been elected by virtue of caucus arrangements.
Mr. BUCHANAN called the gentleman to order,
saying that the remarks of the gentleman from
Kent (Mr. Chambers) he considered also out of
order.
Mr. PRESSTMAN said that as the gentleman
from Baltimore county had sat quietly by while
the gentleman from Kent had made his objec-
tions to caucu arrangements, it was now too
late from him to raise the question of order.
Mr. BUCHANAN said that the gentleman from
Kent spoke so rapidly that he had no oppor-
tunity.
Mr. SPENCER resuming, said that he deemed
it a matter of justice to himself that indiciate his
position after the remarks of the gentleman from
Kent. He had had the honor of serving in other
conventions with that gentleman, called for the
very highest purposes, and had assisted him to
arrange in caucus the action of the Convention.
It was nothing new. Such things were con-
stantly done. There was nothing novel in this
procedure. He was willing that the history of
the matter should go to the world. As a re-
former here, he made no distinction between
a whig and a democrat. He could take the
hand of a whig reformer in caucus as cordially
as of a democratic reformer. These were the
kind of caucuses, and none other, which he had
attended. While he had been ready to act in
such caucuses, and none other, which he had
attended. While he had been ready to act in
such caucuses, he would find no fault with other
gentlemen who disagreed with him upon that
question. Each would stand upon his responsi-
bility. He would protest against throwing re-
proach upon a measure because it had been an-
nounced by the gentleman from Baltimore coun-
ty (Mr. Howard) to have been the result of an
agreement between gentlemen desiring peace,
prosperity and harmony, and acting according
to their best judgments. He had made these
remarks to vindicate the position he had taken.
WEDNESDAY, April 23, 1851.
The Convention met at ten o'clock.
Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. Graff.
The roll was called, and a quorum being pre-
sent, the journal of yesterday was read.
Mr. WELLS informed the Convention that he
had received a communication from his col-
league, Mr. Dorsey, desiring him to state to the
Convention, that he was compelled by indispo-
sition to return home, but that he would resume
his seat in the Convention at the earliest period
he could do so.
THE JUDICIARY.
Mr. SPENCER gave notice that at the proper
time he should offer the following amendments
to the report submitted by Mr. BOWIE, as chair-
man of the Committee on the Judiciary, which
he desired to be entered upon the record:
"Sec. 9. This State shall be divided into eight
judicial districts, exclusive of the city of Balti-
more, in manner and form following, to wit:
Worcester, Somerset and Dorchester counties |
shall be the first district; Caroline, Talbot and
Queen Anne's counties shall be the second dis-
trict; Kent, Cecil and Harford counties shall be
the third district; Allegany and Washington
counties shall be the fourth district; Frederick
and Montgomery counties shall be the fifth dis-
trict; Baltimore and Carroll counties shall be
the sixth district; Prince George's, Charles and
St. Mary's counties shall be the seventh district)
Calvert, Anne Arundel and Howard counties
shall be the eighth district; and one person of
integrity and sound judgment in the law, who
shall have been a citizen of this State at least
five years, and a resident of the district, and not
above the age of seventy years, shall be elected
from each of said districts, by a majority of the
legal and qualified voters therein, as a judge of
the county court for said district, who shall
hold his office for the term of ten years from
the time of his election, or until he shall have
attained the age of seventy years, whichever
may first happen, and be re-eligible thereto until
he shall have attained the age of seventy years,
and not after; and the county courts, so as afore-
said established, shall have, hold and exercise
in the several counties of this State, all and
every the powers, authorities and jurisdictions
which the county courts of this State now have,
use and exercise, and which shall hereafter be
prescribed by law, except in matters appertain-
ing to courts of equity; and the said judges shall
have and use all other powers and authorities
which the judges of the county courts now have,
byvirtue of law, or which may hereafter be
prescribed by law; and the said county courts
shall respectively hold their sessions in the
several counties, at the times and places where
they are now held, or at such other times and
places as may hereafter be prescribed by law;
and the salary of the said judges shall respec-
tively be two thousand dollars per annum, and
shall not be diminished during the period of
their continuance in office, and they shall not
receive any perquisites of office, from any source
whatever, or any other than fixed and certain
salaries.
Sec. 10. In each of the said county court dis-
tricts, the chancery and the orphans' court shall
be incorporated into one court, and the person
who shall be elected as the judge of the county
courts, within the said districts respectively,
shall be the judge of the said chancery and or-
phans' court, and the said chancery and or-
paans' court shall have, hold and exercise in the
several counties of this State, all and every the
powers, authorities and jurisdictions which the
said chancery and orphans' courts of this State
now have, use and exercise, and which shall
hereafter be prescribed by law, and the judge
thereof shall have and use all other powers and
authorities, which the chancellor and justices
of the orphans' courts of this State now have,
by virtue of law, or which may hereafter be
prescribed by law, and the sessions of the said
chancery and orphans' courts shall be held in
the several counties in this State, at the time
and place where the regular terms of the said
orphans' courts are now held, and at such other |
