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READING CLERK: Resolution No. 27
by the Committee on Rules, Credentials,
and Convention Budget, Alfred L. Scanlan,
Chairman, a resolution to authorize the
president to carry out the post Convention
activities of the Constitutional Convention.
WHEREAS, the Constitutional Conven-
tion will carry on certain activities after
adjournment of the Convention nine die as
provided in other Resolutions of this Con-
vention and in Chapter 4 of the Acts of
1967, and
WHEREAS, under the Rules of the
Convention the President of the Conven-
tion is the chief executive officer of the
Convention and is responsible for the em-
ployment of all persons and firms for Con-
vention activities and for the expenditure
of all Convention funds.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RE-
SOLVED, that the President of the Con-
vention is authorized to employ or enter
into contracts on behalf of the Convention
with persons and firms for materials and
services for the post-convention activities.
THE PRESIDENT: This resolution will
not be referred to the Committee because
it will be acted upon later in this present
session.
The Chair now calls for action on Reso-
lution No. 26 which was read across the
desk on December 30, 1967. I understand
that you have a copy of this resolution.
The Chair recognizes Delegate Dulany,
Chairman of the Committee on Public In-
formation.
DELEGATE DULANY: Mr. President
and fellow delegates, the Public Informa-
tion Committee determined the policy
which has been carried out during the
course of the Convention and what we feel
should be carried on up iintil May 14.
That is the duty we have under the man-
date of the General Assembly to inform
and disseminate information to the gen-
eral public so they can made an intelli-
gent and informed choice on May 14.
We are not to take a pro or con attitude
on the issues, but merely to inform. We
have had many meetings and advised on
many policies. We hope that we have been
helpful and that the Office of Public In-
formation has been helpful to the dele-
gates. The purpose of the resolution which
has been presented to you, Resolution No.
26, are three-fold.
First, the most important function is to
carry out the mandate of the legislature
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to inform the public of the content of the
new Constitution. Secondly, we must wind
up the affairs of the Convention in an
orderly and businesslike manner. We can-
not adjourn sine die and walk out and
leave things as we are. I am not certain
that the legislature would approve of this
also. Finally, the legislative leaders have
requested that a staff be retained to work
with them in conjunction with the legis-
lative program in connection with the new
Constitution.
The Attorney General's opinion of De-
cember 26 which was placed on your desk,
sets forth the authority of this Convention
to adopt certain post convention policies
and authorizes certain post convention ac-
tivities. This confirms the authority that
we had assumed that we had had.
In the Enabling Act it refers to the
necessity to wind up the affairs of the
Convention in an orderly and expeditious
manner, and it refers to the necessity of
having a staff and offices for a public in-
formation office as well as winding up the
affairs of the Convention.
The Resolution then provides we shall
carry out that mandate. It authorizes the
President and First and Second Vice-
Presidents to continue to represent this
body as they have in the past. It provides
in the event of any disability of the Presi-
dent, the first Vice-President would serve
in his place. It provides for the appoint-
ment of a post-convention committee on
public information.
In other words, if you recall the Chair-
man of the Rules Committee's statement at
the very inception of this Convention,
there was a statement that all committees
would die when this Convention would
adjourn sine die. That is actually the fact
insofar as our committee is concerned, and
there will be a post-convention public in-
formation committee appointed under the
terms of this resolution.
The resolution also authorizes the Presi-
dent to appoint such other committees as
he deems necessary to wind up the affairs
of the Convention. The President is also
authorized in a similar fashion, as he is
authorized under the rules of the Conven-
tion, to secure a staff and offices to con-
tinue the affairs of the Convention until
the referendum on May 14.
Finally, the President is authorized to
request additional monies from the State
of Maryland. The Committee on Public
Information urges the adoption of this
resolution.
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