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today on whether we are going to forever
enchain Prince George's County's elections
separate or together I would have to vote
to have them separate. I would not like to
do that.
On the other hand, since the amendment
has been made to force the counties to hold
their local and state elections together, the
only thing I know to do is put you in the
position Mr. Boyce said you are in. I am
going to vote against the City of Baltimore
and hope everybody from Prince George's
will do the same.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Macdonald.
DELEGATE MACDONALD: Mr. Chair-
man, I would request Mr. Scanlan to with-
draw his motion for this reason. If he will
withdraw his motion, I will move that the
amendment be amended. I would request
the sponsor of Amendment No. 14 to agree
to this so as to add after the words "and
county", which are on line 3 of Amendment
No. 14, the words "except Baltimore City".
Then we will have a clear-cut issue and a
fair and honest issue before the House.
To repeat, I would request Mr. Scanlan
to please withdraw his motion to appeal
the ruling of the Chair. I would not like
to overrule our honorable Chairman from
Garrett County, and if he will withdraw
it, then after that I will ask the sponsor of
Amendment No. 14 if he will agree to
amend Amendment No. 14, namely, to add
the words "except Baltimore City" after
the words "and county".
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Scanlan.
DELEGATE SCANLAN: If the pending
amendment was phrased the way Delegate
Macdonald has put it, it truly would be a
divisible question and you would have at
first bite the whole substantive issue be-
fore you. I would be happy to withdraw
my request for appeal of the previous rul-
ing.
However, Delegate Macdonald made clear
that his amendment is contingent upon ac-
ceptance by Mr. Byrnes, and my with-
drawal in turn is contingent on Mr.
Byrnes withdrawal of his acceptance.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
The Chair recognizes Delegate Hanson.
DELEGATE HANSON: Mr. Chairman,
a point of inquiry. I should like to ask the
Chair if it will be in order for Delegate
Raley's proposed amendment to leave the
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matter to the General Assembly to be of-
fered as a substitute for the amendment
now on the floor which, if in order, I be-
lieve might extricate us from both the
problem of appealing the ruling of the
Chair and the system of circular concur-
rences in which we now seem to be placed.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
If this would be agreeable to sponsors of
the amendment, Delegate Byrnes, and if
Delegate Scanlan would withdraw his move
to appeal the ruling of the Chair, I think
it might possibly be done.
Delegate Byrnes.
DELEGATE BYRNES: Mr. Chairman,
I would like to start the cycle by con-
curring, but I would like also to point out
that I think we can make a decision on
this question and still have open to us the
option suggested by Delegates Hanson,
Raley, et al.
Our Committee discussed this question of
local option, and I think it is the judgment
of the Committee to oppose it. There is
great debate that could ensue on that one
question. It is not as simple as it sounds
to allow local option, but I think it has
merit if we fail on this motion.
Otherwise, I would like to have a de-
cision on it as amended by Delegate Mac-
donald.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Scanlan.
DELEGATE SCANLAN: Since the
sponsor has indicated he will accept Mr.
Macdonald's amendment to his amendment,
I will withdraw my appeal to the ruling
of the Chair. However, I do think that the
situation can be tied up very quickly if
we would listen to Mr. Hanson's suggestion
and take up the Raley amendment at this
time.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
Delegate Marion.
DELEGATE MARION: Mr. Chairman,
a parliamentary inquiry.
If the amendment as now before us,
Amendment No. 14, in any of its parts or
as amended as suggested by Delegate Mac-
donald, or perhaps in any other way, should
be adopted by this Convention, would the
Raley amendment as he outlined it a few
moments ago be in order, or would we
have in effect foreclosed that question?
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
I think the Raley amendment would be in
order.
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