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We see no reason why we should require
that much time. I mention the matter today
so that you can make plans. It would be
the intention of the officers to suggest to
you that regardless of where we are, the
Convention will not sit on Friday, De-
cember 22, Saturday, December 23, Sunday,
the 24, Monday, the 25, or Tuesday, the
26. Therefore you can count on those days
as not being days in session.
Hopefully most of the delegates would
also be able to consider as free days Fri-
day and Saturday of this week and Monday
of next week.
The Chair recognizes Delegate Powers.
DELEGATE POWERS: Mr. President,
I move that the Convention resolve itself
into a Committee of the Whole for the
purpose of considering general orders of
the day.
(Whereupon, the motion was seconded.)
THE PRESIDENT: Any discussion?
All in favor, signify by saying Aye; con-
trary, No. The Ayes have it. It is so
ordered.
(Whereupon, at 2:30 P.M., the Conven-
tion resolved itself into the Committee of
the Whole.)
(The mace was removed by the Sergeant-
at-Arms.)
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
DECEMBER 11, 1967—2:30 P.M.
PRESIDENT H. VERNON ENEY,
PRESIDING
THE CHAIRMAN: The Committee of
the Whole will please come to order.
The first item under consideration by
the Committee of the Whole is the pre-
amble on Committee Recommendation R&P-
1.
The Chair is apprised of only one amend-
ment on the preamble.
Delegate Hardwicke, do you still desire
to offer your Amendment K?
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: Yes, Mr.
Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: The pages will
please distribute Amendment No. 1.
The Clerk will read the amendment.
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READING CLERK: Amendment No. 1
to Committee Recommendation R&P-1, by
Delegate Hardwicke:
On page 1 strike out all of lines 14
through 20, inclusive, and insert in lieu
thereof the following: "desirous of secur-
ing the blessings of Almighty God and of
civilization for ourselves and our posterity,
and believing that the chief function and
purpose of government is to facilitate the
enjoyment by all people of life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness,".
THE CHAIRMAN: Amendment No. 1 is
submitted by Delegate Hardwicke. Is there
a second?
(Whereupon, the amendment was sec-
onded.)
THE CHAIRMAN: The amendment
having been seconded, the Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Hardwicke to speak to the
amendment.
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: Mr. Chair-
man and ladies and gentlemen of the
Committee: There is a great lack of seri-
ousness, I think, about preambles. A great
many people have a feeling that the pre-
amble does not do anything and that it is
therefore not very important. When the
preamble was considered in the Committee
on Personal Rights, I had the feeling that
the committee gave a little bit too much
emphasis to a number of just nice, high-
sounding phrases and to the flow of the
language, rather than to the expressing of
any kind of philosophy or consistent intent.
Now, there is no magic in words, and
we can have 134 preambles here if we each
one try to express our preference. But it
seems to me that the language which I
suggested, and I would like to read it
again, if I may, Mr. Chairman.
"We the people of the State of Mary-
land, desirous of securing the blessings of
Almighty God and of civilization for our-
selves and our posterity, and believing that
the chief function and purpose of govern-
ment is to facilitate the enjoyment by all
people of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness," — does establish and ordain this
Constitution.
I believe that that statement expresses
a constitutional philosophy, a constitutional
purpose, and I believe it is adequate for
our job.
The Preamble proposed by the Commit-
tee brings to mind H. L. Mencken's com-
ments about the style of President Hard-
ing:
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