Appeared as follows; .
Affirmative—Messrs. Blakistone, Hopewell,
Ricaud, Lee, Chambers of Kent, Donaldson,
Dorsey, Randall, Sellman, Weems, Dalrymple,
Bond, Bell, Chandler, Ridgely, Lloyd, Sherwood
of Talbot, Colston, John Dennis, Dashiell,
Williams, Hicks, Goldsborough, Eccleston,
Phelps, Tuck, McCubbin, Bowling, Spencer,
Dirickson, McMaster, Hearn, Fooks, Thomas,
Annan, Stephenson, Nelson, Carter, Thawley,
Stewart of Caroline, Gwinn. Stewart of Balti-
more city, Ware, Schley, Fiery, Neill, John
Newcomer, Harbine, Michael Newcomer, Davis,
Kilgour, Brewer, Anderson, Weber, Hollyday,
Fitzpatrick, Smith, and Shower— 58
Negative—Messrs. Dent, Wells, Sollers, Brent
of Charles, Merrick, Jenifer, Howard, Buchanan,
Welch, Constable, Miller, McLane Bowie,
Sprigg, Grason, George, Wright, Jacobs, Shriver,
Gaither, Biser, Magraw, Brent of Baltimore
city, Presstman, Parke, and Brown—26.
So the first branch of the article was adopted.
The question was then taken on the second
branch of the article, and
Determined in the affirmative.
Mr. MCLANE moved that the Convention take
up for consideration the report submitted by him
as chairman of the committee on the Treasury
Department, on the first of February.
Mr. BOWIE moved to lay the motion on the
table.
Mr. BOWIE moved that the question be taken
by yeas and nays, which being ordered, appear-
ed as follows:
Affirmative—Messrs. Chapman, Pres't, Morgan,
Blakistone, Dent, Hopewell, Ricaud, Lee, Cham-
bers of Kt., Wells, Randall, Kent, Weems, Bond,
Sollers. Brent of Charles, Merrick, Sherwood, of
Talbot, John Dennis, Williams, Bowie, Sprigg,
McCubbin, Bowling, McMaster, Neill, Kilgour,
Waters and Smith—28.
Negative—Messrs. Donaldson, Dorsey, Sellman,
Dalrymple, Howard, Buchanan, Bell, Welch,
Chandler, Ridgely, Lloyd, Colston, Hicks, Golds-
borough, Eccleston, Phelps, Constable, McLane,
Spencer, Grason, George, Wright, Dirickson,
Hearn, Fooks, Thomas, Shriver, Johnson,
Gaither, Biser, Annan, Stephenson, McHen-
ry, Magraw, Nelson, Carter Thawley, Stew-
art of Caroline, Hardcastle, Gwinn, Stewart of
Baltimore city, Brent, of Baltimore city, Sher-
wood, of Baltimore city, Ware. Schley, Fiery,
John Newcomer, Harbine, Michael Newcomer,
Davis, Brewer, Anderson, Weber, Hollyday,
Fitzpatrick, Parke, Shower, Cockey and Brown—
59.
So the Convention refused to lay the motion on
the table.
The question then recurred on the motion of
Mr. MCLANE, to take up for consideration the re-
port submitted by him as chairman of the committee
on the Treasury Department, and
Determined in the affirmative.
The Convention then proceeded to the consideration
of the report
The first article of the report was lead
Mr. MCLANE: proceeded to explain the general |
object of the bill. It had seemed to be the general
opinion of the Convention from the commencement
of the session, that some specific organization
of the Treasury Department was indispensably
necessary. There seemed also to be
an opinion that the interests of the State were
at present exceedingly insecure. It was almost a
miracle that Maryland had not suffered the con-
sequences which had resulted elsewhere from a
similar system. The committee had looked to
the experience of other States, in which similar
evils had existed, for which remedies had been
applied.
They had looked to the operation of the Treasury
system of the United State. In twenty-three States
out of the thirty-one, it had been found necessary
to provide, in addition to the Treasurer, for a
Comptroller or some similar officer. The committee
had provided for a Comptroller and Trea-
surer, dividing all the duties between those two
officers. The committee had required all the
transfers to be made at Annapolis. This plan
had been amply tested by the government of the
United States, which with a debt, sometimes of
$200,000,000, had all its transfers made in the
city of Washington. He was satisfied that no
inconvenience would result from this change,
and it would give increased safety.
Mr. BOWIE moved to amend said report, by
striking out alter the word "Comptroller," to
first article, second line, these words, "chosen
by the qualified electors of the State at each elec-
tion of the members of the House of Delegates,
and shall receive an annual salary of three thou-
sand dollars, also of," and insert in lieu thereof,
the following:
"Who shall be the Governor of the State for
the time being, and"
Mr. SPENCER wished to inquire the cost to the
people of Maryland, of the office of Commis-
sioner of Loans; an office which would be got rid
of by the new plan. He understood that enor-
mous sums were paid in London every year, as
commission for the payment of the interest of the
debts of the State, while a large portion of that
debt was actually paid in this country. He
wished to be informed upon this point also.
Mr. MCLANE said:
That the Commissioner of Loans received no
salary. He was the officer of some bank, and
the money was deposited with him, and the
bank had the use of it; and for the use of this
money, the Commissioner of Loans superinted the
transfer of the bonds, and paid the interest
upon the presentation of the coupons. In the
mean time, the money was in his hands without
any control. He supposed also, that the sums of
money now paid to foreign agents, might, under
a well advised system, be entirely saved to the
State. Under the management of a judicious
Comptroller, it ought to be saved. The Gov-
ernment of the United States paid no such commission
under its system. The system had grown
up from a desire upon the part of the State, to
have it bonds in a foreign market. He was
opposed to the amendment of the gentleman from
Prince George's; for the Governor of the State |
