represented them. Who believes that the ne-
gro was represented in fact, no matter what
the theory of your government is? He never
was. He would not have voted for the fugi-
tive slave bill, that when he had fled from
Mississippi up to the borders of Canada for
his liberty, he should be carried back into
slavery. You know be would not. It is tol-
ly to argue such a question. The represen-
tatives of negroes would have given no such
votes for the fugitive slave bill; and gentlemen
know it.
My friend from Prince George's (Mr. Belt)
said this morning that our fathers made a
mistake in not claiming full representation
for their slaves, in accepting three-fifths. I
say that onr fathers made a mistake, and
they knew it, and said they knew it; and
foremost among them was the good old
George Mason. They said they knew they
were doing a wrong thing; but they did it
for the sake of peace, just as many compro-
mises have been made since for the sake of
peace.
Let us now examine the question of repre-
sentation by facts and facts. Suppose we
take my friend's instance the seven peninsu-
lar counties, one of which I have the honor
in part to represent, and one of which my
friend in part represents—Howard, Mont-
gomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Cal-
vert, Charles and St. Mary's.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. I did not
include Howard -with Prince George's, by
any means.
Mr. SANDS, Howard county is not very
anxious to force the association, but still can
afford to be brotherly. You cannot get rid
of us geographically, whatever you do. I do
not remember how many representatives
these peninsular counties now have.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Fourteen.
Mr. SANDS. And Baltimore city has ten.
Now, if my friend will turn to the last census,
page 263, he will find that the peninsula,
Howard county included, has a population
of 58,375 souls,
" Facts are chiels wha winna ding,
And darena be disputed."
Figures cannot lie, I beg my friend's at-
tention to the fact that this peninsular, with
a population of 58,375, has twelve represent-
atives upon this floor to-day, while Balti-
more city with a white population of 184,520
has a representation of ten. In other words,
persons being the basis of representation,
126,000 men in the city of Baltimore are
unrepresented here to-day, in this great
crisis in the history of our State. Of course
my friends do not Ing into the argument,
latitude, longitude, soil, climate, or anything
of the sort.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. Upon this floor and in
this body, the representation of these seven |
counties is twenty-three, and of Baltimore
city it is eleven.
Mr. SANDS. Is it not absurd for me to
stand here and talk about our system of gov-
ernment being based upon representation
according to population?
Mr. CHAMBERS, (in his seat.) I think it is.
Mr, SANDS. It is, indeed; and I don't
think we can deny it. Twenty-three men in
this great crisis in the history of our State
represent 58,375 men, while there are only
eleven here from Baltimore city, to represent
her and her vast interests, with a population
of 184,520 white souls within her limits.
Representation according to population? We
have not got near one-third of the population
and have more than double the representa-
tion.
Then take property as the basis of repre-
sentation if you please.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's, (in his seat.)
Territory.
Mr. SANDS, Suppose territory is taken as
the basis of representation, bow many repre-
sentatives ought Texas to have in the United
States? It is big enough to make half a
dozen other States.
Let us consider property as the basis: for I
assert that in no government pretending to
be republican can there be any other than
the three basis I have mentioned—persons,
property, or a mixed basis of persons and
property. Let us try the question as you
find it resting upon the basis of property.
If my friends will turn to page 12 of the an-
nual report of the comptroller of the treasury,
of September, 1863, they will find this state-
ment of facts. The assessed value of the
peninsular property, real, personal and
mixed, is $37,227,070. The assessed value
of the property in Baltimore city is $128,596,-
819. Taking property as the basis of repre-
sentation, yon have this anomalous condition
of things here to-day, that thirty-seven mil-
lions of property are represented by twenty-
three men upon this floor, while one hundred
and twenty-eight millions of property are
represented here by less than half that num-
ber of men. Is your present government
then, based in its representative features upon
property? Who will dare assert it? If it
is, then over one hundred millions of prop-
erty in the city of Baltimore is unrepresented
here to-day. I take it for granted then that
gentlemen do not claim that under our exist-
ing State government, property is the basis
of representation.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. It is a
mixed basis,
Mr. SANDS. If that is it, I would like to
have you tell me how you will mix up the
personal and property basis of representation
to make it what it is here to-day. Upon the
mixed basis, 58,000 people and 37,000,000 of
property are represented by more than
double the number of men who represent |
