and vigor, and, at the last, we shall wholly tri-
umph .
Mr. BRENT obtained the floor, and moved that
the Convention adjourn, but gave way tempora-
rily to
Mr SHOWVER who renewed the notice that he
would to-morrow move to re-consider the vote
of the Convention, rejecting the amendment of-
ferred by Mr. FIERY to the second section of the
report, and
The Convention thereupon adjourned.
TUESDAY, March 25, 1851.
The Convention met at ten o'clock.
Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. GRIFFITH.
The roll was called,
And a quorum was present.
The journal of yesterday was read and ap-
proved.
LICENSES.
Mr, GRASON presented a petition of sundry cit-
izens of Queen Anne's county, praying that pro-
vision be made in the new Constitution, that the
privilege to sell intoxicating liquors in small
quantities, shall not be granted to any person in
any part of the State or city, except the same
shall first be sanctioned or approved by amajority
of the voters in the county, election district, or
ward where the same is to be sold.
Which was read, and
On motion of Mr. GRASON,
Referred to the select committee already ap-
pointed on that subject.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATION.
The Convention resumed the consideration of
the special order of the day, being the several
reports of the committee on representation.
The pending question was on the amendment
offered by Mr. DORSEY, as a substitute for the
amendment of Mr. SCHLEY to the second section
of the report submitted by Mr. MERRICK, as
Chairman of the committee on representation.
Mr. BRENT, of Baltimore city, was entitled to
the floor.
Mr. BRENT, of Baltimore city, then rose and
remarked, as follows:
My fate has been to occupy a position variant
from the opinions of a large majority of this Con-
vention, but while respecting the opinions of
others, I cannot yield my own solemn convic-
tions.
I have come here in no intolerant spirit
to refuse my support to a fair compro-
mise, but when I see a proposition which
however intended, has the necessary effect
to fix a stigma on my constituency—when I
see a proposition so odious and unjust, I cannot
for one moment hesitate. Before I conclude, I
will endeavor to demonstrate that a proposition |
which I shall read and submit at the proper
season, is based on the true principle of com-
promise, and commends itself to considerations
of general expediency as well as justice.
The gentleman from Kent, (Mr. Chambers,)
has alluded to what he terms our ''pathetic ap-
peals in behalf of the rights and equality of
man." I can only say, that I make no appeals
to the sympathy of gentlemen in this Convention,
hut I do appeal to their sense of justice; and if
that appeal is vain, I will then appeal to conside-
rations of policy for themselves, and show that
their self-interest requires that they should do
justice to us.
I must say, that these sneers and this scoffing
at our just demands, are a melancholy illustra-
tion of the spirit which characterizes a great por-
tion of this body.
Every just republican government recognises
perfect equality among its own citizens, and just
so far as it denies this equality in any respect,
just so far does it violate the principles of jus-
lice and equal right. We have heard much eu-
logy upon our pilgrim fathers and from quarters
where their doctrines ought to be better under-
stood. I will undertake to prove to the satisfac-
tion of my friend from St. Mary's, (Mr. Blakistone,)
that the very first chapter to be found in
Bacon's laws of Maryland, organized the Gene-
ral Assembly upon the broad basis that every
freeman could come in to the House of Burgess-
es and be there entitled to equal influence and
power. This is the true republican doctrine
planted by our pilgrim sires at the old Fort of
St. Mary's, and it is to that original doctrine
that I call on the sons of those sires to revert.
That great principle of equality was subse-
quently violated by the creation of new counties
and the accidental increase from natural caus-
es of population in the western counties, in a
much greater ratio than in the old tide water
counties.
What is the adversary proposition which I am
here to uppose ?
That a man residing in Caroline county is to
stand equal in political power and influence to
any other man in the State, but if he crosses the
imaginary lines between his county and the city of
Baltimore, he is to dwindle to the twentieth part
of a man and become a pigmy. In other words,
that the political stature of a man is to be measur-
ed by the Constitution, high or low, as he may
reside in town or county. If he changes his residence
from city to country, or from county to
city he is to be a political chameleon, only he is
not to change his color according to the surface on
which he rests, but to change his size and dimen-
sions which are increased or diminished accord-
ingly as he goes in or out of the city.
I rejected the proposition submitted by Mr.
FIERY, of Washington county, because it is but
"a crumb from the rich man's table," but I as-
sailed no man's motives who advocated that pro-
position.
I regarded it as nothing to Baltimore city for
practical good, save to gratify the ambition of
four or five more young men by sending them to
the Legislature. |
