Mr. TODD. Is not Anne Arundel county
about three times as large as Caroline
county?
Mr. HENKLE. Still Anne Arundel is allowed
only the game representation in the legisla-
ture as Caroline.
Mr TODD. And are there not six, or eight,
or ten times as may slaves in Anne Arundel
as in Caroline?
Mr. HENKLE And yet the difference is
the white population is not so great as to jus-
tify the difference in the amount of taxable
property. The tax paid by Caroline is
$5,304.05; by Anne Arundel $18,488.88.
Now the changes effected by the appor-
tionment that is likely to pass this conven-
tion, are very radical, and it seems to me
perfectly indefensible upon any rules of jus-
tice. The committee on apportionment and
representation in the last convention took
into consideration every interest of the State.
But here there is no regard paid to the prop-
erty in the State of Maryland, or to the actual
population of the State. All legislation has
for its object the security and protection of
both persons and property. Property is an
object of governmental provision to almost
the same degree that persons are. Now if
you will look at the table of estimates, it will
be found that this apportionment of repre-
sentation bears no proportion whatever to
the amount of taxable property in the differ-
ent counties. Property should be represented
and protected; and should be taken into con-
sideration in graduating any scale of repre-
sentation as well as the aggregate number
of inhabitants in the different counties.
In many of the States, in some of the east-
ern States, which are continually held up to
us here as paragons of excellence in every
thing that pertains to governmental mat-
ters—taxation is the basis upon which repre-
sentation is based. But in Maryland you are
to pay no attention whatever to the amount
of property in the several counties. Now in
comparing Caroline county with Kent coun-
ty; we find that Caroline county has but a
little over two millions of dollars of taxable
property, while Kent county has over five
millions; yet Caroline county is allowed two
delegates, while Kent county gets but one.
The gentleman from Caroline (Mr. Todd)
says that Kent county lacks but a little over
one hundred white population to entitle her to
two members. Well, sir, suppose she lacked
only ten, it would be ten years betore she
could obtain that other representative, no
matter what might be her increase in the
meantime.
The former apportionment took into con-
sideration all the interests of the State, prop-
erty and the aggregate population. This is
a great change to be effected. If this artcle
is passed as proposed, it will effect a radical
change; one portion of the State will be
stricken down to a very small and diminu-
21 |
five proportion, while another portion of the
State will have its representation increased
to an enormous extent. And how is that
effected? Simply by making the white popu-
lation only the basis of representation.
And why is it that all this is to fall upon
the southern counties of Maryland at once?
When Maryland was first settled the whole
State started together in the onward march
of progress and improvement; the southern
counties and the western counties were all
upon an equal basis. They have gone on and
improved and developed themselves. Unfor-
tunately it happened to be the fact that slavery
existed in southern Maryland and did not
exist in western Maryland. As these coun-
ties progressed and advanced, slave labor was
employed in the southern counties, through
no fault of theirs, by the force of circum-
stances, while in western Maryland free labor
was employed. The western counties have
become very populous and very wealthy.
So have the southern counties on the eastern
and western shores of Maryland. They have
been developed in all those resources that
make a people great and prosperous. The
two portions of the State have gone on pari
passu, and been equally represented in the
legislature of the State, in proportion to their
vast interests.
But now at a single stroke a death blow is
aimed at this fair portion of the State.
Suppose that slavery had not existed in
southern Maryland; then its population
would have been made up of free white labor,
and it would have been represented here.
But because they have had slaves, and that
slave population now made free is to remain
there, and they are to be deprived of repre-
sentation to that extent, you force them back
into a primitive condition; and now all that
section of the State has to start as it were
de novo, while the western portion of the
State goes on with increased representation.
It seems to me that this is most iniquitous
and unfair. I cannot reconcile it with any
principles of justice. That section of the
State has gone on improving as well as the
other section. Each has its class of laboring
population, and heretofore each has had its
laboring population represented. But now,
simply by a piece of legislation enacted in
this convention, one portion of the State
continues to have its laboring class repre-
sented, while the other portion is to be de-
prived of that representation.
The gentleman from Caroline (Mr. Todd)
has said, in referring to this county,
that in those portions of Anne Arundel
through which he has passed, he has seen
nothing very favorable. I do not know how
it is about property in Caroline county, for I
have never been there. But I bare heard
that they have no real estate there; their
property is all personal, and their farms are
transferred annually, when the March winds |
