secretary shall have the same printed as en-
grossed."
And the fifty-third rule, I think, can only
be suspended by a three-fifths vote, under the
forty-ninth rule.
Mr. STIRLING. Does not that construction
nullify the fifteenth rule altogether? That
rule reads—
"Every report from a committee contain-
ing articles or sections proposed to be made a
part of the Constitution, shall be read on
three different days of the session previous to
its adoption, unless two-thirds of the mem-
bers present otherwise determine; the first of
which readings shall be by the title only, un-
less a majority of the members present shall
otherwise order."
Now, if '• two-thirds of the members present
otherwise determine," a report can be
read twice on the same day.
Mr. CLARKE. The two-thirds vote I think
should apply only to the first and second
readings. We have now reached the third
reading of this report, and the fifty-third
rule says that it shall be engrossed and printed
before it is read the third time. Now, if you
can have it engrossed and printed and laid
before us for our action to-day, then the fif-
teenth rule would apply to the third reading
also, and a two-thirds vote could suspend the
rule, and we could then put the report upon
its final passage. But unless that can he
done, the fifty-third rule must govern; and
as there is no provision in that rule for its
suspension, then you mast fall hack upon the
forty-ninth rule, which requires a three-fifths
vote for suspension. •
The PRESIDENT. The fifteenth rule being
applicable to reports of committees, the Con-
vention by adopting it has declared that two-
thirds of those present can determine what
they please in regard to the readings of the
reports, whether the first, second or third
reading.
Mr. BRISCOE. There is no necessity for
pressing final action upon this report to-day.
The gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr.
Stirling) has 'notified us that the world is
moving, and unless we keep pace with it, it
will get ahead of us. I think be .need have
no fear of that, for we have too much the
start. There Is but a slim attendance here
to-day, and it may be that there are some
provisions which have heretofore been incor-
porated into this Bill of Rights to which gen-
tlemen desire to give further consideration
One of the members of this body has been
compelled to be absent until to-day, much to
the regret of the House, I am sure. He (Mr
Dent) is here now, but has had no 'opportu
nity to acquaint himself with the provisions
in this Bill of Rights, and therefore cannot
vote understandingly upon it at this time. '.
therefore submit the following as a substitute
for the motion of the gentleman from Balti-
more city (Mr. Stirling): |
" Ordered, That the Bill of Rights, as
amended on its second reading, be engrossed
and printed, and laid upon the tables of mem-
bers; and that it stand for its third reading
on Monday next, and that it be made the
special order for that day at one o'clock,
P. M."
Mr. DANIEL. It seems to me that if we
had already suspended the rule, then the mo-
tion of the gentleman from Calvert (Mr. Bris-
coe) would he in order, as relating to the
time for the third reading to take place. But
upon the simple motion to suspend the rule,
it does seem to me that his substitute is not
in order.
The PRESIDENT The Chair is of opinion
that the proposition of the gentleman from
Calvert (Mr. Briscoe) is not strictly germain
to the pending proposition. The first ques-
tion properly before the Convention is upon
the motion to suspend the rule. After that
question has been determined, then the mo-
tion of the gentleman from Calvert (Mr. Bris-
coe) will be in order.
Upon the question of suspending the rule,
Mr. BRISCOE called for' the yeas and nays,
which were ordered.
The question being then taken, by yeas and
nays, it resulted—yeas 49, nays 18—as fol-
lows:
Yeas—Messrs. Abbott, Annan, Baker, Car-
ter, Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of
Washington, Earle, Ecker, Galloway, Hatch,
Hebb, Hopkins, Hopper, Jones, of Cecil, Kee-
fer, Larsh, McComas, Mullikin, Murray, No-
ble, Nyman, Parker, Pugh, Purnell, Ridgely,
Russell, Sands, Schley, Schlosser, Scott,
Smith, of Carroll, Sneary, Stirling, Swope,
Sykes, Todd, Wickard, Wooden—40.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President)'
Audoun, Belt, Bond, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown,
Chambers, Clarke, Dent, Edelen, Hollyday,
Lansdale, Miller, Morgan, Peter, Stockbridge,
Thomas—18.
The rule was suspended accordingly.
Mr. BRISCOE, I now submit my motion.
The PRESIDENT, The Convention having
agreed to the motion of the gentleman from
Baltimore city (Mr. Stirling) to suspend the
rule in order that this report may now be
read the third time, the Chair regards that as
equivalent to ordering the third reading of
the report. The Secretary will therefore
proceed to read the report the third time.
The Secretary commenced the reading of
the report; but before he had concluded the
reading,
Mr. HEBB moved that so much be consid-
ered the third reading of the report—which
was agreed to.
The question was upon the final adoption
of the report.
Mr. BRISCOE submitted the following :
" Ordered, That the Bill of Rights, as
amended on its second reading, be engrossed |
