if any such rules should be adopted prior to
the adjournment, I simply desire, for the pro-
tection of the minority, that there may be
some such provision adopted, similar to that
adopted by the last Convention to secure the
privilege of fair and free discussion. I have
no desire to press the amendment. I am per-
fectly willing to leave it entirely to the ma-
jority of the Convention to say whether it
shall be adopted or not. But I think it just
and right, and due to the minority for its
protection, when various important matters
may be before the Convention. After the
statement of the gentleman from Howard
(Mr. Sands) I should perhaps have had no
desire to offer the amendment, lout for the
remark of the gentleman from Baltimore city,
(Mr. Kennard) that the matter had been care-
fully considered, showing that the resolution
had been offered in this way to exclude this
very privilege by retaining the. rule with re-
ference to calling the previous question.
Mr. SANDS. I think that the origin of the rule
for the previous question was, not to embarrass
minorities, but to protect majorities who might
bo embarrassed in legislation by factious op-
position of ever so small a minority. It was
a rule tor the furtherance of the business of
the body. The rule was devised to protect
legislative bodies from the delay of merely
factious opposition. While. I say that in any
fair debale I will never call the previous ques-
tion, I should certainly claim the right and
power to call it as against factious debate
merely, if I believed it so to be. I think the
whole spirit of the rule is simply to protect
legislative and deliberative bodies against fac-
tious opposition. The minority will not be
injured by it; but without it a small minority
may seriously hinder the action of the body.
The. amendment to the resolution was
rejected.
The resolution, as offered by Mr. Kennard,
was adopted.
COMMITTEES.
Mr. EARLE offered the following resolution :
Resolved That a committee of seven be. ap-
pointed by the President to consider and re-
port the most expedient method of presenting
to this Convention the forms and provisions of
a new Constitution.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE offered the following as a
substitute for the resolution submitted by Mr.
Earle:
Ordered, That Standing Committees, to
consist of seven members each, be appointed
by the Chair, to take into consideration the
propriety and expediency of making any, and
if any, what alterations and amendments in
the several distinct subjects embraced in the
Constitution, and confined lo them respective-
ly, with the power of conference between any
and all of said committees, and to report the
result of their deliberations to the Convention
at the earliest practicable day, viz : |
1. A Committee to consider and report upon
the Declaration of Rights.
2. Upon the Executive Department.
3. Upon a proper basis of Representation
in the two Houses of the General Assembly,
and a proper apportionment of Representation
in the same.
4. Upon the Legislative Department.
5. Upon the Judiciary System of the State.
6. Upon the State's Attorneys.
7. Upon the Treasury Department.
8. Upon the Elective Franchise and the
Qualifications of Voters.
9. Respecting the Militia and Military
Affairs.
10. Respecting Education and the Encour-
agement of Literature.
11 Respecting the Rights, Duties, Divis-
ions and Sub-Divisions of counties.
12. Upon a schedule of such provisions or
ordinances as it may be desirable for the Con-
vention to adopt in order to carry into effect
any amendments of the Constitution upon
which it may decide.
13. Respecting future amendments and re-
visions of the Constitution.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE said: I offer this as a sub-
stitute for the order of the gentleman from
Cecil, simply as a means of expediting the
business before this body. If the order sub-
mitted by the gentleman beadopted, and such
a committee be appointed by the Chair, they
necessarily cannot report until to-morrow, or
probably until next week. The committees
necessary to refer these several matters to,
must then, after proper deliberation be ap-
pointed by the Chair. Although I may not,
in this order which I have framed, have em-
braced all the committees which it will be
necessary for the Convention to raise, to have
charge of this business, yet I certainly have
included the leading topics which it will be
necessary to refer to committees, and I have
included all those committees upon which
will rest the great burden of the work. Those
committees may be appointed by the Chair at
once, and any other committees which it may
be found necessary hereafter to appoint, may
be appointed when the occasion tor them be-
comes manifest.
Mr. EARLE accepted the substitute offered by
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE.
Mr. BELT. I would suggest that some of
these Committees ought to contain more mem-
bers than seven, I should suppose. The Com-
mittee on the Judicial System, and that on the
Representative Basis it seems to me ought to
have at least nine; nine or eleven or some odd
number,
The PRESIDENT I think the last Convention
had one from each county,
Mr. BELT. I will move that there be added
to the provision for the third committee, upon
the Basis of Representation, the words :
—" and said committee shall consist of one |
