in friendship, and an expedient had to be resort-
ed to. What was it? Why, to go down to poor
old Harry Malthews, and order a terrapin sup-
per, where hot whiskey punch, champaign, and
twenty other good things were in abundance.—
And then the ear was open for such information
as they had to impart—or to listen to such argu-
ments as would be most likely to convince their
judgment.
But that was not the point he had made. Balti-
more had repudiated the debt upon a quibble of
law in which she had been sustained by the
courts, that Washington county could not claim
it not having a municipal but a political government.
Mr. PRESSTMAN desired to be understood. The
Baltimore and Ohio rail road company was the
party, and not the city of Baltimore; and in the
next place it was the legislature of Maryland and
not the city of Baltimore which had repealed the
penalty.
Mr. DAVIS. Upon whose application?
Mr. PRESSTMAN was not aware that there had
been any application from any quarter of the
State.
Mr. DAVIS could only say then, that if that was
the case, the legislature had been unusually ac-
commodating. Whenever any thing was to be
done for Montgomery county, it was found neces-
sary to make application for it, and even then
there was not always time to attend to it. He
presumed that the city of Baltimore had by some
means called attention to the matter and exerted
its influence. Otherwise, be apprehended that
the legislature would not of its own volition have
assumed the duty.
Mr. President, there are several other points to
which I intended to advert, but I have exhausted
myself and wearied the patience of this Convention.
I will say in conclusion, that I feel a deep
and anxious solicitude for the settlement of this
question upon a basis satisfactory to all and op-
pressive to none. If this cannot be done—if all
our efforts at a harmonious compromise shall un-
happily fail—then, sir, above all, protect the
weak from the power of the strong.
Mr. DORSET, (with unanimous consent of the
Convention,) gave notice of his intention at the
proper time to offer the following amendment,
which he desired should be entered upon the re-
cord:
Art. 2. The House of Delegates shall until al-
tered by the Legislature as hereinafter provided
for, consist of sixty-two members to be appor-
tioned amongst the counties and city of Baltimore,
as follows :—One delegate to each county
and the city of Baltimore, as the representative
of the territory or population thereof, without
respect to numbers and one delegate for every
thirteen thousand inhabitants, and one for every
county having a fraction thereof, exceeding six
thousand five hundred, until the entire population
of the county or city to the number of thirty
nine thousand shall be represented, and for ever;
twenty-one thousand six hundred and seventy in
habitants of any county or the city of Baltimore
abore the said thirty-nine thousand, one addi- |
tional delegate shall be elected in such county or
city, until the year eighteen hundred and sixty-
one, when every county or the city of Baltimore
fur every fifty thousand inhabitants it may have,
above one hundred and sixty-nine thousand, shall
be entitled to one additional delegate, and after
the year eighteen hundred and seventy-one, every
county or the city of Baltimore having a popula-
tion over one hundred and sixty nine thousand
shall have but one additional delegate to its
ten delegates for every one hundred thousand in-
habitants; and after every decenial census, the
General Assembly of Maryland shall adjust the
representation in the House of Delegates accord-
ing to the principles contained in this article of
the Constitution. And in order that each and
every portion of the city of Baltimore, and of the
populous counties, may be fairly represented,
and their various interests protected in the Le-
gislature, for the purpose of electing delegates
therein, the city of Baltimore shall be divided
into ten districts, as follows: The first and second
wards, as now laid off, shall constitute district
No I. the third and fourth wards district No 2,
the fifth and sixth wards district No. 3, the sev-
enth and eighth wards district No. 4, the ninth
and tenth wards No, 5, the eleventh and twelfth
wards No. 6, the thirteenth and fourteenth wards
No. 7, the fifteenth and sixteenth wards No. 8,
the seventeenth and eighteenth wards No. 9, the
nineteenth and twentieth wards No. 10 And
every county having a representation of three or
more members in the House of Delegates, shall
by the General Assembly bedivided into as many
districts as the county is entitled to delegates,
and numbered as such, and the qualified voters
in each of said districts, shall at the lime and in
the manner, in which delegates are chosen, elect
one delegate, who has been for one year, next
before his election, a resident of the ward from
which he shall be elected, and has in all other
respects, the requisite qualifications of a dele-
gate. And the residence in the district, requi-
site to give a right of suffrage in voting for dele-
gates, shall be six months next preceding the
election. But in case any voter otherwise quali-
fied, shall have resided less than six months in
the district of his then residence, he shall not
thereby wholly lose his right to vote at the then
pending election; but shall be entitled to cast his
vote for a delegate in the district in which he
may have resided for the six months next prece-
ding his removal to the district of his existing re-
sidence. And the Legislature may pass all laws
necessary to carry into effect this article of the
Constitution.
Art. 3. Of the sixty-two members constituting
the House of Delegates, Allegany county shall
elect three, Anne Arundel county three, Balti-
more city ten, Baltimore county four, Carroll
county three, Caroline county two, Calvert coun-
ty two, Cecil county two, Charles county two,
Dorchester county two, Frederick county four,
Harford county two, Howard county two, Kent
county two, Montgomery county two, Prince
George's county three, Queen Anne's county
two, St. Mary's county two, Somerset county |
