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Finance and Taxation. This provision has been called

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by the Chairman of the Committee, I think appropriately,

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one of the most important matters before this Convention.

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It does make some change in the budgetary

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process. It does make it possible for the General Assembly

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to increase within the plan — within the total expenditure

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limit recommended by the Governor, the budget of the state,

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but then only subject to veto by the Governor.

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I think most of what has to be said about this

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was said in the Committee of the Whole, was said in the

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exchange of letters which has appeared in the Baltimore

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Sun which have been distributed over the past week or

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so on all of our desks.

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I will take only one moment to answer two

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or three allegations that have been made in the letters.

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One, which appeared from a gentleman who is

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not a member of this Convention, who suggested that it was

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not proper to provide some latitude for the legislature

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in handling the budget, because the budget was not a

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policy document. I am sure that the President of the

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University of Maryland will be intrigued to learn this, and