The PRESIDENT. There is now a standing
rule preventing any member from speaking
more than once until every member desiring
to speak shall have spoken. All that is ne-
cessary is to mention the fact, and the presi-
dent will at once enforce the rule. It has
been usual to check members when rising to
address the chair, unless attention is called
to the fact that, they have already spoken.
The order was withdrawn.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
The convention proceeded to the considera-
tion of the order of the day, being the second
reading of the article on the legislative de-
partment.
The question being on the adoption of the
amendment submitted by Mr. DUVALL, to wit:
Add to the end of section thirty-nine the
words "provided, however, that no such sale
shall be binding on the State until the same
shall have been ratified by the general assem-
bly, after having been duly reported to the
same."
Mr. PARRAN submitted the following amend-
ment to the amendment:
Strikeout all after the word "been," in
the third line and insert the words "duly
reported to, and ratified by the general assem-
bly at the first session thereof after such sale
or sales."
On motion of Mr. KING,
The further consideration of the amend-
ments to section thirty-nine was postponed.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I desire to give notice
that when this article shall again be taken
up I will move to reconsider the vote by
which the amendment of the gentleman from
Baltimore county (Mr. Ridgely) was adopted,
Upon a careful reading of that amendment I
find that it reads quite differently from what
my apprehension of it was at the time I voted
for it.
Mr. CLARKE gave notice that at the proper
time he would submit the following amend-
ment :
Strike out the section and insert :
"' Section 39, The governor, comptroller
and treasurer of the State are hereby author-
ized conjointly, or any two of them, subject
to such regulations as the legislature may
from time to time prescribe, to exchange the
State's interest in the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad for an equal amount of the bonds or
registered debt now owing by the State, and
to sell from time to time the State's interest
in the other works of internal improvement,
whether as stockholder or creditor, also the
State's interest in any banking corporation,
and receive in payment the bonds or regis-
tered debt now owing by the State, equal in
amount to the price obtained for the State's
said interest, provided that the interest of the
State in the Washington branch of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad be reserved and ex-
empted from such sale." |
Mr. THOMAS gave notice that he would submit
the following amendment :
After the word "debt" in the 14th line
add the following:
"But provided further, that the State's
interest in the Washington branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and of the
main stem of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road, and of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
shall be and is hereby reserved and excepted
from the sale hereby authorized."
The fortieth section was then read as fol-
lows :
"Section 40. The general assembly shall
pass no law, nor make any appropriation to
compensate the masters or claimants of slaves
emancipated from servitude by the adoption
of this constitution."
Mr. DAVIS, of Charles, submitted the fol-
lowing amendment,
Section 40. Strike out all after the word
"assembly," in the first line, and insert
"shall pass laws making appropriations to
justly compensate the masters or claimants of
slaves emancipated from servitude by the
adoption of this constitution,"
Mr. MILLER demanded the yeas and nays,
and they were ordered,
The question being taken, the result was—
yeas 18, nays 39—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Bond, Brown, Chambers,
Clarke, Crawford, Dail, Davis, of Charles,
Dent, Duvall, Edelen, Hollyday, Jones, of
Somerset, Lee, Mitchell, Miller, Parran,
Smith, of Dorchester, Wilmer—18.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President ;
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Carter, Cun-
ningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Wash-
ington, Earle, Ecker, Farrow, Hatch, Hebb,
Hoffman, Hopkins, Kennard, King, Larsh,
Markey, McComas, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,
Nyman, Parker, Pugh, Purnell, Russell,
Sands. Schley, Smith, of Carroll, Stock-
bridge, Swope, Sykes, Thomas, Todd, Val-
liant, Wooden—39.
The amendment was accordingly rejected.
Mr. JONES, of Somerset. The convention
is not very full this morning. I think this is
one of the most important provisions which
has been sibmitted to the consideration of the
convention during the session. I am very
sure that those who are absent, who, I trust,
will be here to-morrow morning, would like
to record their votes upon it, and I respect-
fully move that it be informally passed over
until we have a fuller house.
Mr. SANDS. I would very respectfully sug-
gest to my friend that enough votes have
already been cast here to place beyond the
shadow of a doubt the result of the vote
upon this question. What good can beob-
tained by further postponement? Why do
everything else rather than come to a vote?
It is well known to every gentleman here that
any postponement can only operate to con-
sume the time without in any way changing |
