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cated by law among and within not more
than twenty principal departments grouped
according to major purposes. The number
of principal departments may be changed
by law enacted by a three-fifths vote of all
members of each house of the General As-
sembly. Regulatory, quasi-judicial and
temporary agencies and commissions estab-
lished by law may, but need not, be allo-
cated within a principal department. "
Mr. Chairman, I think we went over 4. 18
but that was not considered when the
amendments were offered.
THE CHAIRMAN: We have not reached
section 4. 18 yet.
Delegate Della.
DELEGATE DELLA: I think I ques-
tioned the Chairman on 4. 18.
THE CHAIRMAN: On presentation.
But it is open for amendment.
Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Mr. Chairman,
I would like to ask Chairman Morgan if
he would yield for a couple of questions,
please.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan,
do you yield for a question?
DELEGATE MORGAN: I do.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Delegate Mor-
gan, do I understand the words that the fi-
nance department are meant to mean that
the comptroller shall not exercise any tax
collecting functions and that is all that
they mean?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: That is correct.
The comptroller is not supposed to exer-
cise any function with respect to revenue
estimates.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Am I to under-
stand your answer with regard to the fi-
nance department conceive that the comp-
troller could be placed under the finance
department?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan?
DELEGATE MORGAN: It is possible.
He would still be an independent, elected
official.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
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DELEGATE CARSON: What I am
getting at, are you not really intending
that the comptroller still be an independent
officer of the state government but have
these limited functions that you are at-
tempting to describe here.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: That is correct
and also be a member of the Board of Pub-
lic Works.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Again, Delegate
Morgan, do I understand that he is not to
be under any other principal department
but to be a separate department?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: He might for
housekeeping purposes be placed in a de-
partment, but he would not be responsible
or the head of that department. He would
be an independent elected official.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: May I ask you
if you would accept an amendment to strike
out of the last sentence the words starting
with "or" and going on "or of any other
principal department of the executive
branch", and insert therefor the words
"but shall be an independent officer of the
state governor. "
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: I think that is
implicit in the fact that the comptroller is
an elected official. He is not responsible to
any other person in the state government.
He is only responsible to the electorate.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Delegate Mor-
gan, I do not want to debate linguistics or
detail at all. Would you have any objection
if the Style Committee were to add such
language in here to clean it up?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Morgan.
DELEGATE MORGAN: I would have
no objection to the Style Committee doing
that if they thought it would change the
meaning of it and I do not think it does
change the meaning of it myself.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Mentzer.
DELEGATE MENTZER: Is there any
reason why we cannot have the amendment
that makes the comptroller a member of
the board of review before us now?
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