Mr. STIRLING. I move that this subject be
indefinitely postponed.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's, demanded
the yeas and nays, and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 44, nays 28—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Go ldsborough, President ;
Abbott, Aniran, Audoun, Brooks, Carrier,
Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Earle, Ecker,
Galloway, Hatch, Hebb, Hopkins, Hopper,
Keefer, Kennard, King, Larsh Markey, May-
hugh, McComas, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,
Nyman, Parker, Pugh. Purnell, Ridgely,
Robinette, Russell, Schlosser, Smith, of Car-
roll, Smith, of Worcester, Sneary, Stirling,
Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes, Todd, Wickard,
Wooden—44.
Nays—Messrs. Belt, Berry, of Prince
George's, Billingsley, Blackiston, Bond, Bris-
coe, Brown, Chambers, Clarke, Crawford,
Davis, of Charles, Dent, Duvall, Edelen,
Gale, Harwood, Henkle, Hodson, Horsey,
Jones, of Somerset. Lansdale, Lee, Marbury,
Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Parran, Smith, of
Dorchester, Turner—28.
As their names were severally called, the
following members explained their votes :
The PRESIDENT said: I have some difficulty
in voting upon this question, I have always
evinced every disposition to give gentlemen
all the information upon any particular sub-
ject that they may desire; but from the tenor
of the debate ate it seems that gentlemen of the
opposition do not ask ibis as a matter of favor
upon the part of the convention, but demand
it as a matter of right. It might be to some
extent a matter of right, were this a properly
constituted body authorized to make the de-
mand; but I do not conceive that the conven-
tion, having been assembled for a specific pur-
pose, has strictly anything to do with this
question. I would have been perfectly will-
ing to vote for the proposition of the gentle-
man from Allegany, considering it a concession
upon the part of the majority toward
the minority. That concession I conceive
has not been met in a proper spirit; and con-
ceiving that this discussion may have some
ulterior object not directly indicated by the
proposition, I am constrained to vote for
the motion of the gentleman from Baltimore
city. There is such a thing as killing a propo-
sition by talking it to death, and I think this
has been effectually killed. I vote "aye."
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's, said: I
did not offer this proposition with a view of
creating any ill-feeling in this convention,
If I had supposed that any ill-feeling would
have been created, I would not have offered
the proposition, I thought it was a fair one. it
was acknowledged .yesterday to be a fair and
just one. But I did not regard it as a favor
of the majority, but as a right which I took
It for granted, that the majority of this convention
as sensible and honest men, desiring
to render to every one justice, would, accord |
to the minority. 1. shall vote against the
motion of the gentleman from Baltimore city
to postpone indefinitely. I think the minority
of this convention have a right to complain
of the action of the majority. I vote "no."
Mr. BILLINGSLEY said; I believe that St.
Mary's county has not received the credit she
is entitled lo receive. Believing that this
order is circulated to accomplish that object,
1 am in favor of it; and any disposition to
postpone indefinitely an act of that character,
1 deem gross injustice to the people whom 1
represent. It we have slaves in the service of
the United States, for which we have not re-
ceived a credit; and we can by any possi-
bility through the action of this convention
obtain that information, it is your duty as
honest and as honorable men, to accord it to
: us. So fur as I aim concerned, I seek not to
accomplish any other object than justice to
the people of Maryland. I have no other
principle in this, or in any other vote which
I have ever cast in this convention. I vote
."no."
Mr. BRISCOE said: So far as my vote is
concerned, gentlemen upon the other side
may take the responsibility of their position,
and I take mine. I do not care whether the
proposition be killed by talking it down, or
in any other way. I know what I consider
right. I know that the governor of the State
of Maryland has been treated in the past with
ignominious contempt by the President of the
United States, even on the matter before the
convention. He went and saw the President
personally, and he says:
"1 complained of these proceedings to the
President of the. United States, and was in-
formed that no orders upon the subject had
then been given, and that it was under con-
sideration. After the lapse of a month; the
practice still continuing, no order relating to
it yet appearing, and continued complaints
from loyal owners still reaching me, I ad-
dressed a written communication to the Pres-
ident, remonstrating against the practice, and
invoking his interposition.
"This led to another conference with him
and the secretary of war, the result of which,
as I thought, was the suspension of the
practice until an opportunity could beoffered
to the owners to voluntarily offer their slaves
to the government at a certain rate of com-
pensation, and to meet by that means its sup-
posed necessities. But the suspension did
not take place, and the practice still continued
with as little system as ever on the part of
the recruiting officers."
The governor has already been there and
complained of this injustice, and BO practi-
cal good resulted from it in any way. 1
should be willing to put it into such a shape
that I could hope it might accomplish the
object, and I shall vote against the postponement.
I vote "no."
Mr. CHAMBERS. I repudiate all untold., |
