ors elected by the people, seems to me too
much after the fashion of the old constitu-
tion.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr. TODD moved to insert in line 5th " each
district of."
Mr. AUDOUN. We do not want a sur-
veyor for each district of the city of Balti-
more. One surveyor for the city is all that
is required.
Mr. TODD. My idea was to make it con-
form to the action of the convention in dis-
tricting the city. As the gentlemen do not
want it, I withdraw the amendment.
' Mr. HENKLE moved to strike out " two " in
line three, and to insert " lour," to make the
election for four years.
The question being taken, no quorum
voted.
Mr. DAVIS, of Washington, demanded the
yeas and nays, and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 24, nays 27—as follows :
Teas—Messrs. Abbott, Audoun, Brooks,
Chambers, Daniel, Earle, Edelen, Hatch,
Henkle, Hodson, Hollyday, Hopkins, King,
Lansdale, Miller, Murray, Parker, Parran,
Ridgely, Sands, Scott, Smith, of Worcester,
Stockbridge, Valliant—24.
Nays—Messrs. Annan, Baker. Brown, Cun-
ningham, Davis, of Washington, Dellinger,
Duvall, Ecker, Farrow, Galloway, Greene,
Hebb, Hopper, Lee, Markey, Mayhugh, Ny-
man, Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell,
Schley, Smith, of Carroll, Stirling, Todd,
Wickard, Wilmer—2 7.
As there names were called,
Mr. .ECKER said: I hardly know how to
vote on this question. We have had a surveyor
in our county ever since I was a little
boy. He has served very well. He is elected
and kept there all the time; and I presume
will be kept there.- I therefore vote "aye."
Mr. HENKLE. This is not a political ques-
tion. I think it is an important question,
Every one familiar with the affairs of the
State knows the importance of having expe-
rienced surveyors. There is more loss, more
trouble, more litigation, more legislation re-
quired, when there is an inaccurate surveyor
If we elect a man for two years he will hard-
ly have time to become familiar with his du-
ties before another man will be put in his
place; and we shall always have inexperi-
enced surveyors. That we may have a term
of four years instead of two, I vote "aye.'
Mr. STIRLING. I would have voted for this
proposition ft while ago; but thinking of it
since, I have come to the conclusion that we
ought not to put this office for four years and
others for two. We have voted down every
similar proposition heretofore; and I shall
vote " no."
Mr. ECKER said: For the, reason assigned
by my friend from Baltimore (Mr. Stirling,)
I vote "no." |
No farther amendment was offered.
Section seven was then read as follows:
"Section 7. The qualified voters of Wor-
cester county shall, on the — day of — ill
the year — and every two years thereafter,
elect a wreck master for said county, whose
duties and compensation shall be the same as
are now prescribed or may be hereafter pre-
scribed by law; the term of office of said
wreck master shall commence on the first
Monday of January next succeeding his elec-
tion, and a vacancy in said office by death,
resignation or removal from the county, shall
be filled by the county commissioners of said
county for the residue of the term thus made
vacant."
Mr. PURNELL moved to fill up the blank so
that it should read :
" The qualified voters of Worcester county
shall, on the Tuesday next after the first lion-
day of November, in the year eighteen hun-
dred and sixty-five, and every two years
thereafter, elect a wreck master," &c.
The amendment was adopted.
Mr. MILLER, I ask the consent of the con-
vention to return to the sixth section, in or-
der to amend it. The latter part of the sec-
tion now reads:
" The term of office of said county and
city surveyors respectively, shall commence
on the first Monday of January next succeed-
ing their election. And vacancies in said
office of surveyors, by death, resignation or
removal from their respective counties or
city, shall be filled by the commissioners of
the counties, or the mayor and city council
of Baltimore respectively."
I propose to amend by adding to it the
words "for the residue of the term thus made
vacant," when it will correspond with the
seventh section in that respect. There was
quite a controversy under the old constitu-
tion in regard to the clerk of a circuit court,
these words being left out, as to whether a
man appointed by the judge continued in
office for six years, or for only the residue of
the term made vacant, I hope this matter will
be made uniform throughout the constitu-
tion, so that the elections for these officers
will come around at the same period through-
out the State.
The question being taken, the amendment
was agreed to.
No further amendments were offered to the
sixth and seventh sections.
Section eight was then read, as follows;
" Section 8. The general assembly may
provide by law for the election or appoint-
ment of such other officers as may be re-
quired and are not herein provided for, and
prescribe their powers and duties, but the
tenure of office and mode of appointment of
all county officers shall be uniform, and their
powers and duties shall be similar through-
out the State."
Mr. SCOTT. In order to make this section |
