all other duties that shall be prescribed by
law.
PETER NEGLEY,
D. J. MABKEY,
JAMES U. DENNIS,
JOSKPH M. CUSHING."
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
The PRESIDENT announced the order of the
day, being the unfinished business of yester-
day, being the article upon appointment, ten-
ure of office, &c.
Mr. HEBB moved to suspend the rules, and
postpone all prior orders, in order to take up
the article on future amendments to the con-
stitution.
The motion was agreed to.
The report was read the third time and
passed by yeas and nays under the rules—
yeas 51, nays 24—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron
Carter, Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis
of Washington, Dellinger, Earle, Ecker,
Farrow, Galloway, Greene, Hatch, Hebb
Hoffman, Hopkins, Hopper, Jones, of Cecil
Reefer, Kennard, King, Larsh, Markey, Mc-
Comas, Murray, Negley. Nyman, Parker
Pugh, Purnell, Ridgely, 'Rohinett.e, Russell
Sands, Schley, Scott, Smith, of Can-oil
Smith, of Worcester, Sneary, Stirling
Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes, Valliant, Wick
ard, Wooden—51.
Nays— Messrs. Belt, Bla<'kiston, Bond
Briscoe, Brown, Chambers, Clarke, Duvall
Gale, Harwood, Hodson, Hollyday, Horsey
Johnson, Jones, of Somerset, Lansdale, Lee
Marbury, Miller, Morgan, Parran, Peter
Turner, Wilmer—24.
When his name was called,
Mr. CLARKE said: I was not here when
the report was under consideration, and had
intended to offer some amendments to it,
embodying my views with reference to the
amendment of the constitution. My own
idea is embraced in the provision inserted in
the bill of rights, that the people have the
right atall times to amend their form of gov-
ernment. I believe a provision should have
been inserted giving the power to the legis-
lature at any time to submit the question to
the people whether a convention shall be
called. It has passed the limit when that
can be done; and I can only assign my rea-
son for voting against the article, that I think
it limits the rights of the people in an un-
warrantable manner. I vote " no."
CIVIL OFFICERS.
On motion of Mr. DANIEL,
The convention proceeded to the consider
ation of the report of the committee to con-
sider and report respecting the appointment
tenure of ornce, duties and conipensation of
all civil offices not embraced in the duties of
other standing committees; the third section |
of which report was upon its second reading,
as follows:
STATE LIBRARIAN
Section 3. The State librarian shall be
elected by joint vote of the two branches of
the legislature for four years, and until his
successor shall be elected and qualified. His
salary shall he fifteen hundred dollars per an-
num. He shall perform such duties as are
now or may hereafter be prescribed by law.
The amendments previously moved had all
been rejected.
Mr. STIRLNG moved to strike out "four"
before "years," and insert "two," so as to
make the term of office ' 'two years," as in
the present constitution.
Mr. CLARKE. I believe this is one of the
few. unanimous reports. I will merely state
the reasons which induced the change. The
office of librarian is one which requires some
little training in the opinion of the commit-
tee. Members of the bar find from their in-
tercourse with him that when we have a new
librarian it requires five or six months for a
green hand to become familiar with the books
and the proper purchases to be made, and the
duties of the office. The committee therefore
bought that by extending the term, they
would secure a better fulfilment of the duties
of the office of librarian, for he would have
- the time to become thoroughly acquainted
with the duties of the office, and especially
members of the bar would find more facilities
than they would otherwise have. The court
of appeals find that whenever there is a
change in the office of librarian, for some
months there are difficulties attending the
discharge of his duties; but after he has been
there for some time, the duties are better dis-
charged. For these reasons the committee
made the change.
Mr. DANIEL demanded the yeas and nays,
and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 32, nays 43—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Abbott, Annan, Baker, Cun-
ningham, Ecker, Galloway, Harwood, Hebb,
Hoffman, Hopper, Jones, of Cecil, Keefer,
King, Lee, Markey, McComas, Murray, Par-
ran, Pugh, Robinette, Sands, Schley, Scott,
Smith, of Carroll, Stirling, Stockbridge,
Swope, Sykes Turner, Wickard, Wilmer,
Wooden—32.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Audoun, Barren, Belt, Blackiston, Bond,
Briscoe, Brown, Carter, Chambers, Clarke,
Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Washington,
Dellinger, Duvall, Earle, Farrow, Gale,
Greene, Hatch, Hodson, Hollyday, Hopkins,
Horsey, Johnson, Jones, of Somerset, Ken-
nard, Lansdale, Larsh, Marbury, Miller, Mor-
gan, Negley, Nyman, Parker, Peter, Purnell,
Ridgely, Russell, Smith, of Worcester,
Sneary, Valliant—43. ,
The amendment wag accordingly rejected. |
