EXPLANATION.
Mr. STIRLING. I wish to call the attention
of the Convention, and especially of the gen-
tlemen from Prince George's (Mr. Clarke,)
to page 274 of the Debates, containing apor-
tion of a reported speech delivered by the
gentleman from Prince George's. He says
''When I first listened to the reaiding of the
4th Article reported by the majority of the
Committee on the Declaration of Rights, to
be embodied in the bill of rights, as declara-
tory of the prerogatives of the people of this
State, I designed to say nothing on the mo-
mentous questions involved, because from the
circumstances attending its incorporation
into that report. I did not believe that any
good result would be accomplished by my
participating in this debate."
The first sentence has affixed to it a star
and at the bottom of the page is this note
" I allude to the fact that the report was
drawn up and prepared to be submilted to
the Convention, without the minority of the
committee having had an opportunity to take
part in the discussion or formation of it."
1 do not wish to trouble the Convention
with any restatement of what was said before
with reward to this matter. I merely wish
to say that I do not regard this note as ex-
pressing correctly the facts in regard to that
report. Although I take it for granted that
the gentleman intended to act fairly in the
matter, I do pot conceive that he had any
right to place in the debate what he did not
utter upon this floor. As I do not under-
stand this note to contain the facts with re-
gard to that report, I move that it be ex-
cluded from the Debates.
Mr. CLARKE. I wish to put myself right
with regard to that. The reporter had this
very language in his report, placed between
dashes, at the point indicated, connecting the
whole in one sentence. When I read it over,
1 suggested to him the fact that the sentence
was long and involved, and that it would be
better to put this in a note instead of in the
sentence. Mr. Lord, the. reporter, will re-
member that this was in the report of the
speech as delivered by me.
With regard to the explanation of the facts
the gentleman made an explanation subse-
quent to my speech, and if I understood it,
it did not differ from my statement. I un-
derstood him to state that the report was
brought before the committee all prepared
and was then submitted to the minority of
the committee as being the report which the
majority had prepared to be submitted to the
Convention as containing their views. 1
think that the note is a fair statement of what
the gentleman said in explanation of the facts.
But it is sufficient to fay that the exact lan-
guage was used by me. and reported in the
body of the speech, and was merely put in a
note to avoid extending the sentence. |
Mr. STIRLING. If the gentleman used this
language in his speech, I have nothing fur-
ther to say. But the impression produced
upon anybody reading the report would be
that it was not uttered in the debate, but
added in explanation afterwards. I will,
upon the assurance of the gentleman, and
with the understanding that this explanation
shall appear in the Debates, withdraw my
motion.
MISCELLANEOUS.
On motion of Mr. MORGAN,
It was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal that if George W. Morgan, who was ab-
sent from the Convention on account of sick-
ness, on the 24th of June, when the vote was
taken on the amendment of Mr. Brown to
the 23d Article to the bill of rights, had been
present he would have voted for the amend-
ment, but that he would have voted against
the said article.
On motion of Mr. BARRON,
It was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal, that had John Barron, of Baltimore,
been present on yesterday, he would have
voted in favor of the adoption of the Decla-
ration of Rights, as adopted by this Conven-
tion.
On motion of Mr. WILMER,
it was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal, that had Mr. Wilmer been present on
Friday, June 24th, he would have voted in
favor of the amendment submitted by Mr.
Brown to the 23d Article of the bill of rights,
and against the adoption of said article.
On motion of Mr. DELLINGER,
It was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal, that if Mr. Dellinger had not been de-
tained from his seat on the 24th ultimo by
sickness, when the vote was taken on the 23d
Article of the bill of rights, he would have
voted in the affirmative.
Mr. CLARKE submitted the following order:
Ordered, That the Treasurer be requested
to furnish this Convention as soon as possible
with the information asked for under an or-
der adopted June 1st, 1864.
Mr. STIRLING. I am informed that it will
involve the expense of extra help to obtain
the information asked for. I should like to
have that determined before voting upon this
order.
Mr. CLARKE. I was not aware that it
would involve expense. I supposed that it
could be done in a day or two.
Mr. CUSHING. I move that the order be
laid over until to-morrow, that we may ob-
tain information from the Treasurer.
Mr. CLARKE. I have no objection to that.
The motion was agreed to.
COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS.
Mr. CHAMBERS. We had yesterday some
discussion in relation to the subject of the
order I propose to offer. I think it will be
admitted everywhere that amongst the ear- |
