787
the thirty-third article of said report ?"
Mr, CHAMBERS, of Kent, moved that the question
be taken by yeas and nays, which being or-
dered, appeared as follows:
Affirmative—Messrs. Chapman, Pres't, Morgan,
Blakistone, Dent, Ricaud, Lee, Chambers of
Kent, Donaldson, Kent, Sellman, Weems, Dal-
rymple, Bond, Sollers, Brent of Charles, Bell,
Colston, Dashiell, Williams, Hodson, Goldsbo-
rough, Phelps, Miller, Bowie, Sprigg, McCub-
bin, Bowling, Spencer, Grason, George, Wright,
Dirickson, McMaster, Jacobs, Sappington, Ste-
phenson, Carter, Stewart of Caroline, Hardcas-
tle, Schley, Fiery, Neill. Davis, Kilgour, Brew-
er, Waters and Smith—47.
Negative—Messrs. Dorsey, Wells, Randall,
Howard, Buchanan, Welch, Ridgely, Lloyd,
Sherwood of Talbot, Eccleston, McCullough,
McLane, Thomas, Shriver, Gaither, Biser, An-
nan, McHenry, Magraw, Nelson, Thawley,
Gwinn, Stewart of Baltimore city, Brent of Bal-
timore city, Ware, John Newcomer, Harbine,
Michael Newcomer, Anderson, Weber, Holly-
day, Parke, Ege, Shower, Cockey and Brown—
36.
So the Convention reconsidered their vote on
said article,
The question then recurred on the adoption of
of the amendment offered by Mr, CHAMBERS of
Kent.
Mr. CHAMBERS wished to express a single idea.
If every man in the country knew, that if he
made open profession of infidelity, it would debar
him from admission to any office; it would seal
his lips, and prevent him from preaching his sen-
timents to the weak minded and ignorant. Chil-
dren would thus be left to grow up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord, without temptation
from this source. If they could only make the
infidel keep his tongue within his lips, it would
accomplish an immense amount of good.
Mr. DORSEY argued against the provision.
The Christian religion was no part of a law of
the land; for a man could be a judge without be-
lieving a word in it. He proceeded to show the
extent to which this principle had been carried
when Church and State were connected to-
gether in England even when the Protestant
Episcopal religion was the law of the land, con-
demning to death, without benefit of clergy, one
who denied the divinity of the Saviour. He urged
that the Deity had wisely reserved to himself and
to his selected agents, the business of extending
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