fences proposed to be tried before judges of
election and punished by disfranchisement,
amounts to treason against the United States,
for the trial and punishment of which the law
of congress provides, I submit that the con-
stitutional jurisdiction of the United States
courts over this and other criminal offences
against the United States, is exclusive of
State jurisdiction to try and punish the same
offences in any way whatever, I vote " no."
Mr. MITCHELL. I am here from a county
whose people almost unanimously voted
against the calling this convention together.
But I came here prepared to unite with gen-
tlemen in framing such a constitution that
if adopted would be for the interest of the
people of this State. In that I have been
disappointed. I have found that no propo-
sition coming from the minority upon this
floor, has been acceptable, unless indorsed
by certain gentlemen of the majority. Upon
the only two or three occasions when I could
have wished to express my opinions, or join
in the debate, I have been cut off by the oper-
ation of the previous question, and the oper-
ation of the most stringent rules ever adopted
by any legislative body.
I shall vote against this constitution, and
therefore I have taken no active part in the
proceedings of this body, but have contented
myself with simply voting. I shall vote
against this constitution, first, because it af-
fects my own county by the abolition of
slavery in perhaps a greater degree than any
other county in the State. I coincide with
and represent the opinions of my constitu-
ents upon that subject. And even had I
agreed to the necessity of a provision of that
sort, I never could have voted for it, when it
refused compensation to the holders of that
property, who have been ruined by this
measure. You have not only refused that
compensation, but you have put into your
organic law aprovision prohibiting the legis-
lature from hereafter making any such com-
pensation.
And I do not see that the people of this
State will be benefited by the changes made
in the constitution in other respects. But I
do see that a large portion of them have been
disfranchised by the test oaths you have in-
corporated here.
And more than that; if I approved this
constitution in all other respects, I could not,
with my views, vote for any proposition
which seeks to go against the law which
called this convention into being; and regu-
lated its proceedings' so far as the legislature
had the right to do it. I could not go for a
provision which puts a portion of tills con-
stitution into force before its adoption by
the people, and which if rejected would pre-
sent the anomalous spectacle of a body whose
acts have been rejected, having legislated in
such a manner as to affect the rights of the
people. I vote "no."
|
Mr. PUGH. I have only this to say: I
tried hard to be elected to come to this con-
vention. And I am free to say that there
has never been afforded to me in my life so
far, any opportunity in which I have more
reason to rejoice, than I have in voting for
this constitution, I vote "aye."
Mr. CHAMBERS. I regard this constitution
as a most unwarrantable seizure of property, •
and a wanton attack upon the rights of those
in regard to whom we were sent here to af-
ford protection for their persons, liberty,
property, and every other political right. So
regarding it, I vote against its adoption. 1
vote "no."
The PRESIDENT and SECRETARY then pro-
ceeded to sign the constitution in due form.
On motion of Mr. HEBB, it was
Ordered, That the secretary of the conven-
tion proceed forthwith to deposit the consti-
tution as adopted, passed, signed and at-
tested, in the office of the clerk of the court
of appeals.
THANKS TO THE OFFICIAL REPORTERS.
On motion of Mr. THOMAS, it was
Ordered, That the thanks of this conven-
tion are due and are hereby tendered to Wm.
Blair Lord, Esq, the reporter, and to Henry
M. Parkhurst, Esq., assistant reporter, for
the impartial, faithful and efficient manner
they have reported the debates of this con-
vention.
COMPENSATION FOR SLAVES.
On motion of Mr. AUDOUN,
The convention resumed the consideration
of the order submitted by Mr. AUDOUN this
morning, and informally passed over, which
order was as follows :
"Ordered, That before any person shall
receive the benefits to he derived from the res-
olutions offered by the gentleman from Balti-
more county (Mr. Berry,) [namely, providing
for the general assembly to receive such mo-
neys as the government may think proper to
appropriate to loyal owners of slaves in this
State,] the persons so claiming shall take and
subscribe to the oath as prescribed in this
constitution, in the article on the elective
franchise."
The question was upon the adoption of the
order.
Upon this question Mr. AUDOUN called for
the yeas and nays, which were ordered.
The question was then taken, by yeas and
nays, and resulted—yeas 50, nays 25—as fol-
lows :
Yeas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron,
Berry, of Baltimore county, Brooks, Carter,
Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of
Washington, Dellinger, Ecker, Farrow, Gal-
loway, Greene, Hatch, Hebb, Hoffman, Hop-
per, Jones, of Cecil, Keefer, Kennard, King,
Larsh, Markey, Mayhugh, McComas, Mulli- |
