into several elective districts, with a view to the
choice of delegates to the Legislature. I was
particularly anxious, in good faith, to have the
whole subject referred to a committee, that that
committee might take charge of the questions,
who would have the advantage of a map, show-
ing what sections of the State are contiguous.
In that I had my colleague's co-operation. The
committee could then take the whole subject up,
and they would have a map shelving what elec-
tive districts lie contiguous, and they would have
the documents accompanying the map, showing
the amount of population of the sub-divisions of
Maryland. Then they could apportion among
the elective districts the delegates they were en-
tilled to, and among the wards of the city of
Baltimore the number of delegates they were en-
titled to. I would again ask the House if it is
in a condition to get at this thing, and dispose of
it finally, and to say what shall be the boundaries
of these districts?
Another question lies necessarily beyond all
this. If you district Maryland into several sepa-
rate sub-divisions, with a view to the choice of
delegates to the Legislature, you must alter your
law relating to the qualifications of voters. You
must require those persons who undertake to vote
for a delegate within acertain sub-division of the
county, to have resided within that sub-division
for a certain period of time. You must also pro-
vide new qualifications for a representative, and
require the party seeking to be a delegate from
any one of these sub-divisions, to have resided
within its boundaries for a short period of time.
These questions, and all other questions, if pre-
sented to a committee, could be deliberated upon
by them, and they could bring in some definite
and distinct proposition for the action of this
body. I bow, though, with great respect to those
who voted against me. I take the proposition
before me, and shall still vote lor it, because if it
is incorporated into the Constitution, if the house
adopt the principle, if the house will make these
sub-divisions, they are then competent to appoint
a committee to carry out its details.
I will take the broader proposition of my col-
league, in preference to that offered by the gen-
tleman from Kent. What is the object of these
subdivisions? Is there not always a strife for
the mastery, and should there not be a represen-
tation of minorities as well as majorities? Should
not minorities throughout the whole State, speak
as well as majorities? For the accomplishment
of such purposes, the gentleman from Kent
would have my most cordial co-operation. But
why single out the city of Baltimore or any
other portion of the State? What gentleman re-
siding in one portion of the State desires to stifle
the views of the minority, and never permit it
to be heard in the counsels of Maryland? Would
the county of Washington, having a delegation
of five here, agree to divide Frederick county
into these subdivisions, and thus prevents consolidated
vote there being cast, while the counties
of Washington and Allegany would retain the
privilege of a consolidated mass vote upon the
floor of the House of Delegates hereafter? Could |
the counties of Washington and Frederick agree
to divide up the city of Baltimore to have her
minorities represented, and leave to our people
hereafter the the privilege of stifling the vote of
the minority within her bounds? Without in-
tending to say any thing unkind, I would ask
whether this would be a fair arrangement to the
city? I look to future times, and not to present
organizations. Our contests for a majority in
the House of Delegates, have reference in a
great degree, to political questions originating
in the policy of the general government, to the
great questions of commerce, to the improvement
made in the currency, to internal improvements
and other questions of national moment. Do we
not want all the people to be heard upon these
questions fairly, in all coming time? Would you
divide one section so that the minority would
speak, and permit its voice in other sections to
be stifled and not heard at all? There is a great
principle at the foundation of this, one that per-
vades all Maryland, and which every Marylan-
der has a public interest in. It is a question
which Frederick county should not decide ac-
cording to her wish. It is a question about
which the whole Convention should decide, as it
relates to the political subdivisions of the entire
State, not with a view to give parties an advan-
tage but upon immutable principles of political
justice.
I shall vote for this proposition of my colleague
though I am very unwilling to see the subject
brought in here in this unfinished condition. I have
urged the materiality of this thing on the minds
members. If a majority of this House had signi-
fied, at an early day, that they would not district
Baltimore by itself, then, in my humble judg-
ment, those of us who were disposed to district
the whole State, would have accessions to our
numbers until we would have constituted a ma-
jority of the whole Convention. I am anxious that
the proposition of the gentleman from Kent
should be rejected, and that we should stand up-
on the broader platform and apply it to all Ma-
ryland.
Mr. CHAMBERS made some remarks which will
be published hereafter.
Mr, JOHNSON. I will modify my amendment
by adding to it the following proviso:
Provided, That each county and city shall be
divided into separate election districts of com-
pact, contiguous territory, in the manner hereaf-
ter to be provided in this Constitution, the quali-
fied voters in each of which districts shall at the
time and in the manner in which delegates are
chosen, elect one delegate, who has for one year
next before his election, been a resident of the
district from which he shall be elected, and the
residence in a district requisite to give a right of
suffrage should be six months next preceding the
election; but in case any voter, otherwise quali-
fied shall have less than six months residence in
the district of his then residence, he shall not
thereby lose his right to vote in the district in
which he may have resided for the six months
I next preceding his removal. |
