Thawley, Stewart of Caroline, Hardcastle, Gwinn,
Stewart of Balt. city, Brent of Balt. city, Sher-
wood of Baltimore city, Presstman, Ware, Fiery,
John Newcomer, Harbine, Michael Newcomer,
Davis, Brewer, Weber, Hollyday, Slicer, Fitzpatrick.
Smith, Parke, Shower, Cockey, and
Brown—62.
So the Convention refused to lay the whole
subject on the table.
The question again recurred on two o'clock,
and it was agreed to.
So the Convention decided that the debate
should terminate on Friday next at two o'clock.
Mr, BROWN moved to amend said order by ad-
ding at the end thereof the following :
"But that five minutes be allowed for explana-
tion to any member offering any proposition or
amendment."
The amendment was agreed to.
And the order as amended was adopted.
Mr. JAMES U. DENNIS submitted the following
order:
Ordered, That no member of this Convention
be allowed to speak more than thirty minutes
upon the question of Representation.
Which was read.
Mr. D. remarked that hitherto the debate had
been mainly confined to two or three members
on one side of the House.
Some desultory discussion followed on the part
of Messrs. DENNIS, PHELPS, MERRICK, HOWARD,
and JENIFER. (chiefly as to the time occupied by
members on one or the other side of the Repre-
sentation question.)
The PRESIDENT announced that the hour designated
for the consideration of the special order
of the day had arrived.
On motion of Mr. MITCHELL, the consideration
of the special order was postponed, that the Con-
vention might proceed with the pending business
Mr. PHELPS moved to amend the order by in-
serting one hour.
Mr. J U. DENNIS, by way of compromise, (he
said,) modified his proposition so as to read forty-
five minutes.
Mr. DAVIS said:
That in the course of the proceedings of this
Convention, the example of other States, and,
amongst them, of the State of Virginia, had been
held up to their view. The last time he left the
city, on his way home. he had met a distinguish-
ed member of the Virginia Convention, now in
session, and had had a good deal of conversation
with him as to the proceedings of that body. The
question which this Convention was now discus-
sing, was the great, engrossing topic which was
now occupying the attention of the Virginia Con-
vention also. The gentleman stated that the ques-
tion had already been discussed three weeks, and
that it was probable, the debate would continue
three or four weeks longer. It had been con-
ducted with great regularity and harmony—the
floor having been awarded alternately to gentle-
men on the one and the other side of the question,
without any departure from that rule. It was
the understanding, that when a gentleman had
made an argument on one side of the question, |
an opportunity of reply from the other aide should
immediately be given.
This, he thought, was an example which might
be followed here with beneficial results, and it
would afford to every gentleman, who desired to
express his sentiments, an opportunity to be
heard.
The question was then stated to be on striking
out " forty-five minutes," and inserting " one
hour "
Mr. CHAMBERS asked the yeas and nays,
Which were ordered,
And being taken,
Resulted as follows:
Affirmative.— Messrs Morgan, Blakistone, Dent-
Hopewell, Chambers, of Kent, Mitchell, Don-
aldson, Dorsey, Randall, Kent, Sellman, Dalrymple,
Bond, Brent, of Charles, Merrick. Jeni-
fer. Buchanan, Chandler, Ridgely, Williams,
Goldsborough, Phelps, Miller, Sprigg, McCub-
bin, McMaster, Gaither, Magraw, Presstman,
Davis, Kilgour, Waters and Smith—33.
Negative.—Messrs. Chapman, President, Lee,
Howard, Bell, Sherwood, of Talbot, Colston,
John Dennis, James U Dennis, Chambers, of
Cecil, McLane, Bowie, Bowling, Spencer, Gra-
son, George, Wright, Dirickson, Hearn, Fooks,
Jacobs, Shriver, Biser, Annan, Sappington, Ste-
phenson, Nelson, Thawley, Stewart, of Caroline,
Hardcastle, Stewart, of Baltimore city. Brent, of
Baltimore city, Sherwood, of Baltimore city,
Ware, Fiery, John Newcomer, Harbine, Michael
Newcomer, Brewer, Weber, Hollyday, Slicer,
Fitzpatrick, Parke, Shower, Cockey and Brown
—46.
So the amendment was rejected.
Mr. MERRICK then moved to amend said order
by inserting after the word " Convention," in
the first line, the words " after to-morrow,"
Pending this question,
The Convention, on motion of Mr, SMITH, pas-
sed to the consideration of the special order of
the day.
BASIS OF BEPRESENTATION.
The Convention resumed the consideration of
the several reports of the committee on represen-
tation.
The pending question was the same as yester-
day.
Mr. DORSEY, by the consent of the Convention,
modified his substitute by adding at the end there-
of, the following:
" And the residence in the district, requisite to
give a right of suffrage in voting for delegates,
shall be six months next preceding the election,
but in case any vote otherwise qualified shall
have resided less than six months in the district
of his then residence, he shall not thereby wholly
lose his right to vote for a delegate, at the then
pending election, but shall be entitled to cast his
vote for a delegate in the district in which be
may have resided for the six months next pre-
ceding his removal to the district of his existing
residence, and the Legislature may pass all laws
necessary to carry into effect this article of the
Constitution." |
