to be according to the population endowed
with the elective franchise ;
Mr. BELT submitted the following resolu-
tion which was laid over under the rule:
Resolved, That if the principle contained
in the resolution of the gentleman from Wash-
ington county, be correct, in asserting that,
under a republican system, population is the
true basis of representation, excluding all
classes not endowed with the right of suf-
frage, then tire authors of the Constitution of
the United States were uninformed of the
principles of republicanism, in that they ad-
milted all free persons, and even a large pro-
portion of slaves, as within the basis upon
which the States are represented in the Fed-
eral Congress.
ORDERS OF INQUIRY.
Mr. NYMAN submitted the following order:
Ordered, That the Committee on the leg-
islative Department inquire into the propriety
of abolishing the clause in our present
Constitution disqualifying any minister or
preacher 'of any denomination from being
eligible as Senator or Delegate.
Mr. BERRY of Baltimore county. I think
an order of that kind is unnecessary because
as a matter of course that subject will come
before that committee fur inquiry, that being
one of the matters in the present Constitution
which will come before them for considera-
tion. I have no particular objection to this
particular order. I merely throw out the
suggestion to avoid further orders of like
character.
The order was agreed to.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE submitted the following :
Ordered, That the Committee on the Rights,
Duties, Divisions and Sub-divisions of Counties,
be instructed to inquire into the expedi
ency of dividing the several counties of the
State into Wards or Townships, in plaice, of
the present Election Districts; such Wards
or Townships to be permanent political in-
corporations, and vested with all powers ne-
cessary for their local government.
Mr. BAKER. I should like to hear an ex-
planation of this order.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. The purpose of this
order is to call the attention of that Commit-
tee to what I conceive to be in some respects
a defect in the local government of the State.
Three quarters of a century ago, Thomas
Jefferson of Virginia, and large numbers
who acted and thought with him, made a
most determined effort in that State to estab-
lish sub-divisions in the several counties,
to be vested with powers of local govern-
ment. The same thing was attempted and
successfully accomplished in many of the
Northern States, and has been for more than
a century in operation in some of them.
The counties are divided into townships and
wards, the inhabitants of each town assem-
bling in town meeting and there in the form of
a pure democracy transacting local business, |
and having entrusted to them the manage-
ment of the roads within their own limits,
the public schools, and local taxation for
these purposes, and various similar matters,
which in this State are somewhat cumber-
some, being turned entirely into the hands of
the State Legislature. Any gentleman who has
observed the course of events in our Legisla-
ture from year to year, knows that there are
always brought up here a large number of
matters of purely local concern of which
the members of the other counties know
nothing and care nothing. Such measure
occupy sometimes more than three-fourths of
the time of the Legislature. They are pre-
sented and usually referred to the delegation
of the county as a committee. That delega-
tion bans been elected without any special ref-
erence to this particular matter and they act
upon it, and their action, wise or unwise; is
scarcely even reviewed or reversed by the Leg-
islature. Matters with reference to roads,
the location of school houses, and subjects of
this sort, are acted upon without any notice
being given to the persons directly and
greatly interested in them, and they learn of
the matter for the first time after it has be-
come a haw of the State. I am not prepared
to say that any existing system of which I
have any knowledge is exactly adapted to
the wants of the counties of this State. It
has occurred to me, between, that it might
be possible for this committee, to initiate
some measure or system of measures which
might result in giving this State Legislature
relief from discharging year after year busi-
ness which it is unqualified to perform. I
have therfore asked that this Committee be
instructed to inquire into this subject; and
if they can prepare a proper system, I trust
that they will do so.
The order was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. PURNELL,
The Convention adjourned.
NINTH DAY.
TUESDAY, May 10th, 1864.
The Convention met.
Prayer by the Rev. Mr. McNamar.
The proceedings of yesterday were read.
SPECIAL COUNSEL.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Convention
the following communication from the Comp-
troller,
Which which was read and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary Department, and
ordered to be printed on the Journal.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, ANNAPOLIS,
May 10th, 1864.
To the President of the Convention :
SIR: In obedience to an order of the Con-
vention, adopted on the 4th instant, requir-
ing the Comptroller of the Treasury to re-
port "a statement of the aggregate amount |
