extra to a newspaper; in which latter case the
postage would be less. There were 75 to 100,000
voters in the State. 10,000 copies could to furnished
for $500; 5000 copies for $300; and be-
yond 10,000 would cost less in proportion.
Mr. SPENCER suggested that pamphlets could
not be given to everybody, and if they were given
to some and not to others, it would give offence.
The newspaper was the general vehicle of intelli-
gence; and in them the laws are published, in
ilearly every county, newspapers were published;
and they were circulated in every county.
Mr. BLAKISTONE suggested that in the small
county issues, it would take four or five weeks to
publish the Constitution. He was in favor of
publishing it in pamphlet form, and in sufficient
numbers to put one into the hands of every voter
in the State of Maryland.
Mr. RANDALL said that the expense of the news-
paper circulation would be an objection. Each
paper would have to set it up anew, and the com-
position was more than half the expense.
Mr. HARBINE said he should prefer the news-
paper circulation, if it did not cost too much, and
he would be glad to hear from apractical printer
upon that point.
Mr. BROWN suggested, that if published in
pamphlet form, the Constitution would still go
into the papers; or at least a synopsis of it, which
would be equally valuable for most readers.
Pamphlets would be more likely to reach the
people, than newspapers.
Mr. WEBER would respond to the call of the
gentleman from Washington, (Mr. Harbine,) as
a printer, although somewhat interested in the
matter, being the publisher of a newspaper. It
was too late for the Convention to talk about the
expenses of publishing the Constitution. The
only question would be the surest and most speedy
mode to place it before the people. His own
Judgment was, that the Constitution should be
published in Maryland, as in every other State
which had had a Convention, in every newspaper
in the State. The reader of every newpaper
should have an opportunity to see it. Even then,
the time being so short, it might be necessary to
multiply copies, in order to furnish it to those
who were not subscribers to the newspapers.
Mr. GWINN said:
That the expenses of the Convention would
amount to considerably more than $100,000; and
no false considerations of economy should pre-
vent the Convention from publishing the Consti-
tution in that form, in which it would most readi-
ly meet the eyes of the people. The people
would not tolerate, at such a time, such consid-
erations of economy; and if listened to, they
would rise in a spirit of indignation against the
Constitution itself. There were 24,000 voters in
Baltimore city. Each one would be as much
entitled as another, to receive a copy of the Con-
stitution. It ought to be printer in every news
paper in the State. Let us not. said Mr. G., be
"penny wise and pound foolish." We have illustrated
the last; let us not make the whold applicable
to our case.
Mr. BISER stated that the call itself, publish |
ed for six weeks, cost from $30 to $35 for each
newspaper, short as it was.
Mr. WEBER said:
That his own account was $32; and the Governor
said that it was under the avenge.
Mr. RICAUD said:
That the Constitution would probably make
eighty squares, according to an estimate just
furnished him by Mr. WEBER; and the usual
price was $1 dollar per square. Allowing $50
for each newspaper, there being fifty-three news-
papers, it would amount to $2,750.
Mr. SPENCER said:
That on the score of despatch rather than
economy, it seemed better to print the Constitu-
tion in the pamphlet form. The country papers
were taken up with stereotype advertisements,
and with their present force, could not publish
at all in less than three or four weeks. A copy
ought to he sent to every voter.
Mr. HOWARD moved to amend the order by
striking out all after the word "ordered," and
inserting in lieu thereof, the following:
Ordered, that the committee be instructed to
advertise forthwith, in the newspapers in Annap-
olis and Baltimore, for proposals to print fifty
thousand copies of the Constitution, upon
the same sized page, and with the same type
that the journal is now printed upon, with the
time when the copies can be furnished, and that
the committee report to the Convention on Moll-
day morning.
Mr. BUCHANAN. I shall vote against that. The
people want immediate information. They want
to know what we have done.
Mr. SOLLERS was in favor of publishing the
Constitution both in pamphlet form, and in news-
newspapers. Very many voters took no newspaper
at all. In Calvert county, they published no news-
papers; and, thank God, they never had had
one.
Mr. DASHIELL stated that in one of the public
papers, he had seen & synopsis of a portion of the
Constitution, with a promise that when it should
be completed, they would publish a synopsis of
the whole of it. He had no doubt that every
newspaper in the State would publish such a sy-
nopsis; and that would he all that was necessary.
He should prefer publishing 20,000 copies in
pamphlet form, and was opposed to publishing it
in the newspapers, in detached parts.
Mr. SPENCER moved to amend the amendment
by inserting after the word "copies," the words
"as also one hundred thousand copies."
Which amendment Mr. HOWARD accepted.
Mr. WELLS was in favor of the report of the
revisory committee. He would suggest also, as
an objection to publishing the Constitution in the
newspapers, the liability to typographical errors,
which might very materially vary the meaning
of it. It could only be printed correctly by sub-
mitting the proof sheets to the revisory commit-
tee themselves, and that could only be done with
the pamphlet.
Mr. GWINN inquired whether the newspapers
of Maryland would be any more likely to make
typographical errors, than those of other States? |
