is put into effect. Not that it will derange it
at all, I cannot see that it will derange the
operations of the general government with re-
ference to this matter. I suppose the quota
of Maryland at large will be the same, but
that the relative proportion furnished by the
different counties and the city of Baltimore
will be changed by correcting the enrolment.
I have just received a letter from a provost
marshal that the quota of the 5th district of
Anne Arundel county, including the defi-
ciency of the present draft, will be sixty-one.
The number liable to draft after making all
deductions is three hundred and three. Now
I am prepared to prove in any court of justice
that there are not two hundred and fifty per-
sons in that district liable to draft. The
game thing prevails all over our county, and
not only in our county but in all the coun-
ties of the State. We poll from two hundred
to two hundred and twenty votes in our dis-
trict. That includes the old men, and it
includes a great many persons physically un-
fit for military duty; and the negroes are
gone. I know personally that upon revising
that list nothing like that number will be
found subject to draft. Go over the whole
county, and it is the same. You will find in
the enrolment of Anne Arundel county an
enrolment of at least one-third more names
than she should have; and as the quota is
based upon the enrolment the quota for Anne
Arundel county would be at least one-third
more than it should be. The quota would be
vastly larger, because the basis for it is
larger. When they made the draft here in
June, one-half that they drafted were runa-
way negroes that were not there. They were
there at the beginning of the war; but now
they have gone into the federal army, the
Majority of them, but we have had no credit
for them.
I am not so sanguine as my friend from
Prince George's that I could trace these ne-
groes to their regiments and find them, so as
to have them set down to our credit, it is
impossible for us, I believe, even to get credit
for them. There have been harpies hovering
over the country, and they have carried off
our negroes, the Lord only knows where. We
know they are gone. Still we are charged
with them, and the draft is made as if they
were still in our midst. We ought to have a
just and accurate enrolment.
Mr. STIRLING, I would like to ask the
gentleman a question. If the government
has upon its enrolment lists two or three
thousand people who have actually gone
way, are not those names liable to draft, and if
they are drawn, does not the government lose
just so many, not being able to find them ?
Mr. HENKLE. In June they drew twenty-
five names in my district, and got thirteen of
the twenty-five. For the other twelve they
drew twenty-four more names, and out of the
two dozen they only got six; not because |
they were exempt for physical disability, for
our surgeon does not exempt any, but because
they were not there—not to be found. It is
not only of my own district that I speak; for
1 am familiar with others, and what is true of
my district is true of every district in the
county, and the slaveholding section of the
State.
This is a mere matter of justice, and I earn-
estly hope the convention will do something
in the matter. I hope they will ask for acor-
rection of the lists, and that the apportion-
ment of the State may be made in accordance
with the corrected list. The government can
make it up with a very little trouble, by the
aid of the provost marshals, who can give
them the information in two days, or even in
twenty-four hours, all that is necessary with
regard to my district, and so of every district
in the whole State.
Mr. PUGH. My objection to the intervention
of this convention in this matter is sim-
ply this. The first reason why I object to it is
on account of its impracticability In the
first place, I understand that the governor,
who is requested to be one of a party to inves-
tigate this matter, according to the amend-
ment of the gentleman from Calvert (Mr.
Briscoe, ) and to be requested to give us the
information according to the amendment of
the gentleman from Allegany (Mr. Hebb, ) is
not in Annapolis at this time. Even if he
were here, I have not heard anybody that has
been able to show that there can be any prac-
tical result reached in time to meet the diffuculty
suggested before the coming draft of the
5th of September. Now I respectfully suggest
to the gentlemen from these counties that
they have deferred the matter entirely too
long. in our county, and in every district in
the county, I believe the quota has been filled
up or very nearly so. I know that if it were
not the case there would be very little hope
then of having anything done about the quota
for the present draft, between now and the
6th of September. In my judgment it can
amount to nothing. The arrangements can-
not be made to arrive at aproper result before
the present draft takes plaice. I fear that the
only result that can happen at all will be
interfering with the draft. If the counties
have not prepared to meet it, and if they have
any grievances, they should certainly halve
taken some measures themselves. If they
have not, it is very unfortunate for them that
they did not urge this matter upon the con-
vention some time since. I shall oppose this
for the reason I have stated, and for no other,
that it interferes with the draft.
Mr. HENKLE. I am astonished that it should
be said to produce delay. I can see no diffi-
culty at all. It is not a matter which would
require a week to readjust entirely.
Mr. PUGH. I do not acknowledge the jus-
tice or propriety of this; but I acknowledge
that the counties should have looked out |
