thousand of brick for taking the money. So
he brought it back and paid it in to the credit
of the State. Whether he is entitled to any
particular credit for that, I do not say.
Now, so far as I was myself concerned, I
was in the same fix. My people came down
on me, too, like a thousand of brick. So I
came down to Baltimore and paid the hun-
dred dollars into the sanitary fair. I ac-
knowledge the corn that I took it, though at
the time I took it I did not know it. The
legislature had refused to give a certain
amount to the poor soldiers; had cut the ap-
propriation down to one-sixth, which I con-
sidered an outrage. Therefore when gentle-
men come to look at this matter right and
properly, I am inclined to think that matters
stand about as they ought.
Now in regard to the price of board about
which the gentleman from Washington county
(Mr. Dellinger) has spoken. I know I paid ten
dollars a week last winter, and when I came
back here last spring the same man offered to
board me for eight dollars. And I do not
know of a single gentleman now who pays as
much board as last winter. I know one gen-
tleman who paid seventeen or eighteen dol-
lars a week last winter, and I know no gen-
tleman who pays over fourteen or fifteen
now.
Mr. SCOTT. I hope the members of this
convention will take warning from the di-
lemma in which the inembers of the general
assembly got themselves, requiring so much
explanation before the people, and compelling
those who took the money to disgorge, in
order to put themselves right on the record,
I hope members here will avoid getting into
the same trouble.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE, I wish to disclaim hav-
ing disgorged anything. I never asked the
question how it would affect my popularity,
and what is more, I do not care.
Mr. SCOTT. My remark applied more
properly to the gentleman from Carroll (Mr.
Ecker.)
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. No complaints were
ever made until made here. I do not care
whether my constituents were in favor of it
or not.
Mr. ECKER. The gentleman from Cecil
(Mr. Scott) is the member who, upon the
first day of the session, proposed that each
member of the convention be furnished with
a gold pen. I disclaim any disgorging.
Mr. SCOTT. I have always been accus-
tomed to using a good pen myself. I do
abominate a pen that will not write; it in-
variably puts me in a bad humor. And as
the legislature had set the example, I
thought we might as well have good pens as
they. In regard to disgorging, the gentleman
said he spent the money at the sanitary fair,
because his neighbors were down on him like
a thousand of brick. If that is not disgorg-
ing, I do not know what is. |
Mr. PURNELL. '1 should not say a word on
this subject but for the reference made by the
gentleman from Washington county (Mr. Del-
linger) to the action upon the proposition be-
fore the senate. The resolution originated
in the house of delegates, a co-ordinate branch
of the government; it passed that body, I do
not recollect by what majority; I halve never
had occasion to refer to the journal to satisfy
myself in regard to the vote. It went to the
senate, at all events, with the high indorse-
ment of the house of delegates, and the senate
with that sort of courtesy that distinguishes
that body, passed it very quickly. There
was a proposition made there to increase the
compensation of members of the convention
from five to ten dollars a day. My recol-
lection does not bear me out in that tactfully.
1 do not think anything was said upon that
subject. The question was put and decided
very quietly. So far as receiving the hun-
dred was concerned, I received it, and had no
compunctions of conscience in doing so. 1
received it under what I supposed to be the
action of the general assembly, and consid-
ered myself entitled to it. I have seen no
cause to regret it since. Without indicating
what my action on this proposition will be,
1 will say that I did not then have, nor have
1 since had occasion to feel under the neces-
sity of disgorging it, in order to purge my-
self of any iniquity. My constituents have
never called me to account. I am ready at
any time to vindicate my vote.
Mr. DENT. I merely desire to express the
opinion that it is perfectly competent for the
committee on accounts) without any action
of this body, to allow the members of this
convention the same amount of mileage which
was allowed the members of the last general
assembly. The last legislature passed the
convention bill and fixed the mileage of
members, of this convention at the same
as they received themselves; and they au-
thorized the payment of a certain per diem.
With that view I believe that the committee
on accounts are competent to make the allow-
ance without any action by this body.
Mr. DELLINGER. I can assure every mem-
ber of this convention that have been influ-
enced by no improper motives in bringing
this subject before this house. Having con-
sulted with some legal gentleman upon the
subject, and having been assured by them
that the law of the last legislature calling
this convention together gives us this one
hundred dollars additional mileage; I then
consulted with several other members of this
body, and they agreed to support the propo-
sition if it was introduced here. I then con-
cluded I would introduce it. And if it be a
duty, I have discharged that duty here.—
Whether this convention shall adopt this or-
der or not, I am free to confess is a matter of
perfect indifference to me. If they shall adopt
it, I shall take the mileage, most unquestion |
