the founder of an overwhelming party, which
required him to put himself at its head, and like
a patriot he had yielded to the call. Now, sir,
a new party may be formed in exact accordance
with the peculiar views of the gentleman from
Frederick; he too, may be called upon by a con-
fiding party; possibly to fill the distinguished sta-
tion which General Jackson had occupied in ex-
change for the privacy of his "Hermitage," and
I must be left at liberty, to believe it possible,
the gentleman would follow the lead of that dis-
tinguished Hero.
Sir, I hold that no man has the right to gratify
his private and personal feelings on such occa-
sions, when a community regards his services as
necessary or useful to the public interest.
Mr. THOMAS had nothing to do with such spec-
ulations as the gentleman from Kent, had indul-
ged in. He wished to add a few words upon
other matters. He wished to say, that in the
very nature of things, to call this a partizan move-
ment, and to raise the tocsin of alarm on that
account, would have a tendency to disturb the
equanimity with which they would otherwise ap-
prove the consideration of such aquestion as this,
and he could see no good to result from it,
He wished also to reiterate that he had never
desired in any way whatever, to impute that de-
gree of inconsistency to gentlemen who had voted
on this question silently, which he would impute
to those who had spoken against the proposition
to fix the lower amount of salary upon the ground
that for that salary, men could not be obtained
who would be competent to serve; and who had
afterwards voted for that very salary. As to
those gentlemen who had remained silent, they
appeared to acquiesce in the argument, and at
least, had not protested against the argument at
the time.
Mr, SPENCER said that he had indicated yes-
terday, and again this morning, his indisposition
to continue the discussion of this question.
He had hoped that the discussion would
have terminated; but he had been disappoin-
ted. He had been desirous from the first, to
state his reasons for the vote which he would
give upon the various propositions submitted up-
on this general subject. He had forborne in the
hope that the vote would be taken. He had
voted to lay this proposition upon the table, be-
cause he believed it had been fully discussed. He
was amazed that there should have been an at-
tempt to bring party considerations to bear upon
this question. He had nut heard it whispered
until the remarks of the gentleman from Anne
Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey,) on yesterday had ex-
plained it, and disabused the Convention of the
idea that this, at least, was not considered as a
party question. If there was in the State one
objection stronger than other, to the public works
of the State, it was the fear that they might be
made instruments of political corruption. That
fear had resulted from the consideration that they
would always remain in the hands of the party
in the ascendant. If there was any measure cal-
culated to disarm that fear, it was this bill which
took the whole question out of the field of politics. |
Hitherto these works had been solely under the
control of the party in the ascendant, and by
act of Legislature was permanently secured to that.
party, because it required the concurrent vote of
both branches of the Legislature, to remove the
officers, and to appoint others. By this bill, such
a state of things would be avoided. No one
could suppose that either party would have the
management of these works. There would al-
ways be upon the board two from the weaker
party to see that there was no corruption.
But he had heard a remark from the gentle-
man from Kent, at which he was surprised. That
gentleman had said that he hoped to keep the
present Commissioners in.
If he, (Mr. C.,) meant that this would influ-
ence his vote, he (Mr. S.,) was surprised at it;
not that he was surprised at his being friendly to
the present commissioners, but that he should
legislate with such a view. For himself he
would vote to keep no man in office, audio turn
no man out of office. He had voted for what be
believed would be for the interests of the entire
people of the State; and whatever might be the
effect of his votes, it would not result from any
intention upon his part to keep one man in or
turn another out.
The only way in which the present incumbents
could be retained, was to stand by the present
action of the legislature upon the subject. If
that was the intention of the gentleman from
Kent, with what propriety could that gentleman
undertake to lecture or to advise any portion of
this Convention against the abandonment of their
principles of reform? Had not the action of the
legislature upon this subject been wholly parti-
zan?
Yet the gentleman from Kent, silting in a Con-
vention to frame a Constitution and to give a
government to the State, would stand by a sys-
tem of legislation wholly and exclusively parti-
zan. He would appeal to that gentleman—to
this body, and through this body to the people of
the State, whether by this course the gentleman
from Kent did not manifest an intention to ad-
here to the strictest possible party lines?
Mr, CHAMBERS would explain. If any thing I
have said, Mr. President, can by any interpreta-
tion bear the semblance of an inference that I
would on this floor consult the interests of a par-
ty, when incollision with the interests of the
State, or that I would forbear to give any vote
required by the interest of the State because that
vote might operate injuriously upon any party,
then I say it is no index, in that sense, of my
meaning. I repudiate any such interpretation
and all such inferences. I am here to aid in
making such a Constitution for the State as in
my best judgment will best promote the welfare
and happiness of her citizens, and best secure to
the people—the whole people—the great ends of
all government. That duty I will perform, what-
ever it may cost party interests, or however it
may affect any relations personal, social or po-
litical. These minor interests must all yield.
But, sir, when I perceive, as I think I now per-
ceive, no benefit or advantage to the State which |
