whether Kent county has been a party to any
such arrangement.
Mr. THOMAS. I would relieve the gentle-
man from Kent (Mr. Chambers) by saying—
The PRESIDENT. No explanations are in
order except strictly to explain votes.
Mr. CHAMBERS. I vote "no."
Mr. DANIEL. After having voted for this
amendment in the beginning, because I be-
lieved the principle was right, without any
reference to any compromise or promise of
any sort; and not having seen any reason to
change that opinion, though I am somewhat
sorely tempted to change my vote, on account
of the speeches of gentlemen here, and the
attacks upon Baltimore, still I vote "no"
upon the reconsideration.
Mr. DENT. I desire only to say that I heard
here to-day for the first time that there had
been any pledge made, by those who voted to
give Kent county an additional delegate, to
give any to any other county. Nor did I
ever hear that it was contemplated by Balti-
more county to ask for an additional dele-
gate, until the member from that county (Mr.
Ridgely) made the motion here. So I do not
vote in reference to any such agreement, never
having heard it from any source, until I
heard it-announced on the floor here. I voted
for the additional delegate to Kent county and
did so in good faith, although I did not care
much about it, because I did not think it
would make a great deal of difference. On
this motion to reconsider I vote "no."
Mr. HOLLYDAY. I will state that if there
was any arrangement made, such as has been
spoken of here, I do not know with whom it
was made. I made no arrangement with any-
body. I told gentlemen that I wished to have
another delegate for Kent county. The gen-
tleman from Howard (Mr. Sands) told me
that he thought we were entitled to it, and
that he would do all be could to get it for us,
As for any promises to vote for any other
county, I never made any. As I think we are
really entitled to, and as I said before I think
we have more than the number required
should a census be taken to-morrow, I shall
vote "no" on this question.
Mr. MAYHUGH. I saw the humbug of this
thing, when we started-out. It was a great
deal like the fable of the spider and the fly,—
The spider has got the fly now, and is trying
to getaway. I think gentlemen should have
considered this matter before they voted it
through. I most sincerely hope this vote may
be reconsidered, for I think it is unjust. I
vote " aye."
Mr. MILLER. In explanation of the vote
I shall give, I will say this: In the debate
upon this report while on its second reading,
I pointed out as one of the great matters of
injustice wrought by this arbitrary rule, that
it gave Kent county but one delegate, when
she lacked but one hundred and fifty-three
while inhabitants to bring her within the rule |
allowing two delegates, while Caroline coun-
ty with only two hundred and forty-seven
more white inhabitants than Kent county,
was allowed two delegates. I voted to give
Kent county the additional-delegate upon the
assurance of gentlemen that she now had in-
habitants enough to bring her within the rule.
1 vote " no " on this question.
Mr. PUGH. I generally try to vote upon
every question upon its merits. I may fail to
do so sometimes, but I try to do so. I voted
to give Kent county two delegates, because in
my opinion I was not thereby violating the
practical application of this rule, and I ana .
not disposed now to retrace my steps. I vote
"no."
Mr. SANDS. I deem a word necessary ill
justification of myself, in reply to remarks
made by my friend from Kent ( Mr. Hollyday, )
and he will bear witness to the truth of what
1 say. I do not think we ever had a conver-
sation about this matter of Kent county,
that I did not also instance Baltimore county,
and say that I was in favor of giving each of
them an additional delegate. And I did vote
—without there being any compact at all,
which I distinctly declare there was not so
far as I am concerned—1 did certainly vote
for Kent county, with the full conviction made
upon my mind by the conversation I bad in
regard to it, that Baltimore county had equal
claims. I endeavor to act out my views
fairly and deliberately, and I must then be
allowed to judge what is my proper course of
conduct, when having performed my share of
the work. I find gentlemen on the other side
of the house failing in what I expected of
them. I vote " aye " on the question of re-
consideration.
Mr. SCOTT. I generally leave my votes to
explain themselves. But in explanation of
this vote, I will say that having voted in good
faith for an additional member to Kent coun-
ty, because I believed that if a new enumer-
ation were made to-day she would be found
to have the population to entitle her to it,
1 shall vote "DO" on this question. *
Mr. THOMAS. I desire to say in explana-
tion of my vote, that when this question of
representation first came before the conven-
tion, I voted for the report, as it was origi-
nally made, under protest. The recollection
of members of this convention, and the record
of debates will bear me out in that statement.
Coming here as I did to get representation
according to population, I strove my best to
get it, and then took what I did as the best
1 could get.
So far as any pledges from the gentleman
from Kent (Mr. Hollyday) were concerned, 1
will say that he never did pledge himself to
me to vote to give another delegate to Balti-
more county, nor did the other gentleman
from Kent (Mr, Chambers.)
Mr. CHAMBERS. Or converse upon the sub-
ject. |
