very important provisions; several changes
to be made in the Constitution during the
session of this Convention. I hope, there-
fore, it may be postponed until some day
next week. I move that it be postponed and
made the order of the day for this day week,
at one o'clock. I would suggest some ear-
lier day next week, but our Church Conven-
tion meets in Baltimore on Wednesday next,
and several of our members are lay delegates
to that Convention, and would like to attend
it. I, therefore, would prefer to have it
postponed until Thursday of next week and
made the order of the day for that day, and
I hope the majority of this Convention will
consent to that postponement. I think that
as a matter of courtesy to the minority, the
Convention should give ample time for each
member of this Convention to have oppor-
tunity for full and free discussion of this sub-
ject. I trust the majority of this Convention
will consent to have this subject postponed to
some day next week; Bay to Thursday.
Then every member will have an opportuni-
ty to look into and ascertain the important
changes in the present Constitution proposed
to be made by this report of the Committee
on the Bill of Rights, and will then be pre-
pared to come here and at least offer such
suggestions to the Convention as he may
deem important—as to the propriety or im-
propriety of the proposed changes.
In matters of this sort, except so far as the
personal inconvenience of members of this
Convention may be involved, I do not think
that time should be regarded as material.
We are making a Constitution not only for
ourselves but for posterity also. We are to
form an organic law which in all probability
will be the organic law of the State for years
to come, and in consideration of this fact I
think that every member of the Convention
should be allowed an opportunity to debate
every measure of importance which may be
proposed; particularly any important changes
which may be proposed in our organic law,
and should calmly and deliberately consider
and discuss all those changes. If that oppor-
tunity is given to every member, then as a
matter of course we shall discharge our du-
ties here, and can return home to our con-
stituents with the proud satisfaction of know-
ing that we have performed our duty, no
matter how humbly that duty may have been
performed. I will myself at any time con-
sent as a matter of courtesy to the majority
of this Convention to postpone any measure
so vital as this to any day that may 'suit
their convenience, and as a matter of course
I shall ask that the same courtesy may be ex-
tended to the minority of this Convention.
And I hope that as a matter of courtesy to
the minority the majority will consent to the
postponement I have proposed.
Mr DANIEL. I hope the motion of the
gentleman from Prince George's (Mr. Berry) |
will not prevail. This report upon the Bill
of Rights is the only report from a commit-
tee now before this Convention, though we
have now been here over three weeks. I
think that if there are any questions which
have been considered, and considered for
months past, they are some of the questions
which arise in this report, and which these
gentlemen, I know, want to debate. Now
it seems to me that my friend has stated the
proposition somewhat improperly. He seems
to put it as if ho was asking for time to dis-
cuss these questions. That is not the point
to be now considered; but the point is—
when shall we begin to discuss them? The
effect of his motion, should it prevail, would
be to stave off the commencement of the dis-
cussion. Now if we never commence, of
course, we shall never get through,
This report has now been made about a
week; it has been printed, and laid upon
our desks, and every member has seen it,
and had time to investigate it. The propo-
sition which I submit is simply to delay the
commencement of the debate until to-mor-
row. As I have said on another occasion, I
want gentlemen to be fully heard upon this
subject. I admit that this report proposes
very material alterations affecting the in-
terests of the people of this State, to a greater
degree perhaps, than any other alterations
which may be made, and I admit that we
should allow fair and full time for delibera-
tion and discussion. But that question prop-
erly comes up when we shall have com-
menced the discussion. If these gentlemen
shall say they have not had an opportunity
to be heard, they can appeal to the Conven-
tion to grant them full time to discuss the
question. But are we to sit here another
week and do nothing at all—to postpone the
commencement of the discussion of this sub-
ject till this day week, and in the meantime
sit here, day after day, looking at each other,
and pass perhaps an unimportant order now
and then? Not at all. I think the proper
way to bring the attention of members to
this subject is to begin the discussion; and
when you get members listening to each
other, and their attention aroused, then, and
not until then, will they come properly to
the investigation of the subject, and prepare
themselves for intelligent action upon it.
The longer you put it off the longer will
members delay to prepare themselves.
I think it is time for us to get to work,
for we have much work before us before we
conclude our labors. After we halve got to
work, if gentlemen want further time, it will
then be a question of appealing to the sense
of justice of the majority here to allow them
full and ample time to discuss these ques-
tions. I was one of those who just now
voted to require a majority of the members
elected to this Convention to incorporate any
provision into the Constitution, because I de- |
