friends would give this matter a liberal con-
sideration, and vote accordingly. It cannot
do any harm to the State for one more or less
member to sit upon this flour, and it might
do good to us. It certainly, I think, would
do scarcely less than justice to that county.
If she were hundreds or thousands away
from the quota, I would not be an advocate
of the change, but would say, let her wait.
Mr. DENNIS. You say "it might do good
to us," Whom do you mean by ''us."
Mr. SANDS. The people of the State, of
whom I am one. That is what I mean by
'' us," speaking collectively. It. cannot do
any harm to the people of the State of Mary-
land to vote an additional member to these
people when their population so nearly ap-
proaches the proper number. I think they
can well appeal to the majority of this house,
and that we ought to listen to that appeal.
I know we have large numbers of friends in
Kent county who would be greatly disap-
pointed and much embittered if something
is not done in this matter. Both as a matter
of justice and of policy I would like to see
our friends adopt it. As I said, it can do us,
meaning the people of the State, no harm to
give an additional member here, and it may
be doing simple justice. I hope the motion
will prevail.
Mr. TODD. I was myself on the point of
making the same motion made by the gentle-
man from Kent (Mr. Hollyday.) For the
reasons that have been very well expressed
by the gentleman from Howard (Mr. Sands,)
I hope this convention will reconsider its ac-
tion and give Kent county two representa-
tives.
Mr. BILLINGSLEY. I shall make the same
motion for St. Mary's county. I was not
here when the basis of representation was es-
tablished, but there is one fact which I think
has escaped the consideration of this body
that ought to make a very deep impression
upon them in regard to this matter, it is
that St. Mary's county is the mother of nil
the counties; that it was there that re-
ligious liberty was first inaugurated, and that
it is due to her position as the mother of the
counties, and as having inaugurated civil
and religions liberty, if she has not the num-
bers under this ratio to entitle her to an ad-
ditional representative; and I therefore hope
the convention will be liberal enough to give
us one more representative.
Mr. STIRLING. I shall support the amend-
ment of the gentleman from Kent (Mr. Hol-
lyday.) After considerable reflection, I have
become convinced that it is wise and politic
to do so. I think in fact it is only 150 short ;
and that her voting population is even larger
than that of Caroline, which baa two repre-
sentatives. That is the reason why I will
make this exception. But I cannot accede
to the request of my friend who sits be-
hind me, (Mr. Billingsley,) because upon the |
principle we have established St. Mary's
county, if allowed two representatives, will
he in an unequal position, even as compared
with Kent; for it will be giving Kent county
with a population of 10,000 two representa-
tives, and St. Mary's the same number with
a population of about 5,000, Certainly
there is no justice in this. Kent county has
nearly enough tor two representatives.
Mr. BILLINGSLEY. I think that the fact
which the honorable gentleman has stated
should be to this convention an additional
consideration for giving us what we claim.
By whom have we lost our property?
Mr. STIRLING. I referred to the free popu-
lation,
Mr. NEGLEY. I hope the house will not
disturb the principle adopted in this report.
If you open it at all in one instance, and de-
viate from the vital principle) upon which it
was established, you will be asked to open it
in others; audit you open it in one instance
1 say there is no reason why we should not
open it in others. There is great complaint
by our friends from Baltimore county, that
the report operates unjustly upon them; and
they have an equal right with Kent and St.
Mary's to come here and ask that they have
one additional member. You will open this
entirely. You will destroy its symmetry. You
will destroy the very fundamental principle
upon which the apportionment is made.
Have the people of Kent counity a right to
complain? Is it not made a principle that
every 5,000 white persons or fraction thereof
over one-half shall be entitled to one repre-
sentative? This is a principle that operates
upon all the counties alike; and if you dis-
turb it at all, you disturb the whole entire
principle. It is like knocking away the
foundations upon which a superstructure is
built. The whole thing topples to the ground.
If you violate the principle in this solitary
instance, it destroys the validity of the rule
in toto. There is no sense or reason in it.
Baltimore county has a better right, to come
forward and ask for two additional repre-
sentatives than Kent or St. Mary's for one.
The provision is made that as soon as a coun-
ty has a fractional part over the half of 5,000,
she may go before the legislature and ask an
enumeration of the State, and get her addi-
tional representative. All the small counties
can do so,
It will be departing from the< principle;
and if you open the report in ibis one in-
stance, you will have applications from other
counties. You will destroy the whole report,
and be at sea again; and perhaps it will take
days and days before it is finally settled. If
you open this report at all to give Kent
county one more, I shall claim and I shall
vote to give Baltimore county one or two
additional representatives, and Frederick
county, too, and for my own county I shall
;put in a claim. |
