Mr. BERRY, of Baltimore county. The rea-
son why I object to the proposition of the
gentleman from Howard was because the Con-
vention having adopted the rules of the House
of Delegates, the appointing power rests with
the President. The 45th rule says " The fol-
lowing standing committees," each to con-
sist of so many, "shall be appointed by the
Speaker at the commencement of the session."
If the committee is to be increased, I desire
that the President of the Convention should
increase it. No doubt he would consider the
suggestion of the gentleman from Howard.
The PRESIDENT. The Convention having
determined to act upon the rules of the House
of Delegates, it would be proper lo repeal the
45th rule, before adopting the order. But so
far as the President is concerned he would
waive any objection of that kind if the Con-
vention choose to adopt the order.
Mr. ABBOTT, The Convention has deter-
mined the ilumber for the committees, and I
find that it tikes nearly every member of the
House upon some one of them. As suggested
by the member from Anne Arundel (Mr.
Bond) any increase of one committee takes
members away from other committees.
The PRESIDENT. Every gentleman has been
assigned to some particular duty by the Pres-
ident.
Mr. CHAMBERS. In referring this matter to
the committee seems tome that the Con-
vention are taking very unnecessary trouble.
When a committee shall come to the conclu-
sion that their numbers are too few to per-
form the duties assigned to them, it is charity
to presume that in the discharge of their duty
they will so inform the House, and ask for an
increase of their number. It seems to me a
reflection upon the committee to say to them,
if you have not got enough members to do
your duty you ought to tell us so, I think
the committees are sufficiently aware of the
propriety of their position to do that thing
without the spur being applied. The com-
mittee have not, as the House might reasona-
bly suppose from the action of one of its mem-
bers, asked for an increase, I move that the
whole subject be laid upon the table.
The motion was agreed to—ayes 35; noes
33.
COMMITTEE ON CIVIL OFFICERS.
The Convention proceeded to the consider-
ation of the following order submitted by
Mr. CLARKE on Tuesday last :
Ordered, That a Standing Committee, to
consist of seven members, be appointed by the
President of the Convention, to consider and
report respecting the appointment, tenure of
officers, duties and compensation of all civil
officers not embraced in the duties of other
Standing Committees,
Mr. CLARKE. I will merely state in expla-
nation of this order that when the various
Standing Committees were appointed it was
suggested, in reply to the gentleman from |
Cecil, I think, upon an order for the appoint-
ment of the committees, that it would facili-
tate the business of the Convention if the
substitute of the gentleman from Baltimore
city were adopted. At the same time an
intimation was thrown out that if there should
be a necessity for an increase in the number
of Standing Committees, such orders could
from time to time be adopted. I do not un-
derstand therefore that the various commit-
tees necessarily embrace all the subjects be-
fore the Convention. A similar Standing
Committee to this was appointed by the last
Convention; and upon looking at the Consti-
tution I think the necessity for such a com-
mittee is very evident, in article 7, Sec 1,
page 63, the Constitution provides for a Com-
missioner of Public Works. Now I know of
no committee to whom that would properly
belong, in Sec. 6, there is a provision for
Lottery Commissioners. I presume their du-
ties are mow entirely gone. Then in Sec. 8
there is a reference to County Commissioners.
I know of no committee to whom that subject
would properly go,—how they should be
appointed, whether elected or appointed by
the Governor, or the various provisions in
connection with it. Sec. 9 refers to Road Su-
pervisors, Sec. 10 to Surveyors, and Sec. 11
to Wreck-Masters. All these various officers
are appointed under the present Constitution,
and they do not properly belong to any Com-
mittee yet appointed. It may be desirable that
other officers should be provided for in this
present Constitution,
Before the last Legislature there was a ques-
tion of collecting, upon a recommendation
from the Governor and Comptroller, appoint-
ing officers to come more directly under the
supervision of the Comptroller, to secure
greater uniformity. There was also the ques-
tion of the County Treasurer. Some denied
that the Collectors should pay directly to the
County Treasurer; and that the County Treas-
urer should pay directly to the State Treas-
urer; and various provisions were considered
to make that system uniform; instead of hav-
ing as now in some counties, County Treas-
urers, and in others no such officer.
I will not take up other subjects that might
besuggested, I think I have said enough to
show that it is advisable and well that we
should have such a Committee.
The order was agreed to.
The PRESIDENT announced the following
committee accordance with the above order:;
Messrs. Clarke, Billingsley, Thruston Dan-
iel, Baker, Purnell and Davis.
OMNIBUS COMMITTEE.
Mr. CUSHING submitted the following order :
Ordered, That a Standing Committee of
seven be appointed by the President, to con-
sider and report upon all subjects brought
before the Convention, which have not been
provided for in the duties assigned to the
committees already appointed. |
