agents of capacity and energy adequate to the
supervision of so vast an interest who would bestow
the constant attention and labor, necessary to the
successful management of such a trust, without
compensation. You would appoint an agent or
a board of agents, to superintend and enforce the
execution of the regulations established by you,
with such compensation as would command the
entire energies and time, of the agent or board
appointed by you. All I ask, on behalf of the
people, is that you act for them, as you would
act for yourselves."
Here, [said Mr. J. ] was a recommendation to
the Legislature to establish a " Board of Public
Works," or if you please call it by any other
name, the members of which to be paid a fair
compensation, and to devote their whole "ener-
gies and time," to the interest of the State. In
the progress of time, the Legislature not having
acted upon these recommendations, the late Go- |
