full vote cast, it would be utterly impossible
to take the vote of those districts in one day
if every voter is to be sworn. .
Mr. Pugh, So far as lam concerned, I am
perfectly willing to vote for whichever plan the
majority of the convention may deem most ad-
visable. But at the same time I wish to state
that unless it is as stated by the gentleman from
Allegany (Mr. Greene,) and the gentleman
from Baltimore county (Mr. Ridgely,) that
they have a very large vote to poll, I should be
opposed to extending the time over one day,
for several reasons. One of them is to a cer-
tain extent based upon my experience in this
respect. I have seen elections extended over
one day. In the progress of elections, as
gentlemen are very well aware, there is al-
ways considerable excitement. And if the
election is carried over to the second day, the
excitement is sure to be increased during the
intervening night. In the district represented
by my colleague (Mr. Scott,) the ballot-box
and all in it might disappear during the
night. And except for the very serious ob-
jections stated by the gentleman from Allega-
ny and the gentleman from Baltimore county,
I should object to extending the election over
one day; extending the excitement over that
much more time, and increasing by that ex-
tension the chances of disturbances at the
polls, and the chances of not getting a correct
expression of the sentiments of the people
throughout the State.
I would ask gentlemen if the business could
not be expedited by swearing a dozen, or fif-
teen, or twenty voters at one time? in my
district we do not poll so large a vote as in
the district represented by the gentleman
from Allegany (Mr. Greene,) and the gentle-
man from Baltimore county (Mr. Ridgely.)
Therefore we are not in a position to state
properly what would be our opinion in regard
to this matter, provided we had a large vote,
to poll. I am perfectly satisfied that in the
district I represent we can poll our entire
vote in one day. And I am also satisfied
that if it be possible to poll the entire vote of
the State in one day, it would certainly be
wise to do so.
Mr. SCHLEY. In answer to the inquiry of
the gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr.
Stockbridge,) I would state that on my visit
home on Saturday last, this very subject was
a matter of conversation and discussion
among many gentlemen of my acquaintance
there. The general impression was that the
entire vote could not be taken in one day,
Unless the convention made some provision
for administering the oath in a different man-
ner than at the polls. I am convinced that
in the election district in which I reside,
where there are some eighteen hundred votes,
and only two voting places—at one of which
there is a much larger number of voters than
at the other—the vote cannot be taken in one
day. I am glad that the subject has been |
brought to the consideration of the conven-
tion, and trust that some remedy may be
provided.
It has occurred to me—1 merely throw out
the suggestion for what it is worth—that the
judges of election might be directed, by some
provision in this schedule, to administer the
oath in advance of the day of election, on the
day before, or some other day. if that can-
not be conveniently done, there is an evident
necessity for holding the election on two
days, for I do not believe the full vote of the
State can be polled in one day.
Mr. PUGH, The judges of election have a
discretion in the matter. They know how
many votes they have to poll in each district,
and they can arrange matters accordingly.
They can provide beforehand for administering
the oath to a dozen or twenty-five, or as many
as they cam get together at a time. There
would be no difficulty about it if the judges
would make that arrangement.
Mr. PURNELL, When this proposition was
first introduced, I felt very much inclined to
favor it, because I thought I saw some neces-
sity for it. But upon reflection, I am dis-
posed to think that in the county I have the
honor in part to represent) although it is a
very large county, and polls a very large
vole, it can all be polled in one day. We
have sometimes polled as high as six hundred
votes in the district in which I reside. But 1
think that with a little diligence, and swear-
ing a number together in the manner pro-
posed by the gentleman from Cecil (Mr.
Pugh,) the vote can all be polled within the
hours prescribed by law.
However, I am inclined to yield to what-
ever the majority of the convention may deem
necessary in the matter. But it is my im-
pression that not only in the county I repre-
sent (Worcester county,) but also in the ad-
joining counties, where they do not poll so
many votes as in the county of Worcester,
the vote can all be taken in one day. I think
there is some danger, in protracting the time,
that the results might ensue which have been
apprehended by some gentlemen who have
taken part in this discussion,
Mr. CHAMBERS. I move to change the time
from six o'clock P. M., lo five o'clock P. M.,
for closing the polls in the counties where two
days will be occupied in the election.
Mr. HEBB. Inasmuch as the committee have
reported in favor of keeping the polls open
for two days I think it would be far prefera-
ble to close the polls at five o'clock in the af-
ternoon, for if there is any disposition to riot
it will be very apt to be manifested from five
to six o'clock. I am therefore in favor of the
amendment of the gentleman from Kent (Mr.
Chambers.)
Mr. NEGLEY. The district in which our
town (Hagerstown) is situated, polls nearly
eleven hundred votes, and I doubt if we shall
be able to swear all the voters and get in all the |
