READING CLERK: The Fourth Report
of the Committee on Rules, Credentials and
Convention Budget, amended. The Commit-
tee on Rules, Credentials and Convention
Budget has considered the problem of how
to fill vacancies occurring in the Conven-
tion due to the death or resignation of a
delegate.
THE PRESIDENT: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Scanlan.
DELEGATE SCANLAN: I move that
further reading of the Fourth Report of the
Committee on Rules, Credentials, and Con-
vention Budget be dispensed with and that
the report be considered as having been read
by the Clerk.
THE PRESIDENT: Is there a second?
(The motion was duly seconded.)
THE PRESIDENT: The motion is that
so much reading be considered the reading
of the entire report. Is there any discus-
sion?
(There was no response.)
All those in favor, signify by saying Aye;
contrary, No. The Ayes have it. It is so
ordered.
The Chair recognizes Delegate Scanlan,
Chairman of the Committee. Please come
forward to the Clerk's desk. While Dele-
gate Scanlan is coming forward, I want to
call your attention to the fact that you
should have before you the original Fourth
Report of this Committee, which was intro-
duced on September 22, the proposed sub-
stitute to Rule 7I [77]* which was not
formally offered, but which was circulated
on September 26, and the amended Fourth
Report, which was circulated this morning.
Delegate Scanlan.
DELEGATE SCANLAN: Mr. President,
fellow delegates, I have the Honor to pre-
sent the amended Fourth Report of the
Committee on Rules, Credentials and Con-
vention Budget. The committee favorably
recommends the adoption of a new Rule
7I [77] consisting of four subparagraphs,
71A, B, C, and D, as set forth in the first
two pages of the committee report, and
dealing with the filling of vacancies should
they occur in this Convention.
Early in its deliberations the Committee
appointed a subcommittee, consisting of
Mr. Grant as chairman, Mrs. Bryson, and
*The number in brackets is the final num-
ber assigned to the rule in the Rules of the
Constitutional Convention of Maryland. |
Mr. Mason, to consider this problem. The
problem, of course, became more acute when
it became apparent that there was a good
possibility that the Honorable Herbert
O'Conor from the Third District of Balti-
more would have to resign from the Con-
vention, in view of his pressing responsi-
bilities as an alternate to the. United Na-
tions. We received word yesterday, through
the announcement of the President, that
Mr. 0 'Conor was going to resign, and there-
fore the question is no longer a possibility.
It is a reality.
Let me just briefly say this. We did circu-
late our First Report, I believe, on Tues-
day of this week. On that day there was
also circulated proposed amendments to
substitutions for our proposed rule in the
resolution sponsored by Delegates E. J.
Clarke, James dark and William James.
Following that we received permission of
the Convention to have our report recom-
mitted, to consider the alternative urged
upon the Convention by those three gentle-
men, and we held a hearing on this on Tues-
day afternoon, at which time Senator dark,
the First Vice-President of the Convention,
appeared before our committee to present
his views.
Briefly, in 71A [77] let me say at the
outset, there is a glaring typographical
omission which we shall rectify upon proper
amendment, after I have finished presenting
the report. The first line, in the interest of
clarity, should read, "upon the announce-
ment to the Convention," and these are the
words deleted which should be in, "of the
death or resignation of a delegate to the
Convention," and then the section remains
the same. In that section we provide for a
selection committee to nominate by majority
vote of that committee no more than three
names of persons who would be qualified
under the Enabling Act to fill the vacancy,
and to present to the Convention a concise
written statement of the abilities and ex-
perience of each of the persons. This is a
change from our previous suggestion as
originally drafted. I believe we suggested
that not more than five nor less than two
be presented. One of the substantive
changes in the dark resolution was that it
would be sufficient to have one name pre-
sented, and under 71A [77] as proposed a
selection committee could submit to the Con-
vention only one name, if it preferred. Now,
I understand, according to the public press,
that representatives of Baltimore have al-
ready agreed on one person whom they be-
lieve qualified to fill the shoes of Mr.
O'Conor. We believe the rule is recognition
of the fact that perhaps in the usual case |
