here and report back to each other. It
seems to me that perhaps Maryland's na-
tional guard and militia are like that, and
until I could feel certain that they are not
and that the Maryland national guard is
always part of the militia, full time all-
year-round while they are in the Maryland
national guard, I would be afraid to vote
for the proposal or the recommendation of
the Committee.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Powers.
DELEGATE POWERS: Mr. Chairman,
we have spent several hours on debate and
are nearing the completion of the first
Committee Recommendation. As far as
the Committee on Calendar and Agenda is
concerned, we would hope that we could
conclude this consideration this afternoon
and go on with other things as the Con-
vention progresses. I hope the motion will
fail and that we can dispose of the re-
maining amendments to the Recommenda-
tion.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, I would be happy to withdraw my
motion, since I, too, would like to act on it.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does the seconder
agree to withdrawal of the motion to rise?
Delegate Schneider, do you agree to with-
draw?
DELEGATE SCHNEIDER: Yes, Mr.
Chairman, I will withdraw amendment—
whatever the number of my amendment is.
THE CHAIRMAN: Just a second.
The motion that the Committee of the
Whole rise and report has been withdrawn
by the mover and seconder.
The Chair now recognizes Delegate
Schneider to move to withdraw Amend-
ment No. 10.
DELEGATE SCHNEIDER: I will with-
draw at this time Amendment No. 10. If
the Convention feels fairly certain that it
understands what the militia is and be-
lieves it is protected here, I would be very
happy to withdraw the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does the seconder
join in withdrawal?
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: I withdraw
my second, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: For what purpose
does Delegate Weidemeyer rise? |
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: To sug-
gest to Delegate Schneider that probably
all his fears could be allayed by asking the
Convention to instruct the General Pro-
visions Committee in writing up carryover
provisions of our present Articles of the
Code to define what the militia is.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any fur-
ther amendments?
(There was no response.)
The question before the Committee of
the Whole is the Committee Recommenda-
tion GP-I as amended. Is there any dis-
cussion?
Delegate Hardwicke.
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: I would
like to speak against it.
THE CHAIRMAN: Let me state the
question. The question arises on the ap-
proval of Committee Recommendation GP-I
by the Committee of the Whole, approval
of the recommendation as amended.
The Chair now recognizes Delegate
Hardwicke.
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: Mr. Chair-
man, I believe that the debate on this sub-
ject has demonstrated that it is more in the
nature of statutory matter. The testimony
of the Chairman of the Committee indi-
cated that if this Convention agreed, the
legislature could in fact do this by statute.
I believe that GP-I is not the timeliest
kind of concept which is going to survive
in all of the detailed language set forth
therein over the period of two or three
generations. I suspect that this is the kind
of provision that is going to be back be-
fore the voters and people of Maryland on
Constitutional amendments from time to
time.
As members of the Constitutional Con-
vention we have sought to avoid this. In
other words, in meeting here we are seek-
ing to get rid of statutory details. We are
seeking to prevent the continued submission
of language to people of the State of Mary-
land. Since the Legislature can adequately
cope with the problem of the militia by
statute it seems to me this is not of Con-
stitutional stature or place or dignity. I
urge that it be omitted altogether from
this Constitution.
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there any further
discussion?
(There was no response.) |
