section, the question will be first taken upon
the amendment of the gentleman from Kent
(Mr. Blackiston.)
Mr. HEBB. I now call for the previous
question,
The demand for the previous question be-
ing seconded, the question was—"shall the
main question be ordered?"
Mr. JONES, of Somerset. I am exceedingly
sorry, after we have been limited to fifteen
minute speeches, genltemen should attempt
to gag us by the application of the previous
question, I call for the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were accordingly or-
dered.
The question was then taken, by yeas and
nays, and resulted—yeas 48, nays 30—as
follows:
Yeas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbolt, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron,
Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of
Washington, Dellinger, Earle, Ecker, Far-
row, Galloway, Greene, Hatch, Hebb, Hop-
kins, Hopper. Jones, of Cecil, Keefer, Ken-
nard, King, Larsh, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,
Nyman, Parker, Pugh, Purnell, Ridgely,
Robinette, Russell, Sands, Schley, Smith, of
Carroll, Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge,Swope,
Sykes, Thomas, Todd, Valliant, Wickard,
Wooden—48.
Nays—Messrs. Berry, of Prince George's,
Blackiston, Bond, Briscoe, Brown, Chambers,
Clarke, Crawford, Dail, Davis, of Charles,
Dennis, Duvall, Edelen, Harwood, Henkle,
Hodson, Hollyday, Horsey, Johnson, Jones,
of Somerset, Lansdale, Lee, Marbury, Mitch-
ell, Miller, Morgan, Parran, Peter, Smith, of
Dorchester, Wilmer—30.
The main question was accordingly or-
dered.
The question then recurred upon the
amendment of Mr.BLACKISTON, to give Kent
county two delegates instead of one.
Upon this question Mr. BLACKISTON called
for the yeas and nays, and they were or-
dered,
The question was then taken, by yeas and
nays, and resulted—yeas 32, nays 45—as
follows:
Yeas—Messrs. Berry, of Prince George's,
Blackiston, Bond, Briscoe, Brown, Chambers,
Clarke, Crawford, Dail, Davis, of Charles,
Dennis, Duvall, Edelen, Harwood, Henkle,
Hodson, Hollyday, Horsey, Johnson, Jones,
of Cecil, Jones, of Somerset, Lansdale, Larsh,
Lee, Marbury, Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Par-
ran, Peter, Smith, of Dorchester, Wilmer—
32.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President ;
Abbott, Annan, Audonn, Baker, Barron,
Cunningham, Gushing, Daniel, Davis, of
Washington, Dellinger, Earle, Ecker, Farrow,
Galloway, Greene, Hatch, Hebb, Hopkins,
Keefer, Kennard, King. Mullikin, Murray,
Negley, Nyman, Parker, Pugh, Purnell,
Ridgely, Robinette, Russell, Sands, Schley, |
Smith, of Carroll, Sneary, Stirling, Stock-
bridge, Swope, Sykes, Thomas, Todd, Val-
liant, Wickard, Wooden—45.
The amendment was accordingly rejected.
Mr. RIDGELY, when his name was called,
said:
I shall vote against this amendment for the
reason that I consider, in the distribution of
legislative power arranged by this report of
the majority of the committee, that the small
counties of the State are very especially fa-
vored, whilst the large counties of the State
are inequitably dealt with. In my judgment,
the greater complement should come from my
county (Baltimore county) for instance, ra-
ther than from any of the small counties. It
is true that Kent county gets but one delegate
now. But it is in a condition, according to
the ratio of progress provided in this report,
to very soon obtain another; while my county
can probably never obtain any larger dele-
gation, under any circumstances. I vote
"no."
The question recurred upon the amend-
ment submitted by Mr. CLARKE, as amended
on motion of Mr. THOMAS, as follows ;
Section 3. Strike out all after the word
" the," in first line, and insert the words:
" Legislature, at its first session after the
adoption of this constitution, and at its first
session after the returns of each national
census are published under the authority of
Congress, shall apportion the members of the
house of delegates among the Beveral coun-
ties of the State and the city of Baltimore,
according to the white population of each,
provided the whole number of delegates shall
never exceed eighty-five members, and pro-
vided that each county and said city shall be
divided into separate election districts of
compact contiguous territory, the qualified
voters in each of which districts shall, at the
time and in the manner in which delegates
are chosen, elect one delegate, who has for
one year next before his election been a resi-
dent of the district from which he shall be
elected. The apportionment of the delegates
among the several counties and the city of
Baltimore shall remain the same as provided
by the present constitution, until the second
election held for members of the house of
delegates after the adoption of this constitu-
tion; and the general assembly shall here-
after elect United States Senators and all offi-
cers who are elected by the legislature, by a
concurrent vote of the two houses, and not by
joint ballot."
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's, demanded
the yeas and nays, and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 20, nays 57—as follows:
Yeas—Messrs. Blackiston, Bond, Briscoe,
Brown, Chambers, Clarke, Crawford, Davis,
of Charles, Duvall, Edelen, Harwood, Henkle,
Hodson, Hollyday, Lansdale, Marbury,
Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Wickard—20. |
