of debates. It appears to me, therefore, that
it is unnecessary for the purpose of our un-
derstanding his position, that any such protest
as this should be entered upon the journal of
proceedings. He has stated his objections
very clearly, and they are already on the
journal of debates. And it appears to me
that it is rather out of place to attempt to put
such a protest upon the journal of proceed-
ings. I shall therefore object to it going
upon the journal. If his objections had not
already been properly put upon the journal
of debates, I would not make any such objec-
tion to it.
Mr. JONES, of Somerset. I desire to ask
the gentleman from Frederick (Mr. Schley)
whether he voted in the affirmative to enter
upon the journal the protest of thirty-five
members of this house. If he did not, will
he ask a courtesy for himself, which be refused
to extend to thirty-five gentlemen here?
The PRESIDENT. The gentleman from Fred-
crick (Mr. Schley) asks the consent of the
house to have this protest entered upon the
journal. Objection being made, the chair
will put the question to the house.
The question was then taken, and the re-
quest of Mr. SCHLEY was refused.
Mr. BARRON. I shall offer no protest. But
if I get this hundred dollars, I shall lay it
out in a proper channel. I was here last
winter.
Mr. DENT (in his seat.) You are not in
order.
Mr. BARRON. The gentleman from St.
Mary's (Mr. Dent) tells me I am not in order ;
so I will not go on.
COMPENSATION FOR SLAVES.
Mr. AUDOUN submitted the following :
" Ordered, That before any person shall
receive the benefits to be derived from the
resolution offered by the gentleman from
Baltimore county (Mr. Berry,) they shall
take and subscribe to the oath as prescribed
in this constitution, in the article on elective
franchise."
Mr. BERRY, of Baltimore county. Will the
gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr. Audoun)
so amend his order as to state what the reso-
lution was, that it was in regard to compen-
sation from the general government for losses
sustained in consequence of the abolition of
slavery ?
Mr. AUDOUN. I have no objection to that.
The order was modified accordingly,
The PRESIDENT announced that the hour
had arrived for taking up the order of the
day.
On motion of Mr. GALLOWAY,
The order of the day, (being the reading of
the constitution,) was postponed until twelve
o'clock.
The order of Mr. AUDOUN was passed over
informally. |
THE PUBLCATION OF THE CONSTITUTION.
On motion of Mr. NEGLEY,
The convention then proceeded to consider
the following resolution, which was recon-
sidered yesterday, and then postponed until
to-day:
'' Ordered, That the chair appoint a com-
mittee of three to contract with the Baltimore
American, or some other newspaper or news-
papers, for the publication of the constitution
entire in extra newspaper form, ten thousand
copies in the German language, and fifty
thousand in the English, to be distributed as
follows: two hundred copies to be furnished
to each member of the convention, and the re-
mainder to be equally distributed by said
committee among the various county newspa-
pers and postmasters, who will promptly dis-
tribute the same among the people, the copies
to be furnished by the contractor for printing
the same within one week after the final ad-
journment of this convention."
The pending question was upon the motion
of Mr. NEGLEY to amend by striking out
' 'ten thousand," and inserting "five thou-
sand," and striking out "fifty thousand,"
and inserting "twenty thousand."
Mr. NEGLEY. If this amendment is adopted,
1 will then move an additional amendment,
providing for giving the publication of this
constitution to the newspapers in the several
counties, in addition to this. I think this con-
stitution should be brought generally before
the people; and I feel certain that will not be
done, unless it is published in at least one
newspaper in each county. This proposition
to distribute did not work well in regard to
the last constitution. A great number of
copies were sent to our county, and long af-
ter the adoption of the constitution they were
lying about and being used as waste paper by
the parties to whom they were sent; they were
really not distributed at all. I think you
cannot better bring this constitution before
the people, than by publishing it in the news-
papers. My colleague (Mr. Sneary) says he
does not think the expense of publishing it
in the county newspapers, will be any greater
than publishing it in the other way,
Mr. STIRLING. I hope this amendment will
not be adopted. I think the gentleman from
Frederick (Mr. Schley) has an order, which
he has shown me, which he desires to intro-
duce, and which I shall be very happy to
support. I would be very willing to vote for
some provision to publish the constitution in
the county newspapers. But I am opposed
to cutting down the number provided by this
resolution. These copies can all be dis-
tributed. The reasons assigned by my friend
from Washington (Mr. Negley) are not appli-
cable to this constitution, because the condi-
tion of things now is very different from
what it was in 1850. It is perfectly well
known that the last constitution was sub- |
