meeting at 10 o'clock, and there may be oth-
ers. If the Convention adjourns, these com-
mittees cannot meet.
Mr. STIRLING. It is impossible to make a
rule to suit the convenience of all the mem-
bers, equally. Some gentlemen live in An-
napolis and can go home every day until the
Convention adjourns. They can go home to
their meals, and to drinks between meals. If
we are to reduce everybody to that standard,
the Convention cannot sit two days in the
week. The delegation from Baltimore hap-
pen to live near, and can go home often. That
is the result of circumstances, it is an ad-
vantage we happen to have. If everybody
else in the Convention is to be governed by
the same mill, we shall have to take two more
days to enable distant members to go home.
When it is necessary for them to go, they can
apply to this Convention, and get leave to go
home, and still we can always have a work-
ing quorum. We may allow some to go
home; but should not allow all to go home.
There is no difficulty about the gentleman
from Cecil getting leave of absence for two
days, either every other week. I am perfect-
ly willing the Convention should stay here
every Saturday; but I am not willing to ad-
journ on any other day except Saturday. The
last Legislature adjourned over Saturday, but
not over Monday. The delegates from Cecil
in the last House of Delegate's went home and
came back Monday morning; and I think
from the very town where my friend lives.
I know it is very inconvenient. They have
to get up very early in the morning, some-
thing like 12 o'clock at night, to do it; but I
know it was done last winter.
Mr. NEGLEY. The gentleman from Balti-
more ought to have a little consideration for
the delegations from some of the other coun-
ties, We were struggling as hard as we could
struggle, some time ago, to go to Baltimore, in
order that we might have some sort of chance
to go home or back occasionally. I believe
that gentleman used all his power and influ-
ence to prevent us from getting so much
nearer home. I do think it is rather hard
and unfair that he should now attempt to
introduce a system of adjournment that re-
sults practically to his own benefit and the
benefit of these similarly circumstanced, and
entirely ignore Washington and Allegany
county.
Another thing. One of the gentlemen
from Baltimore city says that if we adjourn
over to-day, there are some of the delegates
who cannot get back by Tuesday. That will
not happen to any from the western part of
the State. We can go home to-morrow, ant
get back by Tuesday.
Mr. PUGH. The gentleman from Washing-
ington county (Mr. Negley) has suggested
about all I wished to say in regard to the
matter. But the point and mode before was
not exactly reached by the gentleman from |
Baltimore city. What I objected to was ad-
journing from Friday until Monday, when
we could adjourn from Saturday until Tues-
day, and be absent from here precisely the
same length of time, and a large majority of
the Convention would receive more benefit.
I do not pretend to suggest a plan by which
all the members should be equally benefited,
but the delegation from the western and some
other parts of tire State would be more bene-
fited by our absence for the same length of
time.
Mr. KING. I do not see, in adjourning from
Saturday until Tuesday, that any gentleman
can reach home atall except the Baltimore
delegation. We go to Baltimore; and from
that place there is no conveyance on Sunday,
so that we are confined there, and on Monday
we come back. I wish some decision by
which we shall cither be allowed to go home,
or else stay hero altogether. I have no objec-
tion to staying here; hut when we do go
home, lei us have time to get home, and to
have a day there. I think we may be able to
go when the committees have reported, so as
to give us time to deliberate.
Mr. TODD. I am opposed to adjournments
of this sort, as a general thing, and shall vote
against them. It is only in view of the fact
that we have nothing of pressing importance
before the Convention that I feel disposed to
vole in favor of an adjournment now. I fee
authorized to say that we shall probably have
something before us by Wednesday at the
farthest upon which we can act. If we
remain here we cannot act much before that
time, because there will be no committee
ready to report before Wednesday, in all
probability, even if we should remain here.
The amendment was rejected.
On motion of Mr. STIRLING,
The order was laid upon the table.
Messrs. LANSDALE, PETER, PUGH, MARBURY
PARRAN, NEGLEY, and SCOTT asked and ob
tained leave of absence ;
Messrs. PUGH, PARRAN and NEGLEY assign
ing as a reason, important business engage
ments, and Mr. SCOTT that he had nothing to
to do here having finished his duties upon the
committee of which he was a member.
Mr. BELT moved to reconsider the vote by
which the order to adjourn over was laic
upon the table.
The motion was agreed to.
The question recurred upon the original
order, to adjourn until Tuesday next.
Mr. CUSHING demanded Hie yeas and nays
which were ordered; and the question being;
taken the result was—yeas 25; nays 49—a
follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Harwood, Bond, Henkle
Hatch, Daniel, Abbott, Thomas, Scott, Pugh
Turner, Parran, Todd, Carter, Noble, John
son, Hodson, Markey, Sykes, Blackiston
Lansdale, Peter, Belt, Marbury, Morgan
Jones of Somerset.—25. |
