therefor receive such compensation as has
heretofore been paid the secretary of State.' '
The remarks of the gentleman from Balti
more city (Mr. Stirling) upon the necessity of
this office, upon the necessity of providing
for the contingency of the death of the gov
ernor, providing that his place shall be filled
by a man selected by the people of the State
at large, are conclusive with me as to the
propriety of creating this office. My amend-
ment is meant simply to meet the objection
urged against the creation of this office on
account of the expense. Now there is no
reason why the duties of the office of lieu
tenant governor, and the duties of the secre-
retary of State as now regulated and pre-
scribed by law, should not be discharged by
one and the same person; none at all,
And another end to be attained by my
amendment is this: as was suggested by the
gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. Stirling)
in all probability you will obtain for this
office of lieutenant governor, as it is not an
office of emolument and profit, a man who
will not be a greedy politician or a scrambler
for office. You stand, therefore, the better
chance of obtaining a good man for the post,
and when you get a good man for lieutenant
governor you will have a good man tor sec-
retary of State.
Mr. CUSHING. Why not let him be gover-
nor, and do all the work of the State?
Mr. SANDS. And when yon can fill those
offices without additional expense to the
State, I can see no objection to it. And the
additional safeguard given to the people of
Maryland, that they shall always have in the
office of governor a man reflecting their sen-
timents, even if there was a little additional
expense to he incurred, that would be no
great objection to it. But as there is no ad-
ditional expense under my amendment, I
hope it will be adopted.
Mr, SMITH, of Carroll. I think the amend
ment of the gentleman from Howard (Mr
Sands) is obnoxious to a great many insuper-
able objections. In the first place, during
the session of the legislature, the duties of
the secretary of State are very onerous. He
is required to do more labor then than
during all the rest of the year. So that it
would be impossible for him to preside over
the senate, and attend to the proper discharge
of the duties of secretary of State. Besides
the position of secretary of State is a sort of
confidential one in reference to the governor
The governor appoints lo that position a gen-
tleman whom he knows, in whom he has
entire confidence, and between whom and
himself there are relations of the most confi-
dential character, and everything goes on
harmoniously. But it might be that the gov-
ernor and lieutenant governor would not be
in that condition towards each other, and the
whole business of the elective department |
] would be impaired in consequence of the dis-
agreement between them.
Besides, it seems to me yon could hardly
expect to get a first-class man for that place
at one thousand dollars a year. A gentle-
man competent to preside over the senate,
and fitted to fill the office of governor should
it become vacant, would be unwilling, for the
inconsiderable and moderate salary of a thou-
sand dollars a year, to remain at Annapolis
for the whole of the four years of the gover-
nor's term.
I think all this argument about providing
for the contingency of the death or the resig-
nation of the governor, is very groundless.—
The old adage applicable to peace times is
equally applicable to present times: "Few
die, and none resign." And I think any
such provision as this for any such event is
wholly unnecessary. And I do not think you
could get a man for one thousand dollars a
year who would add much to the character
of the executive department, or of the office
of the president of the senate.
The question was then taken upon the
amendment of Mr, SANDS, and it was rejected.
Mr. DAVIS, of Charles, moved to strike out
the seventh section—not agreed to.
No further amendment was offered to the
seventh section.
Section eight was then read as follows :
•'Section 8. In case of the death, resigna-
tion, removal from the State, or other dis-
qualification of the governor, the powers»,
duties and emoluments of the office shall de-
volve upon the lieutenant governor; and in
case of his death, resignation or removal,
then upon the president of the senate for the
time being—until the disqualification or ina-
bility shall cease, or until a new governor
shall be elected and qualified."
No amendment was offered to this section.
Section nine was then read as follows:
"Section 9. Whenever the government
shall be administered by the lieutenant gov-
ernor, or he shall be unable to attend as
president of the senate, the senators shall elect
one of their own number as president pro
' 'tempore."
Mr. MILLER. I was not in favor of this
portion of the report creating the office of
lieutenant governor. But inasmuch as the
convention thinks proper to retain it, I would
suggest that there should be some provision
made, by which a further provision would be
secured for filling the office of governor, in
case of the death of the governor and lieuten-
ant governor. There is a further provision
in the present constitution, giving the legis-
lature the power, in certain cases, to fill the
vacancy.
No amendment was offered to the ninth sec-
tion.
Section ten was then read as follows:
"Section 10. The lieutenant governor,
while he acts as president of the senate, shall |
