Mr. DAVIS, of Charles. Would it be com-
petent for any member to offer an amendment
to this article at this time ?
The CHAIRMAN. The chair thinks not.
Mr. DAVIS, of Charles. How then is it com-
petent for a committee to do what a member of
this body cannot ?
Mr. PUGH. I understand that the question
before the house is upon concurring in there-
port of the committee on revision. I do not
know that that committee has had any special
instructions from this house, as to what they
shall do, or what they may report. There
seems to be some doubt as to whether these pro-
posed changes come strictly within the purview
of the powers of the committee on revision.—
They are a committee organized by and acting
under the authority of this body. This con-
vention certainly has the right to accept or
reject the report of the committee. The com-
mittee may report as they see fit, in regard to
changes to be made in the articles referred to
them. That is my understanding of the mat-
ter. If the house shall determine differently,
then I shall pursue a different course, and
move to suspend the rules, so that these
amendments can be received and acted upon.
Bat I think the committee have a right to
report to this convention, and we can then
adopt or reject their report as we see fit.
The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Daniel.) The chair is
of the opinion that it would be out of order
for any member of the convention to offer any
amendment to any article after it has been
read the third time and passed. But the com-
mittee on revision having been appointed for
this purpose, more especially to make correc-
tions so far as verbal alterations are concern-
ed, if they choose to report material altera-
tions, it is competent for the convention to
take them into consideration and act upon
them, and as they may materially affect the
provisions of the constitution it is proper that
they should be passed upon by yeas and
nays.
Mr. EARLE. As the reports from the com-
mittee of revision are not to be printed before
being acted upon by the convention, I wish
to call attention to an amendment recom-
mended by the committee in the first section
of the article on the elective franchise. I read
that part of the section which is to be affect-
ed by the change:
" And in case any county or city shall be
so divided as to form portions of different
electoral districts for the election of Congress-
man, senator, delegate, or other officer or
officers, then to entitle a person to vote for
such officer, he must have been a resident of
that part of the county or city which shall
form a part of the electoral district in which
he offers to vote, for six months next preced-
ing the election, but a person who shall not
have acquired a residence in such county or
city, entitling him to vote at any such elec-
tion, shall be entitled to vote in the election |
district from which he removed, until he shall
have acquired a residence in the part of the
county or city to which be has removed "
The committee recommend that the word
" not" in this section be stricken out.
With the exception of this word, the lan-
guage of the section is identical with that
used in the first section of the first article of
the present constitution.
In genera] terms, the section provides, that
in case any county shall be so divided as to
form portions of different electoral districts
for the election of Congressman, or other offi-
cer, to entitle a person to vote, be must have
been a resident of that part of the county
which shall form part of the electoral district
in which he offers to vote, for six months
next preceding the election Baltimore coun-
ty, for example, is thus divided. Part of it
is in the second, and the remaining part in
the fifth congressional district. Without a
residence of six months in the county pre-
vious to an election, no person is entitled to
vote there; neither in that part of the county
which is embraced in the second, nor in that
part which is embraced in the fifth congres-
sional district; neither in an electoral dis-
trict to which he has removed, nor in one
from which he has removed. The county res-
idence of six months is an indispensable pre-
requisite. Having acquired that residence, a
person may remove from one part of the coun-
ty to another—from one election district in
the county to another election district in the
same county, without forfeiting his right of
suffrage.
The committee having examined the sub-
ject with care, are unanimous in recommend-
ing, that the word "not" be stricken out.
Mr. CHAMBERS. The convention determin-
ed that it ought to be there.
Mr. STIRLING, The convention can now de-
termine otherwise.
Mr. HEBB. I understand the chair to say
that the yeas and nays will have to be called
on all these amendments.
The CHAIRMAN. On all material amend-
ments.
Mr. HEBB. The yeas and nays are to be
(ailed on all articles The last convention
did not take the yeas and nays on these re-
ports of the committee on revision. Some
propositions were introduced from the reviso-
ry committee by the gentleman from Kent
himself (Mr. Chambers,) and no yeas and
nays were called on them. If the convention
see proper, they have the right to reconsider
everything they have done, and make new
constitution. The majority of the convention
have the right to do what they please in this
matter.
Mr. CHAMBERS. I beg leave to read the
fifteenth rule, as follows:
" Every report from a committee contain-
ing articles or sections proposed to be made
a part of the constitution, shall be read on |
