or ordinance of this State State in contravention or
subversion thereof,
Mr. THOMAS. As there appears to be an in-
disposition to address the house on this sub-
ject, and as there is no other business before
us, and as a train of cars starts at half past
two o'clock, I move that the Convention ad-
journ.
Mr. PUGH demanded the yeas and nays;
and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 15, nays 33—'us follows :
Teas—Messrs. Berry of Prince George's,
Clarke, Cunningham, Davis of Charles; Du-
vall, Horsey, Jones of Somerset, Marbury,
Markey, Miller, Morgan, Murray, Peter,
Thomas, Wilmer—15.
Nays.—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Cushing,
Daniel, Davis of Washington, Dellinger,
Earle, Ecker, Farrow, Hebb, Hopper, Mc-
Comas, Mullikin, Negley, Nyman, Parker;
Pugh, Russell, Schlosser, Scott, Smith of
Worcester, Sneary, Stockbridge, Swope,
Sykes, Thruston, Todd, Valliant, Wickard,
Wooden—33.
So the motion was rejected.
A quorum not having voted,
On motion of Mr. HEBB,
The House was called, and the following
members answered to their names :
Messrs, Goldsborough, President; Abbott,
Annan, Audoun, Baker, Berry of Prince
George's, Clarke, Cunningham, Cushing,
Daniel, Davis of Charles, Davis of Washing-
ton, Dellinger, Duvall, Earle, Ecker, Far-
row, Hebb, Hopper, Horsey, Jones of Somer-
set, Keefer, Marbury, Markey, McComas, Mil-
ler, Morgan, Mullikin, Murray, Negley, Ny-
man, Parker, Peter, Pugh, Russell, Schlos-
ser, Scott, Smith of Carroll, Smith of Wor-
cester, Sneary, Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes,
Thomas, Thruston, Todd, Wickard, Wilmer,
Wooden—50.
There being a quorum present,
On motion of Mr. CUSHING,
Further proceedings under the call were
dispensed with.
Mr. Cushing moved that the further con-
sideration of Article 4th, be postponed until
Thursday next, and that the Convention pro-
ceed with Article 27th, and the following
articles.
Mr. PUGH. I am opposed to that motion.
The gentleman has stated no reason for it
whatever, I presume we are all prepared to
vote one way or the other; and there is a
quorum here for the transaction of business.
There is nothing at all to prevent our pass-
ing that article. If there is, the gentleman
did not state it. If there are any persons
who wish to speak on this article, it was
their duty to be here and speak. Since they
are not here, why should we delay.
Mr. CUSHING. The chairman of this com-
mittee (Mr. Stirling) did expect to speak |
upon this article; but he was called away
from the city by a dispensation of Divine
Providence, as stated in an order which I of-
fered this morning.
Mr. PUGH. I altogether overlooked that.
Mr. NEGLEY. There are five or six speeches
to be made before the chairman will be re-
quired to speak. Why not go on with them?
I can see no earthly reason for the postpone-
ment. The House is as full as it was yesterday.
Mr. PETER. My idea is that we come here
to be enlightened by each other; not that
two or three of us are to stay here and de-
bate, but that all of us should be here and
have the benefit of what is said, except in
certain cases where some may be sick, and of
course could not be expected to be here. But
this morning we have a bare quorum of fifty
present. Is it right when a matter of so
much importance is pending, that we should
go on and debate with so few members pre-
sent? Some members have not had the ad-
vantage of the debates which have already
taken place. The gentleman from Baltimore
county (Mr. Ridgely) yesterday stated that
these debates had not yet been published.
We have not had an opportunity of examin-
ing the speeches that have been made; and I
think it is but just and right that we should
have an opportunity to read them, that we
may be able to reply to them if it should be
necessary. I think we should always be
willing, when there is a mere quorum present,
to allow matters of the importance of the
question now pending, to go over until we
can get a respectable majority of the mem-
bers of the Convention in attendance.
Mr. SCOTT. I do not feel like pressing this
question to a vote; but I certainly feel like
requiring any member who has anything to
say upon it to speak now. Members on both
sides have prepared themselves to apeak, and
I see no reason in the world why they should
not proceed. I hope members will be obliged
either to speak or to vote; and I do not care
which.
The motion to postpone the consideration
of the 4th Article prevailed—ayes 27; noes
not counted.
Articles 27, 28, and 29, were read, and no
amendments were offered.
Article 30th, was read as follows :
Art. 30. That no soldier shall in time of
peace be quartered in any house without the
consent of the owner, nor in time of war ex-
cept in the manner prescribed by law,
Mr. CLARKE submitted the following
amendment:
Article 30, strike out all after the word
"owner" in the second line, and insert the
words "and in time of war in such manner
only as the Legislature shall direct "
Mr. PUGH, I submit that that amendment
makes no substantial change in the article.
Mr. CLARKE. It is only to make it conform
to the old bill of rights. |
