making the whole proceedings of the body par-
take more or less of a quasi revolutionary char-
acter.
He took this occasion to say, that so far as he
was concerned, he would not again vote to post-
pone the consideration of any business. He de-
sired gentlemen to recollect that the first of May
was rapidly approaching, and yet, in his judg-
ment, the Convention was not through one-third
of its business. He hoped that the previous
question would not only be adhered to, but that
there would be a deep, abiding determination on
the part of the Convention, to enforce it on all
occasions. Matters of no sort of interest to the
people had been debated here over and over
again. And what were the debates? Not worth
a groat, in his judgment. None of the great
questions which this Convention had been called
to consider had yet been discussed, and all these
questions had to be debated and disposed of be-
tween this time and the first day of May. He
hoped that the Convention would stand by the
rule. If he could have his own way, he would
make it still more stringent. He was amazed
that the gentleman from Anne Arundel, (Mr.
Dorsey,) should desire to reverse or destroy the
rule. Great latitude of debate had been allowed.
He hoped that hereafter it would be arrested, or
at all events greatly restricted.
Mr. NEILL said he concurred fully in the views
which had been expressed by his friend from
Prince George's, (Mr. Bowie,) and he, (Mr. N.,)
was glad to hear them from a quarter so experi-
enced. It was a fad too manifest to escape the
attention of any member of the Convention, that
a long time had been consumed in unnecessary
and irrelevant debate. Was there a gentleman
here who could look back upon the past proceed-
ings of this body without a blush ? What had
been done? How had the time been consumed ?
In debate—he might almost say in idle debate.
We owe it to ourselves, [continued Mr. N.,] we
owe it to the constituencies whom we represent,
to he more active in the discharge of the duties
before us—we owe it to them to go to work speedi-
ly and steadily to dispatch the business for which
we have been called together. I hope, with all
due deference to the mover of this amendment,
that no restriction will be placed on the previous
question. The efforts which this bench, [allu-
ding to the range of seats occupied by the Wash-
ington county delegation.] have made to apply the
previous question, have been attended with no
success. And not only so, but it has almost be-
come an evidence of discourtesy and a mark of
opprobium for any member to move it. He was
unwilling, at this late day in the session, to place
any limit or restriction upon the previous ques-
tion. And he gave notice that, however much
obloquy might attach to the motion, he should
hereafter demand the previous question on every
occasion when, in his judgment, the business of
the Convention would tie expedited by its appli-
cation.
Mr BISER said:
He had never on any occasion, been so puz-
zled how to cast his vole as upon this. It was
true that great latitude of debate had been al- |
lowed. In assenting to this remark, he did not
mean to be understood as complaining of any
gentleman who had participated freely and fre-
quently in the discussions of this body. If he
had not availed himself of the opportunity to par-
ticipate equally often, the fault was his, and he
had no right to complain. He was as anxious as
any man could be to facilitate the transaction of
the public business.
The only question to be decided was, whether
the application of the previous question would
accomplish that object. What bad we seen from
time to time? Every gentleman who had been
present had witnessed the discouraging effect of
the previous question. The Convention in good
faith, and from an anxious desire to expedite the
transaction of its business, had drawn the cord a
little tighter than it was elsewhere drawn, and
what had been gained?
Mr. B. proceeded to show the effect of the
amendment which had been made to the rule re-
lating to the previous question, and to trace to
its operation the constant motions which were
made to reconsider, by which the whole merits of
questions which had already been discussed,
were again thrown open to debate.
He declared his unwillingness to vote, merely
for the sake of trying an experiment, in favor of
the motion of the gentleman from Anne Arun-
del, (Mr, Dorsey.) He, (Mr. B.,) thought that
the experience of all gentlemen must satisfy
them, that the only mode by which to make
progress with the public business was a plain,
and very different mode, it rested with a majo-
rity of the Convention. Whenever a majority
was disposed to act upon the matters before them,
with as little debate as possible, then, and not
till then, the progress of the Convention would
be rapid and steady. He meant nothing unkind
or offensive to any gentleman, but a physician
might as well try to pen up a disease in a
human body, and pronounce the patient convales-
cent, as gentlemen here try to cut off debate if
the Convention itself was willing. If the debate
was penned up in one quarter, it would, like the
disease, break out in another. Even the Wash-
ington county screw, which was perhaps as forci-
ble as any other, would fail of success.
Mr. DORSEY said, that if the proposition he had
offered had been correctly understood by the
gentleman from Prince George's county, (Mr.
Bowie,) there might be some ground for the ob-
jections which the gentleman had raised against
it. From the remarks of that gentleman, it would
he supposed that he, (Mr. D.,) had introduced a
proposition to put an end to the previous question.
He had done no such thing. Nothing could he
further from his intention, or desire. He was as
anxious to see it applied, where its application
was proper, as any other gentleman. And, as to
terminating the session by the first of May, he
was not without hope that it might be brought to
an end long before that time. To no member of
the body was its protracted duration a matter of
more inconvenience than to himself, and no mem-
ber could be more anxious to be relieved from
its labors. But he conceived that the adoption
of this amendment was necessary, in order to |
