He recollected the great conflicts in the coun-
cil on this subject, when nearly fifty years ago
he was its clerk to that body. He recollected
that Deptford Hundred, which embraced a lar-
ger portion, perhaps the whole of what was the
eastern part of the city, called Fell's Point, con-
sidered themselves in quasi hostility to the inter-
ests of the western portion of the city.
The people of Deptford Hundred thought that
it was unjust and oppressive on them that the
basin of Baltimore should be deepened and kept
navigable, by means drawn from the general
treasury of the city, because if in the ordinary
course of events it became innavigable, (of which
there was great danger, that the whole com-
merce of Baltimore would be transferred to Fell's
Point and its vicinity; and that their properly
would thereby become of immense value, be-
come the centre of commerce; whilst western
Baltimore would measurably sink into ruin.
Therefore, they were opposed to the general
interests of the city, and had a clause inserted in
the charier that no taxes should be laid upon the
Deptford Hundred for deepening the harbor of
Baltimore. At that time perhaps the population of
Fell's Point was not one-fifth part of the popula-
tion of Baltimore. All interests were then provided
for and protected, when the city, thus con-
trolled, was divided into wards.
It never was intended that the whole popula-
tion of Baltimore, as a mass, should vote for the
legislative officers of the city. It never could
have been intended, had the population then
been, as it now is, for the city of Baltimore,
comparatively ?peaking. constitutes a State or
Commonwealth within itself. Thus the city was
divided into wards, that every interest might be
protected, and this was the object of thus terri-
torially dividing the city.
He was for carrying out this principle, and
thought that it was the duty of the Legislature
to protect all the interests of the city of Baltimore;
and much more so is it the duty of the Convention
to do so. He had a personal interest in
the precincts of the city, and he would be very
unwilling to trust his property in the precincts if
the whole population were to vote upon every
measure that affected his property, because they
might lay taxes so as to ruin and destroy all pre-
cincts properly so called, though within the city
limits, with a view of having all buildings erected
upon property in the thickly settled portion of
the city. Justice, then, required that each por-
tion of the city should have the same weight in
representation; for, if the densely populated por-
tion of Baltimore, containing a majority of the
whole city, were to vote en masse, the vote of the
thinly settled parts of the city would be sacri-
ficed. Those who imposed taxes had a right to
say upon what principles within their chartered
powers, the taxes should be levied. If they should
enact that taxation should be regulated by popu-
lar vote, they might destroy the means of improvement
and prosperity of the sparsely settled
portions of the city. They should take care to
see that representation was, from every part of
the city of Baltimore, fairly expressed as well in |
respect to territory as to population of each par-
ticular part of the city.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. Why not so in regard to the
counties ?
Mr. DORSEY. I cannot say I have a very
great objection to that.
Mr. PRESSTMAN, Will you go for it?
Mr, DORSEY. I am not prepared to say.
Mr. D said, that in the counties, he had never
heard of the representatives being taken from
one particular part of the county; they were ta-
ken from every part of it. There was no dense
population in any part of the county as existed
in one particular part of Baltimore.
Population was spread all over the county.
He would venture to say that the delegates
from the city of Baltimore were not spread over
the city as the delegates from the county were
scattered over the county. With the number of
votes that Baltimore would bring into the House
of Delegates, their influence would be such that
a great portion of the city would have no
chance fur protection. The delegates would look
to the interests of the locality from which they
came, which was usually the densely populated
portion.
The identity of interests was very important.
If it should be found necessary for the purpose of
carrying a measure in the Legislature, that the
Delegates should be taken from one particular
section, the rest of the city would be left with-
out representation.
Mr. SHERWOOD, or Baltimore city, hoped the
gentleman would give way to enable him to sub-
mit a motion that the Convention adjourn until
Monday morning at twelve o'clock.
Mr. SHRIVER desired to ask the Convention to
postpone the further consideration of this subject
until Tuesday. He was compelled to return homo
on account of sickness in his family, and it would
require him to ride all day and night to arrive here
on Tuesday morning.
Mr. DORSEY referred to the precipitancy in
which this measure was taken up, even before
the Convention were prepared to act upon it
when
Mr. SHRIVER waived his request.
Mr. MERRICK hoped the subject would be
postponed until Tuesday.
Mr. BOWIE said, that no vote would be taken
on Monday.
Mr. MERRICK then moved to postpone the fur-
ther consideration of the subject until Tuesday.
Mr. SHERWOOD, of Baltimore city, said that
his motion was to adjourn until Monday morning
at twelve o'clock, and he did not intend to quali-
fy it.
Mr. MCMASTER, rising to a question of order
inquired whether a motion to adjourn did not
take precedence over any other motion.
The PRESIDENT so decided.
And the question being put, on the motion of
Mr. SHERWOOD, it was agreed to.
And the Convention accordingly adjourned until
Monday morning at twelve o'clock. |
