delegates or the court of appeals. Let him
fulfil his duties, and not look to the bodies
assembled here for his reappointment, and
not be distributing the perquisites of his office
to certain favorites of the political parties to
influence them. Let him be free from such
influences; and let his term of office be such
as to enable him to make himself a competent
officer.
The amendment was rejected. •
Mr. KING. I think the salary of this officer
was fixed at the time our present constitution
was adopted, and that this is not a proper
time to raise it. I move to strike out "fifteen"
and to insert "ten;" so as to give him a sala-
ry of one thousand dollars. I do not see that
the duties of the office are very arduous; and
he is entitled to an assistant at fifty dollars
per month, and other perquisites amounting
to—1 do not know how much. He is in
attendance during the session of the legisla-
ture about sixty days, and during the session
of the court of appeals; but I think that at
other times the duties are so light as not to
require his attendance.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. Will the gentleman tell
us to what perquisites he alludes?
Mr. KIKG. I called for the information
once, but the gentleman was one of those who
refused to let me have it. I remember one
amount of seventy-five dollars. I demand
the yeas and nays upon this amendment.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Mr, DANIEL. The committee did not think
that even the addition of five hundred dol-
lars to this salary would make it anything
like what it had been. We did not consider
fifteen hundred dollars equal to one thousand
dollars a few years ago. I am really very
much surprised to bear the gentleman from
Baltimore county say that this office of libra-
rian was one which did not involve personal at-
tention and labor. I think that since we have
been here we have found it to require the
continual attendance of the librarian and his
assistant; and we have seen the obliging
character of that gentleman, how he has fur-
nished us with books and stationery, and it
is the same for the legislature us for the con-
vention. It is .i great deal of labor, rare and
responsibility. And there is not attached to
the office one one of perquisites. What he
gets For his salary is all that he gets. I have
that from the gentleman himself, who I know
will not state anything that is false. The
seventy-five dollars the gentleman referred to
is I believe the sum allowed for purchasing
stationery for the legislature. It does not
go, one cent of it, to the librarian. He is al-
lowed an assistant at fifty dollars per month.
And bewaits upon the court of appeals, upon
every gentleman who has a right to go into
the library and ask for books; and when the
legislature or the court of appeals is in ses-
sion his constant attendance is required. |
Certainly it is an office of a good deal of care,
labor, and responsibility.
Mr. KING. The time of the attendance
upon the legislature is sixty days in two years.
I see no necessity for his presence except dur-
ing the session of the legislature; for as re-
gards the court of appeals, I presume his as-
sistant can attend to the duties at that time
and at other times. I do not suppose there
are three applications made in a day during
the whole year except when the court of ap-
peals is in session, or the legislature. 1 ad-
mit that when the legislature is in session
there is a pressure: and so there is now that
the convention is sitting. But that is the
only time it is necessary,
Mr. DANIEL. He must take care of the
books.
Mr. KING. Cannot the assistant do that?
He has an assistant who gets his salary of fif-
ty dollars every month.
The question being taken the result was—
yeas 13, nays 50—as follows ;
Yeas—Messrs. Annan, Briscoe, Dennis, Eck-
er, Gale, Hopper, Horsey, Johnson, Keefer,
King, Parran, Wickard, Wilmer—13.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Audoun, Baker, Blackiston, Bond,
Brown, Curler, Chambers, Cunningham, Dan-
iel, Davis, of Washington, Dellinger, Earle,
Farrow, Greene, Hal-wood, "Hebb, Hopkins,
Jones, of Cecil, Kennard, Lansdale, Larsh,
Lee, Marbury, Markey, McComas, Miller,
Morgan. Mullikin, Murray, Negley, Parker,
Peter, Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell,
Sands, Schley, Smith. of Carroll, Smith, of
Worcester, Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge,
Swope, Sykes, Turner, Valliant, Wooden—50.
As their names were called,
Mr. BRISCOE said: If the operation of tbis
clause was not to extend throughout all time,
as a constitutionall proviso, I should vote
against the amendment. Looking at the
prestent times, and the increase of expenses,
and applying it to the present incumbent
only, I should be willing to vote for the
amount proposed by the committee. But as
it is a question for all time, so long as this
constitution shall be in operation, I vote
"aye."
Mr. MILLER. I shall vote against this
amendment. And I hope the convention will
remember, when we come to the more impor-
tant offices, the judicial offices especially, that
we are raising the salaries of.comparatively
subordinate officers; and I shall expect them
therefore to go with me, to give to the judges
of the courts salaries commensurate to the
duties they are called upon to perform. I
vote "no."
Mr. NEGLEY said: I should have preferred a
sliding scale suited to the times. These times
will not last forever; the circulating medium
of the country will get back to a specie basis,
and then this provision will he here. I vote
"no." |
