shall apportion the members of the house of
delegates among the several counties of the
State according to the population of each,
and shall always allow to the city of Balti-
more four more delegates than are allowed to
the most populous county; but no county
shall be entitled to less than two members,
nor shall the whole number of delegates ever
Sec. 3. The mayor and city council of
Baltimore shall before the next general elec-
tion of delegates after the adoption of this
Constitution, proceed to lay off and divide
the said city into twelve electoral districts
of equal proportions as to population and
of contiguous territory as near as may be,
aqi shall after the returns of each national
census are hereafter published under the au-
thority of Congress, and after the apportion-
ment by the legislature, lay off and divide the
city of Baltimore into as many electoral dis-
tricts as the said city may by said apportion-
ment be entitled to delegates; and each dis-
trict shall be entitled to elect one delegate.
Sec. 4. The apportionment of the delegates
among the several counties and the several
electoral districts of the city of Baltimore,
shall be as follows until after the returns of
the next national census are published under
the authority of Congress, and the apportion-
ment by the legislature as aforesaid, viz: each
district of the city of Baltimore shall be enti-
tled to one delegate for every seventeen thou-
sand inhabitants, or fractional part thereof
over and above one-half, and the several coun-
ties of the State shall be entitled to one dele-
gate for every seven thousand inhabitants, or
fractional part thereof over and above one-
half, and upon this principle and giving to
each county not less than two delegates: Al-
legany county shall be entitled to four dele-
gates; Anne Arundel, three; each of the elec-
toral districts of the city of Baltimore, one;
Baltimore county, eight; Calvertcounty,two
Caroline, two; Carroll, four; Cecil, three;
Charles, two; Dorchester, three; Frederick
seven; Harford, three; Howard, two; Kent
two; Montgomery, three; Prince George's
three; Queen Ann's, two; St. Mary's, two
Somerset, four; Talbot, two; Washington,
four; and Worcester, three,
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. I make
this motion in order to bring the minority re
port before the convention for its considera-
tion. I understand that both of the reports
will be open to amendment I do not pro-
pose to press the substitute to a vote at this
time.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. If that motion prevails
we shall consider the minority report section
by section. If not, we shall consider the ma
jority report.
Mr. CLARKE. I will ask whether, if this
motion prevails, the minority report will be
open to amendment? I remember in the case of
the convention bill, there were two bills re
19 |
ported from the committee; and when the ma-
jority report was before the house, a motion
was made to strike out and insert the minority
report. The minority bill was open to amend-
ment during its consideration. We must
perfect it, and when the amendments are
through, take a vote upon it.
The PRESIDENT. The gentleman from
Prince George's (Mr. Berry) moved to substi-
tute the minority report for the majority re-
port. Pending the consideration of that, if
the friends of the minority report desire to
perfect it by amendment, that is in order.
Mr, BERRY, of Prince George's. Mr. Presi-
dent, 1 propose to occupy the attention of the
convention but a short time, in support of
the minority report. And I am now induced
to do so only because our friends here, who
favor the report, are, like myself, not prepar-
ed to enter upon a full discussion of the sub-
ject to-day. It has been the practice here, for
the chairman of the several committees,
through whom the various reports are made,
to reserve to themselves the right to close the
debate in support of their report, but as lam
requested to open the debate, which 1 propose
to do in a very few words, I desire to know
beforehand, if I will be hereafter allowed to
discuss the question fully? I do not know
but that I will be precluded from doing so by
the operation of the new rule referred to by
the gentleman from Cecil (Mr. Pugh.)
The PRESIDENT. The chair cannot properly
determine the question until it arises. If the
previous question is called and sustained by
the convention, it will be the duty of the
chair to allow no further debate, but to put
the question at once upon the various amend-
ments.
Mr. BRISCOE. 1 suppose if the substitute
shall be voted down by the convention, it
will then be in order to offer amendments to
the majority report?
The PRESIDENT. Certainly.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. 1 did not
know what course the discussion of this most
important question would take in this body.
Nor did 1 expect to discuss it before the con-
vention now. 1 had intended to follow the
course of other gentlemen here, and close the
debate in support of the minority report, but
under the circumstances surrounding the sub-
ject at this time before the convention, 1 pro-
pose briefly to assign some of the many rea-
sons which induced the minority of the com-
mittee to make this report, in opposition to the
report of the majority of the committee.
The report of the majority of the committee
fixes the basis of representation upon the
white population alone, thereby ignoring the
principle of representation as recognized by
the general government, in the formation of
the constitution of the United States in the
convention of 1787, and of every State in the
Union, when this population exists either in
a state of slavery or freedom. |
