justify. The reception of $20,000 from the
Treasury of the State for time which has not
been given to the State is something which
moral science will not justify. We have pre-
cedent as well as the moral law to justify
us in docking members for their absence
from this Convention. Such was the cus-
tom, if my information is correct, in the
old colonial Legislature, and I apprehend
they understood what is right as well as
we do. I do not think that Sunday ought to
be deducted, for reasons which I consider it
unnecessary to assign. I would remark that
the $15 for the three days allowed, will pay
members the amount of money they pay for
their board during the five days the Conven-
tion is not sitting, and also the amount they
expend in traveling from Annapolis to their
homes and from their homes back again, with
perhaps a few exceptions, I bad inserted in
the order "two days," but at the suggestion
of some gentlemen around me I made it
"three days."
Mr. PURNELL. I do not desire to oppose an
adjournment of this body, if it be the sense of
the Convention to adjourn; but I wish to say
in reference to the suggestion of the gentle-
man from Talbot (Mr. Valliant) that while I
concur with him fully in the necessity of
economy and in not allowing compensation
for services which are not actually rendered,
yet he does not seem to me to take so com-
prehensive a view of this subject as the facts
justify. So far as lam concerned, I am com-
pelled from necessity to remain here, and I
suppose other gentlemen are similarly situated.
it seems to me the very refinement of cruelty
to require us to remain here at our own ex-
pense when other gentleman in proximity to
the capital can go home and remain with
their families. This is a small matter, it is
true; and I am willing to make personal or
pecuniary sacrifice if it is right; but it seems
to me unjust to deduet from me my per diem
in consequence of the adjournment of the
body, although I shall be here from day to
day, every day during the deliberations of the
Convention.
I think that much can be gained by keeping
the Convention together, for the reason that
if an adjournment occurs those members who
wish to visit their homes will of course go,
for that I suppose is the object of the adjourn-
ment, and consequently there can be no meet-
ing of the committees, and no basinets can
be matured, considered or deliberated upon
preparatory to reports. Those members re-
maining here will have to spend their time in
the Library, or in their rooms, or in other
places wherever they can best while away the
time. I am not disposed to object to adjourn-
ment if it is the sense of, the Convention; but
I think it would be exceedingly impolitic to
adjourn before to-morrow, if it meets the
views of the body to adjourn to-morrow over
to Tuesday or to Wednesday, so far as I am
6 |
concerned I shall not oppose it, whether there
is a restriction or not with regard to the per
diem.
Mr. NEGLEY. I move to add the following :
Provided, The hotel keepers and boarding-
house keepers of this ancient city of Annapo-
lis will remit their charges for board of mem-
bers during said recess.
The PRESIDENT ruled the amendment out of
order.
Mr. BARRON. I think the latter branch of
the order is out of order. The Convention
bill says:
''The compensation of the delegates to said
Convention shall be $5 per day, and the
mileage allowed to members of the General
Assembly or this State."
What is the use of our arguing here all day
what our compensation shall be? I venture
to say that when these debates go out before
the people, and go to the different States
of the Union, they will think that $5 a day
is an emolument as large as a four horse
government team. I have never heard in all
my life so much talk as I have heard here
about $5 per day; and I suppose there are not
ten members of the body that cannot do bet-
ter at home.
Mr. SANDS. I do not suppose it is of any
use talking about $5 a day or anything of
the sort. If there are no reports made by
Committees, it is of no use to remain here.
If gentlemen have reports to make, let them
say so and I am willing to remain. We are
all here this morning—the House seems very
full, and if any gentleman is ready to submit
a report I would suggest that he say so, and
that we stay here or go bonne accordingly. I
do not think we ought to waste our time, and
if no gentleman is ready to report I see no
use in staying.
On motion of Mr. HEBB,
The order was laid on the table.
ORDERS, &C.
On motion of Mr. HEBB,
It was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal that Albert C. Greene is absent from his
seat to-day in consequence of attendance upon
his official duties as Director of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal Company,
Mr. THRUSTON asked to be excused from
serving as a member of the Committee on Mi-
litia, being a member of three other commit-
tees; and was accordingly excused,
Mr. ABBOTT submitted the following order :
Ordered, That the President of this Con-
vention be requested to use all the power that
is, or may be vested in him to secure the at-
tendance of members both to the sittings of
the Convention and meetings of the respec-
tive committees.
On motion of Mr. JONES, of Somerset,
The order was laid on the table.
On motion of Mr. HEBB,
Ordered, That the President of the Conven-
tion be requested to appoint two additional |
