been consulted with in regard to this order,
and I think all of them have agreed to it.
Mr. THOMAS. I think the committee on
printing should consider this matter. I
therefore move that this order be referred to
the committee on printing.
Mr. STIRLING. What has the committee on
printing and reporting got to do with the
printing of the certified copies of the consti-
tution after the convention adjourns? They
are to have charge of the current printing of
this convention. They have nothing to do
with a proposition of this sort. Whether it
be expedient or inexpedient is a matter for
the convention to determine.
Mr. SCHLEY. I understand the proposition
is to have the constitution printed and bound
in the style of the edition printed by Murphy
& Co. in 1855. I am very sure if the party,
who it is proposed shall furnish these books,
shall get them up in that style for two dol-
lars a copy his margin of profit will be ex-
ceedingly small. I think it is a very eco-
nomical plan for such an edition, and I shall
support the proposition.
The question was then taken upon the mo-
tion to refer the order to the committee on
reporting and printing; and, upon adivi-
sion—ayes 29, noes 22—the motion was
agreed to.
ENGROSSED COPY OF THE CONSTITUTIONS,
Mr. STIRLING. I move to reconsider the
order adopted on Wednesday last, on motion
of my friend from Baltimore county (Mr.
Ridgely,) providing for four manuscript co-
pies of the constitution as finally passed upon
by this convention. I voted for that order,
but upon reflection since then I am apprehen-
sive that if it is carried out we will get our-
selves into difficulty. In the first place it
will take more time than we can afford.
And then there may be some difficulty in
having four originals. They may not all be
exactly alike, and if they are not there is no
authority to decide which original shall con-
trol. I think it much safer to have but one
original of the constitution. The order as
passed reads as follows :
" Ordered, That four copies of the consti-
tution when finally adopted by the conven-
tion, be copied on parchment or detached
sheets of bill paper, that the same be sub-
scribed by the president and members of the
convention, attested by the secretary, and
that one copy thereof be deposited with the
executive, one copy with the clerk of the
court of appeals, one copy with the comp-
troller, and one copy with the librarian."
The question was then taken upon the mo-
tion to reconsider, and it was agreed to.
The question then recurred upon adopting
the order.
Mr. STIRLING. I offer the following as a
substitute for the order :
"Ordered, That the constitution when |
finally adopted by the convention, be writ-
ten on parchment or detached sheets of bill
paper, that the same be subscribed by the
president and attested by the secretary of the
convention, and ie deposited with the clerk
of the court of appeals."
I think there may be some question as to
what the subscription by the members, as
mentioned in the original order, may mean ;
whether it means that all who choose may
sign it, or the majority of the members, or
all the members. And it may be contended
that the proper subscription is necessary to
the legal efficacy of the paper. There may
be some questions raised about it which 1
think better not be encountered.
Mr. RIDGELY. I do not know what is the
object of the gentleman from Baltimore city,
(Mr. Stirling.) I will only state that my
purpose in offering the original was that one
copy of course should be the original, and as
the original should be deposited with the
clerk of the court of appeals, who, I suppose;
would be the proper depository. The other
copies would be considered as duplicates,
and would be deposited in the other offices
named, with a view of preserving an au-
thenticated copy of the constitution in the
contingency of the original being lost or de-
stroyed. That was the sole purpose I had in
view; it was from abundance of caution to
have duplicates of the original preserved. 1
do not know the object my friend has in
view in the change he proposes.
Mr. STIRLING. The gentleman was out
when I made my former statement. He in-
terprets the order as I suppose he meant it to
be interpreted. But it provides that there
shall be four "copies." Copies of what?
As I understand the meaning of the order, it
is that there shall be one original and three
copies, and so the gentleman explains it.
That relieves it, from some of the objections
which I urged against it a few momenta
since. "Three copies and one original" is
very different from "four copies." I think
there need be only the one original,
Mr. RIDGELY. I do not object to that.
The question being then taken upon the
substitute offered by Mr. STIRLING, it was
adopted.
JOURNAL OF DEBATES.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I submit the following :
" Ordered, That the revising clerk be re-
quested to have appended to the report of
debates a copy of the official vote upon the
question of calling this convention, and also
of the vote upon the question of the ratifica-
tion of the constitution which we shall sub-
mit to the people."
Any gentleman who will look at the jour-
nal of the last convention will find in a little
appendix at the close, the vote by coun-
ties for and against that convention. But it
has not the vote upon the adoption of the |
