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DELEGATE BAMBERGER: The Com-
mission Report says that -the present Con-
stitution would require the majority of all
those elected, even if there might be some
vacancies in the General Assembly, and my
only inquiry is whether or not in using the
language of the Commission you intend the
same meaning that the Commission ascribed
to those words.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: Our intention
in the minority report is to have a majority
of the total number of members of the
House, whether they be elected or appointed
members; if there chanced to be somebody
filling in a vacancy, that person certainly
ought to be included in the calculation of
the numbers.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Delegate
Gilchrist, I think what Mr. Bamberger
meant was this: Suppose there were 120
members elected to the House, but two had
died and the vacancies had not been filled.
Would you want a majority of 118 at this
time, or would you want a majority of 120;
that is all who had originally been elected
to the House.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: In the event
of a sudden death in the preceding night
and nobody has gotten around to filling the
vacancies I still think it would be nice to
have the majority of 120.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: So, there-
fore, it is the position of the minority that
they want to follow the existing Maryland
practice under the 1867 Constitution and
not follow the recommendation of the Con-
stitutional Commission draft?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: That is cor-
rect.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN : Delegate Pascal.
DELEGATE PASCAL: Delegate Gil-
christ, what has been your experience with
the attendance of the General Assembly?
Do you have any figures on that?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: No, I have
not, but I have been advised that the vast
majority of the bills which are passed by
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the General Assembly are in fact passed
by 'a much greater majority than three-
fifths. Most of them are passed by an over-
whelming percentage.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Pascal.
DELEGATE PASCAL: Would the ma-
jority recommendation have the tendency
to improve attendance?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: I certainly
do not think it will hurt the attendance.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Pascal.
DELEGATE PASCAL: I said majority.
Do you think the majority recommendation
would have a tendency to improve the at-
tendance?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: I think the
majority recommendation would have a
tendency to hurt attendance because it will
not require so many people to pass bills.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Pascal.
DELEGATE PASCAL: Do you really
think it is going to be a problem with 11
people in the Senate and 35 in the House?
Do you think a competent and honest legis-
lator is going to let that happen?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: I do not
think they will but on the other hand I
want to make sure they do not.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Pullen, a
question to the minority spokesman?
DELEGATE PULLEN: Mr. Chairman,
I intend to vote for your amendment but do
you not think it would help if you would
amend the amendment and provide for de-
duction of payments and expenses for ab-
sence?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gilchrist.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: I think it
might not be a bad idea to follow this as
we are doing in this Convention, but I think
we are doing it by rule and I believe it
can also be done by rule there.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Pullen.
DELEGATE PULLEN: Mr. Chairman,
I am not serious.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Bamberger.
DELEGATE BAMBERGER: Delegate
Gilchrist, one of the major arguments made
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