of Dorchester, Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge,
Swope, Sykes, Wickard, Wooden—66.
The journal of yesterday was read and ap-
proved.
BASIS OF REPRESENTATIONS.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE submitted the following :
" Ordered, That the report of the commit-
tee on the basis of representation, be made
the order of the day, immediately after the
conclusion of the second reading of the Arti-
cle on the Legislative Department."
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE said: I will give my
reason for offering this order. The article
which we are now considering, was taken up
unexpectedly, I believe, to all the members
of the convention. Gentlemen had not had
their attention called to it, and therefore had
not examined it and prepared amendments to
it. I am satisfied, therefore, that the con-
vention has not moved as rapidly as it would
have done otherwise. And I have offered
this order, in order that. we may understand
distinctly what is to follow the article now
under consideration. I selected the report of
the committee on the basis of representation,
because it has an intimate connection with
the report of the committee on the legislative
department, now under consideration, and it
may be well to finish all questions relating to
the Legislature, before we take up a new
subject.
The question being then taken, the order
was adopted.
AGRICULTURAL, COLLEGE.
Mr. SMITH, of Carroll, gave notice that at
the proper time, and in the proper place and
connection, he would move the following, as
an additional section to the article upon the
legislative department.
" Section —. The Legislature shall make
no appropriation, gift or endowment, directly
or indirectly, in aid of, or for the use, benefit
or advantage of the State Agricultural Col-
lege, or of its professors, agents or employees,
or any of them."
EVENING SESSIONS.
Mr. STIRLING submitted the following:
Ordered, That the convention hereafter hold
evening sessions at 8 o'clock, on the evening
of every day on which the convention shall
be in session, except on Saturdays.
Mr. STIRLING said: I merely wish to say,
in explanation of this order, that I offer it
after consultation last night with a large
number of members of the majority of this
house. They came to the conclusion, that it
would be proper to present this subject to
the convention for its consideration at this
time, and at the present stage of its business.
I do not wish to argue it. I will simply
present one or two facts to the consideration
of members, and then leave the subject to
their judgment and their responsibility for |
decision. We have now been in session since
the 27th day of April; within one week of
three months. We have nearly passed two
articles of the constitution. We have yet to
consider and pass, exclusive of two small
articles, which may be left out of conside-
ration, three more articles of the constitution.
Sow, at the rate we have been proceeding, if
it takes three months to pass two articles, it
is simply a matter of calculation a» to bow
long it will take us to pass three other articles.
And if we continue to ait here, holding but
one session a day, it is a matter of absolute
certainty, that the sessions of this convention
will not terminate betore the first day of No-
vember next.
Now, I know it is the general understanding
among most of the friends of this con-
stitution, that it must be submitted to the
people either on the day of the next presi-
dential election, or on some day anterior to
that date. We have already placed in the
constitution, provisions which make it abso-
lutely necessary that the constitution shall
be submitted to the people, at least on the
day of the presidential election. We have
provided for a State election on that day,
and I submit that if we do not hold more
than one session a day, it is by so means
probable that we will conclude our labors
in time to submit this constitution to the?
people, even on that day. Now, this is a
mere matter of calculation. and the calcula-
tion can be made in five minutes.
Every legislative body, the Congress of the
United States, the General Assembly of this
State, and the Legislatures of other States—
each one, after it has got its reports from its
committees, and has finished its outside work,
invariably holds more than one session a day.
Our legislature has always held three sessions
a day towards the close of the session. Now,
if we hold an evening session, we can sit here
for two hours. And two hours a day, for
five days, make ten hours a week; and ten
hours a week for one month, make forty
hours. Now, if gentlemen are willing to
lose that much time, they can say go. But
those who were consulted about the matter
last night, are of the opinion that is a matter
of absolute necessity, that we should do some-
thing. We have lost now, by means of the
late raid, and the adjournments which we
have taken, nearly three weeks, and some-
thing must be done to make up that time.
I have nothing further to say. I merely
wished to state the matter to the Convention,
and leave it to their judgment to decide.
Mr. BARRON. I have not so much objec-
tion to two sessions a day, if gentlemen want
to assemble here at night merely to get rid of
some of their speeches. But I would suggest
to my colleague (Mr. Stirling) that if he will
reduce speeches here to five minutes in length,
we can do a great deal of work in four hours
and a half each day. We will do more in |
