nette, Russell, Sands, Schlosser, Scott, Smith,
of Carroll, Smith, of Dorchester, Smith, of
Worcester, Stirling, Stockbridge, Swope,
Thomas, Thruston, Todd, Valliant, Wickard-
54.
The journals of Friday and Saturday last
were then read and approved.
PETITION—COURT OF APPEALS.
Mr. TODD submitted a petition from George
M. Russell and others, citizens of Caroline
county, praying that provision be made for a
session of the court of appeals at Easton;
which was read.
Mr. ABBOTT moved that the petition be laid
upon the table.
Mr. TODD. I was going to move that this
petition accompany the judiciary report, so
that it will come up for action when that
report is taken up for consideration.
Mr. PURNELL. I do not think it is exactly
respectful to these petitioners to lay their
petition on the table. As this subject is not
disposed of, I think it would be more respect-
ful to let the petition accompany the report
of the committee on the judiciary depart-
ment.
Mr. ABBOTT. I moved to lay the petition
on the table, because the judiciary committee
had made their report. The gentleman from
Caroline (Mr, Todd) can submit an amend-
ment to that report at any time that it is
under consideration.
Mr. TODD. It is not necessary to lay the
petition on the table, in order to enable me
to do that, I can submit a motion to amend
without that.
Mr. JONES, of Somerset. The committee
on the judiciary have virtually reported on
that subject, and have reported negatively.
It is not worth while to refer the matter to
them again.
Mr. STIRLING. It is a common parlia-
mentary practice, after a committee has re-
ported upon any subject, to lay all petitions
in relation thereto, upon the table, to accom-
pany the report. It is perfectly respectful
and proper.
The motion to lay the; petition upon the
table was agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE.
On motion of Mr. PURNELL,
The convention took up the following reso-
lution submilted by Mr. PURNELL, on Thurs-
day last:
"Resolved, That this convention will ad-
journ sine die, on Wednesday, the 31st inst.,
unless adjourned at an earlier day in conse-
quence of having finished the business for
which it was called."
The question was upon the adoption of the
resolution.
Mr. SCOTT. I move to lay that resolution
on the table.
Mr. PURNELL. Will the gentleman with- |
draw his motion for a moment, so that I can
have an opportunity of explaining my reasons
for submitting this resolution ?
Mr. SCOTT. I will withdraw the motion at
the request of the gentleman.
Mr, PURNELL, My object in offering this
resolution was to obtain some expression of
opinion on the part of this convention, in
regard to the time when our deliberations
will probably be brought to a close. This
seemed to me to he the most practical way of
doing so. There are but one or two reports
now before this body unacted upon. How
long it will take to mature them, lam not
prepared to say. But I should think it would
not require over a week at the farthest. That
being the case, it does not seem to me that
there is any impropriety in the convention
indicating the time when its labors will
probably be terminated. If the reports are
matured and acted upon, and the business of
the convention completed before that time,
we can adjourn sooner, as a matter of course.
If not, then it will be an easy matter to re-
scind the resolution, and no harm would be
done. it seems to me that is proper, and in
accordance with precedents in all deliberative
bodies, to indicate the time when we will
probably adjourn, inorder that such prepara-
tory arrangements may be made by members
as will best suit their convenience, in refer-
ence to the separation which will soon take
place. I think it is certainly proper that the
convention should indicate some time when
it will probably be prepared to terminate its
labors, and adjourn sine die. It was for that
object and none other that I offered this reso-
lution.
Mr. KING. It seems to me that the time
for us to adjourn is when we shall have got
through our work here. As soon as ever we
are done our work we should adjourn. If
we fix the time, and then have not our work
completed when that time arrives, the public
will think we are doing something wrong, if
we even take another half a day. I renew
the motion to lay this resolution upon the
table.
Mr. STIRLING, I hope this resolution will
beadopted. It seems to me that there is no
reason why we should not adjourn on the first
of August. If we find that we are mistaken
in our calculations, we can easily postpone
the adjournment. If a resolution of this
sort is not adopted, it only means that this
convention means to sit longer than that
time; it necessarily follows in effect, so far
as our action is concerned, that we mean to
say that the thirty-first of August is too soon
a day to be fixed. Now, as I do not believe it
is too soon a day, and as I believe this con-
vention should fix some day, as an intimation
to the people of what we are about to do, and
as a guide to ourselves, I shall heartily sup-
port this resolution. I think it is wise to
adopt a measure of this sort, because it |
