what he intended to offer at some future time
as covering the same ground; and that was
spread upon the record. But we never took
any notice whatever of it. I should there
fore infer that. this proposition of the gentle
man from Prince George's (Mr. Clarke) is
not before the Convention at all for any ac-
tion; that it is not in the possession of the
Convention. He merely gave notice of hi«
intention to move this amendment at some
future period, I do not think this is a matte
at all before the Convention. I think the
only thing now before the Convention is the
article reported by the committee.
Mr. CUSHING. Were not voles taken on
amendments to the fourth article of which
only notice was given? That was done under
the decision of the Chair that notice of an
amendment required a vote to be taken on
the amendment, and under the same rule .
think the vote should be taken on this amend-
ment.
The PRESIDENT. By consent of the Con-
vention the proposition was received and en-
tered upon the journal. It is now the prop-
erty of the Convention, and comes before the
House as an amendment to this particular
article, of which the gentleman from Prince
George's (Mr. Clarke) gave notice. Accord-
ing to the recollection of the Chair, that gen-
tleman expressed a desire to have the vote
taken upon this amendment before it should
be taken upon the original article. That wars
communicated to tine House, and assented to
by the House. Bygeneral consent the amend-
ment can be withdrawn,
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. I ask
leave to withdraw the amendment for the
time being.
No objection being' made, the amendment
was accordingly withdrawn,
The question was upon agreeing to the
article as reported from the committee.
Mr BERRY, of Prince George's, moved a
call of the House, which was ordered.
The roll was then called, and the following
members answered to their names :
Messrs. Goldsborough, President; Abbott,
Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron, Berry, of
Baltimore county, Berry, of Prince George's,
Billingsley, Blackistone, Bond, Briscoe,
Brown, Carter. Chambers, Crawford, Cunningham,
Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Charles,
Davis, of Washington, Dennis, Duvall, Earle,
Ecker, Edelen, Farrow, 'Gale, Galloway,
Greene, Harwood, Hebb, Henkle, Hodson,
Hoffman, Hollyday, Hopkins, Hopper, Horsey,
Johnson, Jones, of Cecil, Keefer, King, Larsh,
Lee, Marbury) Markey) McComas, Mitchell
Miller, Morgan, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,
Nyman, Parker, Parran, Purnell, Ridgely,
Robinette, Russell, Sands, Schley, Schlosser,
Scott, Smith, of Carroll, Smith, of Dorchester,
Smith, of Worcester, Sneary, Stirling, Stock-
bridge, Sykes, Thomas, Thruston, Turner,
Valliant, Wickard, Wooden—78. |
On motion of Mr. SANDS, further proceed-
ings under the call were dispensed with,
The question recurred upon the 23d article
of the Declaration of Rights, as reported.
Mr. HENKLE. As there seems to be a re-
luctance upon the part of members to engage
in the discussion of .this question, and as 1
intended to say a few words upon it before the
vote should betaken, I will embrace this op-
portunity to do so. I do not expect that any
argument I may present to the Convention,
after what has been so forcibly and eloquently
presented by other gentlemen, holding simi-
lar views to my own, will induce any mem-
ber of this Convention to change his intended
vote. My experience in public life, brief as
it has been, has fully convinced me that in
this age of improvement, when the spirit of
asserted progress is impelling us along in
political matters with irresistible power, the
result of the labors of deliberative bodies
are, in the majority of cases, predetermined
and settled upon. And the arguments upon
the merits of the measures that are proposed
and adopted, are brought in as an after con-
sideration, having no effect whatever upon
the final result; a sort of closing scene, in-
troduced to give an artistic embellishment
and effect to the performance, that it may ap-
pear to the outside world that the curtain
has dropped upon a well contested field,
where the victors have been victorious, not
so much from the power of numbers, as from
superior prowess in the use of the argument-
ative weapons they employed, and the van-
quished have been overcome because of their
inability to cope with 30 dexterous an adver-
sary, That, I am convinced, is the general
rule. And no one can be more fully con-
vinced than I am, that no efforts of my hum-
ble abilities can affect the decision of this
Convention.
But sir, there is a great future before us in
the bistory of our State and country. When the
din and smoke of battle shall have subsided ;
when the confusion of the conflict that is now
convulsing the whole country shall have
passed away, and men shall once more re-
sume the dispassionate exercise of their rea-
soning faculties, then posterity will pass
upon the events of to-day, in terms of appro-
bation or censure. It is to that tribunal and
that authority that vie look for the vindica-
tion of the propriety of the course we now
pursue, it is to that court that we appeal
for a just verdict upon the merits of the case
now pending before this Convention, and not
to the mad passions that rule the minds of
men to-day.
I have the honor, in part, to represent a
large majority of the people of a county in
this State, who, with the exception of one
county only, are more deeply interested in
the questions now agitating this State and
Convention than the people of any other
county in the State. I know their feelings |
