gentleman from Kent (Mr. Chambers.) I
have every disposition to work in the Con-
vention, or for the Convention, as many hours
in the day as it is proper and possible tor any
one to do. But I do not see the possibility
of the Committee on the Judicial Department
being able to report for weeks to come, with
the present arrangement, taking the morn-
ing and afternoon from us. Therefore, I
shall vote "aye" for the purpose of rescind-
ing this order until the report of that com-
mittee is made to the Convention.
The question was upon agreeing to the or-
der requiring two sessions of the Convention
each day, at 10 A. M. and 4 1/2 P. M., until the
report of the Committee on the Declaration of
Rights has completed its second reading.
Mr. BELT moved to amend the order by
striking out "four and a half" and inserting
''three,'' so that the afternoon session would
be at three o'clock.
Mr. LARSH moved to lay the whole subject
on the table.
Upon this question Mr. HEBB called the yeas
and nays, which were ordered.
The question being then taken, by yeas
and nays, upon the motion to lay the whole
subject on the table, it resulted—yeas 51,
nays 34—as follows :
Yeas.—Messrs. Barron, Berry, of Prince
George's, Billingsley, Blackiston, Bond, Bris-
coe, Brooks, Brown, Chambers, Clarke, Craw-
ford, Cunningham, Dail, Daniel, Davis, of
Charles, Dennis, Duvall, Earle, Edelen, Gale,
Hatch, Henkle, Hollyday, Hopper, Horsey,
Jones, of Cecil, Jones, of Somerset, Kennard,
Lansdale, Larsh, Lee, Mace, Marbury, Markey,
Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Murray, Nyman,
Parker, Parran, Peter, Ridgely, Smith, of
Carroll, Smith, of Dorchester, Stockbridge,
Thomas, Turner, Valliant, Wickard and Wil-
mer—51.
Nays.—Messrs Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Annan, Baker, Cushing, Davis, of
Washington, Dellinger, Ecker, Farrow, Gal-
loway, Greene, Hebb, Hoffman, Hopkins,
Keefer, King, McComas, Mullikin, Negley,
Noble, Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell,
Sands, Schley, Scott, Smith, of Worcester,
Sneary, Stirling, Swope, Sykes, Todd and
Wooden—34.
So the motion to lay the whole subject on
the table was agreed to.
Mr. VALLIANT, when his name was called,
said: I would like to inquire before voting if
the vote to lay this subject on the table can
be reconsidered at any time hereafter?
The PRESIDENT. The laying a proposition
on the table does not prevent the majority
from taking it up at any time without a re-
consideration, It is simply an indication of
the sense of the House that the proposition
should not be considered at that time, but is
laid upon the table for future consideration
should the Convention determine to take it
up at any time thereafter. |
Mr. VALLIANT. Then I vote "aye."
Mr. SCOTT, Out of a kind consideration
for this overworked body, which I think
must need some rest, I move that we now
adjourn.
The question being taken, the motion to
adjourn was not agreed to.
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS—ALLEGIANCE.
The Convention then resumed the conside-
ration of the order of the day, being the re-
port of the Committee on the Declaration of
Rights, which was on its second reading.
The article under consideration was Arti-
cle 4, which reads as follows :
"The Constitution of the United States,
and the laws made in pursuance thereof, be-
ing the supreme law of the land, every citi-
zen of this State owes paramount allegiance
to the Constitution and Government of the
United States, and is not bound by any law
or ordinance of this State in contravention or
subversion thereof."
The pending question was upon the motion
of Mr Briscoe to amend the article by strik-
ing out the word "paramount."
Mr. CHAMBERS, I desire to propose the fol-
lowing amendment to this article :
Strikeout all after the word "that," in
the fourth article of the report, and insert
the words:
"The Constitution of the United States,
and the laws made in pursuance thereof, and
all treaties made under the authority of the
United States, are the supreme law of the
land, to which every citizen owes obedience,
anything in the Constitution or laws of this
State to the contrary notwithstanding, and
every citizen is equally bound to obey all or-
ders or ordinances of those who for the time
being administer the Government, so far as
such ordinances shall be in conformity to the
Constitution of the United States, and laws
made pursuant thereto."
Mr. CHAMBERS said: I merely wish to add
that I am not to be understood as meaning
ultimately to vote for the insertion of any
such proposition into the declaration of rights,
or any proposition having consanguinity with
it, I only submit this as embodying the the-
ory which I entertain upon this subject. At
the same time I say that the bill of rights is
not, in my humble judgment, a fit place on
the pages of which to record this proposition.
However true in itself, it does not belong to
this Convention to place it amongst the arti-
cles asserting the rights of the people of the
State of Maryland. Even if amended, I shall
ultimately vote against the whole proposition.
The PRESIDENT. The gentleman from Kent
(Mr. Chambers,) can attain his object by giv-
ing notice of his intention lo move to strike
out and insert what he proposes, and the
question will be taken upon his motion when
the pending amendment shall have been dis-
posed of. |
