the count, and do not care for the money, I have nothing to say. But you do want them paid for, and whom do yon want to pay for them? Me? Mr. BELT. Yes, sir. Mr. SANDS Well, I don't want to pay for them. And I do not think it is legally or morally right for the general government to pay for them. It offered to pay for them; it put upon its statute books an expression of its willingness to pay for them. Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. As an inducement to the people of Maryland, Mr. SANDS. Provided yon accepted it in good faith, and lived up to it. Mr. EDELEN. Will the gentleman allow me to interrupt him? Mr. SANDS. I would rather not. I am interrupted all around by friend and foe. Mr, EDELEN, I understood the gentleman to say in a speech some time ago that be was pledged to do all be could to induce the general government to make compensation. Mr. SANDS. "To make all honorable efforts." But if I am to sacrifice a principle to make an honorable effort, then I will not make the honorable effort, because I will not sacrifice a principle. Now I hope my friends on all sides will let me say what little I have to say, and get through. I say there is no legal or moral foot of territory upon which yon can base a legal or moral right to compensation from the general government. If out of kindness and generosity it chooses to make an appropriation, I shall myself be very glad of it, but I say you have no right to demand It. Suppose you had come to me and said ' ' Mr S. I will give you $100,000, provided you 'will do a certain thing." I neither say that I will do it or will not do it. Years elapse and I have not done it. How in the name of conscience, and law, and common sense, or anything else, can I sustain an action against you for the $100,000? You come to me and tell me publicly that if I will do a certain thing, you will give me $100,000. I do not say I will do it, and years elapse, and I have not done it. How can I institute an action against yon for it? Mr. BELT. I rise to a point of order. There is not a word in my proposition about compensation from the general government. The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Bond.) The gentleman from Howard (Mr. Sands,) must address his remarks to the proposition under consideration, .Mr. SANDS. The proposition requires that the State of Maryland shall pay. Now, I ask my friend over the way (Mr. Edelen) how, according to my platform, I can vote for that. I have in my platform expressly committed myself against State compensation. And I believe that every Union man here, I do not care of what type he may be, all those who are politically known by that name, are com-
| mitted against that proposition beforehand. I have not heard among them all, of a single compensationist who was victorious in this constitutional campaign. So that the sixty odd Union men come here pledged beforehand to the people against the proposition offered by the gentleman from Prince George's (Mr. Belt.) And 1 was going to admit now what is the fact, that 1 take it for granted that every Union man here understood that he w,aa committed against that proposition. And I would not have said one word this time, as 1 did not belore, if 1 had not wanted very badly to answer some arguments of my friend from Prince George's (Mr. Clarke.) 1 did not do so then, because 1 thought the vote would be all right. I know that under the rules I have no right to talk upon that section. But 1 did believe that under the courtesy which applies to bodies like this, 1 could reply to the remarks the gentleman made since the adoption of that section. Mr. CLARKE. The gentleman will do me the justice to say that 1 did not object. Mr. SANDS. I know you did not. All I have to say now is that I am pledged beforehand on my platform to vote against this proposition, Mr. BARRON. I move to amend this proposed section by adding the following: "Bat Baltimore city shall not be taxed for any negroes but those within her corporation." Mr. THOMAS called for the previous ques-tion. Mr. RIDGELY. I do not propose to discuss this question. 1 rise simply to acquit myself of the imputation of discourtesy, which my friend from Howard (Mr. Sands) seems to have attached to me. Mr. SANDS. 1 had no application to the gentleman at all. Mr. RIDGELY. 1 considered the debale entirely irregular. The gentleman from Prince George's (Mr. Clarke) had been heard, and the gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. Stirling) had also been heard in reply to him.— It was all out of order. 1 considered it time that this irregular debate should be stopped. 1 had no purpose to offer any discourtesy to the gentleman from Howard (Mr. Sands.) Mr. SANDS. I understood so. Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Mr. Chairman— Mr. VALLIANT. Has not the previous question been called? Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. It has been waived for the purpose of allowing the gentleman from Baltimore county (Mr. Ridgely) to address the convention. The CHAIRMAN. 1 did not understand the previous question to have been waived. The call tor the previous question was seconded. The question was taken upon ordering the main question to be put, and upon & division,
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