Mr. STRIRLING. J cannot agree that the
legislature should be restricted in this respect.
There is no reason why the librarian, if they
think proper, should not have an assistant.
The constitution is intended to last many
years. I take it for granted that is the
theory at least. Nobody knows what the
library may become. It may be increased
60,000 volumes, and one man may not be
able to attend to it. You might put the con-
struction upon it that he must make his fires,
and perform such menial offices. There is
not a library anywhere in which the chief
officer is expected to do everything; to go up
to the top shelves and get down the books
necessary, for instance. There is almost
everywhere an assistant.
I rose for the purpose of offering an amend-
ment, which I do not intend to debate. The
convention may adopt it, or reject it, as they
choose. It seems to me there is no reason
on the face of the earth, why the salary of
the librarian should be fixed by the organic
law of the State. If it has anything to do
with the fundamental principles of our gov-
ernment, I should like to have it pointed out.
The practice of fixing salaries in the consti-
tution is unknown everywhere else in the
country. The constitution of Maryland pre-
gents the singular spectacle of fixing the
salary of every officer in the fundamental law,
as if it never ought to be increased or dimin-
ished. The whole question of the compensa-
tion of the librian depends, upon circum-
stances. I think he does not receive any
more than he is entitled to receive. I am
perfectly willing to leave it to the legislature,
I am perfectly well satisfied from what I
know of the legislature that they are not
going to pay too much. The greatest diffi-
culty I ever found about the legislature was
to get them to do anything for the library.
My amendment is to strike out the words,
"His salary shall be $1,500 per annum," and
to insert in the last line, after the word
"duties," the words "and receive such com-
pensation."
Mr. BELT. I shall vote for the amendment of
the gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. Stir-
ling) with great pleasure. Merely to indicate
how our ideas had run together, I will read
an amendment which I had drawn, and had
proposed to offer. It wag to strike out the
words "$1,500 per annum," and to insert
"such amount as may be prescribed by the
legislature." I shall vote for the amendment
proposed by the gentleman from Baltimore.
Mr. STIRLING. There may be some doubt
whether the word " law' 'will cover provis-
ions of the existing constitution, and I will
therefore make an addition to my amend-
ment, to add at the end of the section the
words, " or by the existing constitution."
Mr. VALLIANT. i have a proposition which
I will submit to the consideration of the
gentleman from Baltimore county (Mr. King) |
and the gentleman from Baltimo"e city (Mr.
Stirling.) It is to strike out "his salary
shall be $1,500 per annum,'' and insert " the
salary of the present incumbent shall be
$1,500, beginning August 1, 1864, to con-
tinue until the close of his present term of
office. Thereafter neither he nor his suc-
cessors shall receive more than $1,000, the
amount to be fixed by the general assembly."
The PRESIDENT. The chair does not sup-
pose that the present constitution will be
adopted by August 1, 1864.
Mr. VALLIANT. When it is adopted the
increased salary will begin from that time.
Mr. DANIEL. If we had not fixed and
were not fixing the salary of almost every
other officer in the constitution, 1 might favor
the proposition of the gentleman from Balti-
more city. But we are fixing the salary of
almost every other officer. We fix the sala-
ries of all the judges. We have fixed the
salary of nearly every other officer who is
named in the constitution. In adopting
this, we should be violating the precedent
of the other constitution which fixed those
salaries.
Mr. STIRLING (interposing.) If my col-
league will allow me, I will try to get rid of
a difficulty which suggests itself, that if the
old constitution is abolished there will be no
salary provided for the librarian. I will
modify the last sentence so as to read, " he
shall perform such duties, and receive such
compensation as are now paid or prescribed,
or may hereafter beprescribed by law."
The PRESIDENT. Of course he gets the
salary of the present constitution until the
new one is adopted.
Mr. STIIRLING. Suppose the legislature does
not make any provision. He must get what
he now gets until the legislature make a pro-
vision. My amendment will cover that, be-
cause the appropriation bills fix what he gets.
Mr, DANIEL resumed. 1 was saying that I
could not see what reason there could be for
striking out this salary alone, and leaving
the salary of every other officer in the con-
stitution untouched. I have not heard &
proposition emanating from anybody to
strike out the salaries Of the judges or of
other officers, from the constitution. If yon
strike it out, the legislature must meet the
question and determine it, and it may as well
be determined by this body. It was deter-
mined in our previous constitution, and why
shall we alter in this particular respect, and
strike this out merely because the gentleman
says it is filling up the constitution with
too much partial legislation. It takes very
few words to say that he shall have $1,500 ;
and it does seem to me that this correction
ought to have commenced lo other quarters
and about other things. It would have
been far more appropriate if we bad left out
a great deal of other partial legislation,
rather than this amount which I think we |
