we should then be sure to hear nothing of
this dissatisfaction among the people. When
I go home, my people say to me—"Take care
and do your work well; we do not care so
much about the time it takes." The work is
to be done here, and I think we have done
well so far. But I have felt for weeks that
we Union men, by these remarks about no
doing anything yet, are sowing seeds of dis-
content broadcast among the people.
Mr. BARRON. Will it be in order to offer
an amendment to the amendment?
The PRESIDENT. Yes, sir.
Mr. BARRON. Then I have some more bun-
combe here. I move to strike out all after
the word " that" and insert :
" The pay of all the members of this Con-
vention shall cease from and after this day."
The PRESIDENT, That amendment is not
germain to the question under consideration.
The question is upon the adjournment of this
body to the 6th of July next.
Mr. CUSHING. I would like to hear some
of the gentlemen who offer these propositions
give some reasons for this adjournment. I
think it is rather singular business for this
Convention to be adjourning over in this way
without any reasons being assigned for it.
Mr. BROWN. I thought I had given some
reasons tor it. I stated that our wheat har-
vest was now at hand, that laborers were few,
and that the personal superintendence of
every individual immediately interested was
required at home now. Every individual in
the community is more or less interested in
our harvest. And if our wheat is not secured
in ft few days it will be lost.
Mr. PURNELL. Without intending to indi-
cate what will be my vote upon this question,
I desire to say that I concur entirely with my
friend from Howard (Mr. Sands) with regard
to its having been often said in this body,
that we have been here some thirty days and
more and have accomplished very little.
Now I think, if gentlemen will recollect the
amount of labor that was imposed upon the
various committees at the commencement of
this Convention, and will bear in mind the
progress that has been made in their delibe-
rations, and also the progress that has been
made in this Convention in the discussion
and adoption of the various articles of the
bill of rights, which is really the groundwork
of the system to be hereafter embodied in the
Constitution, they will have no reason to
complain of the action of this body. The
action of the Convention that preceded this
some twelve years ago has been frequently
referred to. If I recollect aright, that Con-
vention was in session some two or three
weeks before it was even organized, and pro-
ceeded to any of the business which it was
called to perform. I suppose there was no
complaint in regard to that delay. An hon-
est difference of opinion prevailed there which
could not be reconciled, and it delayed the |
action of that body. But not so with us.
We organized upon the first day of our meet-
ing. The President at once appointed the
committees, and those committees immediate-
ly entered upon the discharge of the various
duties assigned to them—being the prepara-
tion and arrangement of business to be brought
before this body for its action. And I think
the committees have been engaged with com-
mendable zeal and activity since that time in
the examination of the important subjects
confided to them, and have made, I suppose,
as much progress as the importance of the
subjects would admit of.
Now, I certainly object to this way of poi-
soning the public mind—if I may be allowed
the expression—this prejudicing the public
mind against the action of this body. I
think we have not been derelict in the per-
formance of any duty. I think we have been
as faithful, as mindful of the interests of our
constituents as perhaps any Convention could
have been under the circumstances. And in
view of the various and important subjects
we are called upon to consider, I hope that
hereafter gentlemen will not attempt to raise
objections in the public mind against the ac-
tion and the progress made by this Conven-
tion in the discharge of the duties which have
been imposed upon us. It seems to me that
cannot in any way operate in favor of the
propositions which we desire to have adopted
by the people. It cannot be attended with
any good result, and may, I think, be attended
by very serious embarrassments to members
of this Convention when they return to their
constituents.
Mr. RUSSELL. I hope there will be no
more adjournments, but that this Convention
will sit here. and go on with their work un-
til they get through with their business. I
think that will be much more satisfactory to
the people.
Mr. HEBB moved to lay the whole subject
on the table.
On that question, Mr. BERRY, of Prince
George's, called the yeas and nays, which
were ordered.
The question being then taken, by yeas and
nays, upon the motion to lay on the table, it
resulted, yeas 46, nays 32—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron,
Berry, of Baltimore county, Carter, Cunning-
ham Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Washington,
Earle, Ecker, Farrow, Galloway, Greene,
Hebb, Hoffman, Hopkins, Hopper, Keefer,
Markey, McComas, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,,
Nyman, Parker, Purnell, Ridgley, Robinette,
Russell, Sands, Schley, Schlosser, Smith, of
Carroll, Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge, Sykes)
Thomas, Thruston, Valliant, Wickard, Wood-
en—46.
Nays—Messrs. Berry, of Prince ©George's,
Billingsley, Blackiston. Bond, Briscoe, Brown,
Chambers, Crawford, Davis, of Charles, Den- |
