report. It was thought due to the Convention
that this communication should be made, in or-
der that the gentlemen who moved several or-
ders of reference may take such action as they
may deem necessary.
Some of the most important of the matters re-
ferred to the committee have already been acted
upon by the Convention. For example—the
limitation on the power of the legislature to cre-
ate debt. That matter has already been provid-
ed for in the report of the committee on the
legislative department. So with the order in
regard to the regulation of tolls upon rail roads
and canals. The committee thought that that
subject had been already provided for in the re-
port of the committee on public works.
Under these circumstances, supposing that the
report of the committee on the legislative de-
partment will again be brought up before the
Convention, by the committee of revision; sup-
posing that the various orders still remaining to
be acted upon, relate exclusively to the legisla-
tive power, and believing that the appropriate
time to take action on those orders will be when
that report shall again come up—a majority of
the committee have authorized and instructed
me to make this communication, in order that
the Convention and the gentlemen who have
moved the orders, may be duly apprised of the re-
sult to which a majority of the committee had
come, and act accordingly.
The notice was entered on the journal.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
The Convention then resumed the considera-
tion of the unfinished business of yesterday, being
the following amendment offered by Mr. HOWARD
on the 30th ult. to the 22d rule;
"But no motion shall be in order to reconsider
an article or section which has gone to the Re-
visory committee."
Mr. HOWARD. I wish to say that that rule is
intended to apply to the ordinary business of the
Convention, and I do not wish to call it up in the
critical position of affairs in which we find our-
selves now. I, therefore, move to postpone the
further consideration of the amendment.
The question being taken, the motion was
agreed to.
Mr. RANDALL, from the committee of Revi-
sion, submitted a report in relation to attorneys
for the Slate in each county and the city of Bal-
timore;
Which, on his motion, was ordered to be
printed in bill form.
Mr. MCHENRY, from the committee repecting
the appointment, tenure of office, duties and
compensation of civil officers not embraced in
the duties of other standing committees, submitted
the following amendments which he desired
should he entered upon the record:
Sec. 5 A Superintendent of State Prisons,
with an annual salary of fifteen hundred dollars,
shall be elected at the general election which
will be held next after the adoption of this Con-
stitution, and at every general State election
thereafter last preceding the expiration of the
term for which the incumbent had been elected |
or appointed. The Superintendent of the State
Prison shall hold his office for the term of four
years from the first day of January succeeding
his election, and until his successor shall have
entered upon the discharge of his duties. He
shall have the charge and superintendence of the
State Prisons, and appoint all the subordinate
officers therein. Any vacancy occurring in the
office of such Superintendent shall be filled by
the Governor till the next ensuing first day of
January.
Sec. 6. The General Assembly shall provide
for such clerks and other ministerial agents as
they may deem requisite to enable the different
Constitutional officers properly to discharge their
respective functions, but shall have no power to
establish any civil offices of a general character,
except by act, which shall not go into operation
until sanctioned by a majority of the electors at
a general State election, and re-enacted at the
succeeding session of the Legislature.
Sec. 7. All existing State officers, not express-
ly continued by other provisions of this Constitu-
tion, shall hold their offices until the expiration
of their present commissions, or until the first day
of January eighteen hundred and fifty-three,
which ever shall first occur. And every civil
office of a general character, which is not special-
ly provided for in this Constitution, shall be
abolished from and after the last mentioned date.
Ordered to be entered upon the record.
Mr. WELLS, chairman of the committee on
Accounts, submitted the following report:
The Committee of Accounts respectfully re-
port for the consideration of the Convention, the
annexed resolution for the payment of $2,226 99;
the amount of various claims for stationery,
newspapers, &c., which were referred to the
committee per order of the board of the 21st.
ult., which claims with the vouchers are here-
with filed.
Respectfully submitted,
G. WELLS,
W. WILLIAMS,
EDWD. LLOYD,
ALEX. NEILL, JR.,
ELIAS WARE, JR.,
Committee of Accounts.
Resolved, That the accompanying accounts
from No. 1 to No. 19 inclusive, be paid by the
orders of the President of the Convention, on the
Treasurer of the State, in favor of the persona
entitled to receive the same.
Which was lead and adopted.
FINAL ADJOURNMENT OF THE CONVENTION.
Mr. W. C. JOHNSON moved to postpone the
final adjournment of the Convention until Mon-
day week, the 12th inst.;
Mr, JOHNSON observed that he thought that it
must be manifest to the whole body, that they
would not be able to get through their business
by the following Monday. There were yet sev-
eral reports to be considered from standing com-
mittees, and among them a report respecting the |
