venerable Constitution, to onst us of the benefits
we have so long held under it. The great body
of the people are the jury—our arguments here,
pro and con, ought to bepresented to them, intel-
ligibly, so as to enable them to give a true ver-
dict. The people cannot decide as they should,
if they have not all the information they can get.
Let them have it, and the cost necessary to fur-
nish it is well expended. Demand and supply
must regulate prices sir, such is the law of
trade and commerce, everywhere, in all things.
My friend, (Mr. Thawley.) is a farmer. It may
cost him some fifty, sixty or seventy dollars to
hire a hand for the year. He has a fine season
and makes an uncommonly large and abundant
crop. His neighbors and the country generally
are less fortunate, and the aggregate amount
produced in the country, is much below the usual
quantity. Corn, in consequence, is at a much
higher price, say two, three prices, but his cost
him no more to raise it, than in ordinary years,
and he would make a fair profit, by selling it at
one-third the price it will command. Does he,
therefore, charge less when he sends it to his
commission merchant for sale ? I rather guess
he expects him "to do the best he can." Amongst
the large volumes of reports, which constitute
what we call history and biography, we have
some inkling of the most strange things that have
occurred from the days of Adam, down to thus
memorable Convention, (a laugh.) But, sir, there
is no where mention made, of a reporter who
died rich, having acquired his wealth by his pro-
fession, and unless times change there never will.
Conventions will probably go out of fashion
again, and then the occasion for their services
will he greatly diminished. We are instructed,
that "the laborer is worthy of his hire;" surely
it ought to be sufficient to support him. Here
we are, at a stand still. If there be any fault—
and I do not admit there is—we are all in "pari
delicto"—let every man bear his own sins—at all
events, don't make the reporter the scape-goat.
I have no fear of censure from the people. Of
course grumblers will growl; so they will in any
event. But with few exceptions, they would
rather censure us for arresting the only source
of information they have. The debates must be
published, the reporter cannot have them pub-
lished unless means are furnished him, and the
only question then is, as to compensation. He
is willing to receive a fair equivalent for his ser-
vice, and we ought to be willing to give it.
Mr. GWINN said:
That the gentleman had remarked that every
man must bear his own sins, and he would accor-
dingly assume his share. He had heard much
said with reference to the character of the re-
ports, and would take the opportunity to state
his views.
He could say with the gentleman from Kent,
(Mr. Chambers,) that during the time the repor-
ter was employed to prepare sketches, he. was
never able to recognise in them, the substance of
any speeches he had delivered on this floor. The
reporter had invariably given him the privilege
of correcting his votes—indeed, ha would have |
taken it—and if it had not been accorded, he
should have moved to dispense with his services.
He had exercised that privilege.
No remarks of his, had extended over a col-
umn and a half in the journal of debates, so far
as they had been printed—so that every gentle-
man must know, from the number of times he had
occupied the floor, and it was evident, therefore,
that he had confined himself within the limits
prescribed to the reporter. And further, he
would say, that the duty of the reporter was per-
fectly fulfilled, when an opportunity was given
to every speaker of ascertaining that the argu-
ments made in the Convention were fairly pre-
seated to the public. This was a privilege which
all should have. They bad a right to have
speaking for themselves and for their constituents
their views and expressions, thus recorded in the
manner in which they submitted them, and in
harmony with the sense they were intended to
convey. The reporters idea of a condensed ar-
gument was not always the idea of the speaker or
of the Convention.
In conclusion, if this right were not conceded
he should move for the discharge of the reporter.
It was a matter of indifference to him whether
the Convention adopted the system of reporting
in full, or preferred the abridgements, but it was
material that the speaker should be fairly presen-
ted to the public.
Mr. STEWART, of Caroline, should not have
said a single word, had he not heretofore taken
some part in the subject under discussion. It
was well known that when this matter was first
under consideration, he voted against employing
a reporter, and afterwards moved a reconsidera-
tion of the vote when the reporter was employed.
It was his impression at that time, that the re-
porter was to report the full debates of this Con-
vention) and not mere sketches. But it appeared
that after they had decided to employ a reporter,
the Committee reported that it would be proper
to have these sketches, and not full reports. He
would like to inquire of the chairman of the com-
mittee into a statement that had been going
around in the papers, for he felt interested in the
matter. He saw it stated in one of the Baltimore
papers, the Argus, which also referred to the
paper in Annapolis, that there were gentlemen,
who they were he knew not, who went before
that committee and offered to do both the report-
ing and printing of the debates, in full, for $6,500,
let the Convention sit as long as it might. They
were ready to give sufficient bond, to be approved
of by the committee, that they would execute
the contract. He would like to know why these
gentlemen were not employed, for he thought it
was due to them that they should have been?
He knew nothing about this matter, not being on
the committee, A committee was appointed
whom it was supposed could settle this matter
better than the Convention could. When this
committee reported, he of course relied on its re-
port. No sooner had a reporter and printer
been employed, than he saw it stated that two or
three persons had offered to do this very reporting
and printing—not sketches, but full debates, the |
