no less than six minority reports coming in.
I would like to find out what the unicam-
eral people have to say, even though I have
almost made up my own mind. I am very
concerned with the three succeeding minor-
ity reports which concern a number of
members of the Legislature.
I would hate to see our effort down here
split asunder on a question of representa-
tion in the Legislature. I think it is much
more important that we get the Constitu-
tion passed on May 14 than that we get it
completed on December 12.
THE PRESIDENT: The Chair would
like to comment with respect to the state-
ment just made, that the present difficulty
in having the minority reports is not dif-
ficulty in the print shop, because the mi-
nority reports were not available until this
afternoon, a very short time ago. In addi-
tion, the minority reports will be available
for all delegates this evening. Delegate
Borom?
DELEGATE BOROM: Mr. Chairman, I
think we want to be careful in considering
the question or the issue on the floor. I
would hate for the delegates to vote in
favor of Delegate Vecera's motion and vote
based on the arguments presented in ref-
erence to minority reports. I think we
ought to divide the question and decide as
a body whether we want the Baltimore City
delegates to be off tomorrow, in order to
electioneer or for whatever purposes you
may want to pursue.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Vecera?
DELEGATE VECERA: Mr. President,
in response to Delegate Borom's sugges-
tion, I do not think the issue should be
divided. I think it is all pertinent in that
tomorrow is an election day in Baltimore
City; also that the Committee of the Whole
will be meeting on a very important sig-
nificant matter for the legislature; and I
think the question is all one, it should not
be divided. It is for that matter that I
arose in the beginning. I think it is so im-
portant a matter to be discussed that I
would hate to miss even one minute of it.
THE PRESIDENT: Is there any further
discussion? Delegate Chabot?
DELEGATE CHABOT: Mr. President,
there are many times when people end up
voting the same way on an issue for a
variety of reasons. I think two reasons have
been presented here for voting Aye to Dele-
gate Vecera's motion, and I would hate to
have the motion defeated simply because
the people who consider one more important |
are reluctant to favor the proposal because
another reason has been advanced for it.
I for one, subscribe completely to the rea-
sons that were given by Delegate Gleason
for voting in favor of Delegate Vecera's
motion. I think we have had far too much
haste, and I think this is an appropriate
time to call at least a little bit of a halt
and give us a chance to examine things. I
suggest that frequently you will find the
reason for the delay in the preparation of
the minority reports is primarily because
the minority members of the committee rec-
ognizing their responsibility to the report
as a whole have worked with the chairman
of the committee in the preparation of the
majority reports, and have had to defer
their efforts on the particular points from
which they dissented until after the work
had been done on the preparation of the
majority reports.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Gleason?
DELEGATE GLEASON: Mr. President,
let me say with respect to the latter com-
ment and your comment on the preparation
of these minority reports, I do not know of
any group on any of the six minority re-
ports on the legislative branch that has
been dilatory and not working with the
great degree of haste and urgency that the
situation requires in preparing these re-
ports. We do have a very practical prob-
lem and that is that the committee staff
has first of all to take care of the majority
report, but we only were able to sign off
on our minority report as of 2 o'clock this
afternoon. Let me say that after the vote
is had on the pending motion, I will move
under Rule 20A [21]* to postpone consid-
eration of the recommendations of the Leg-
islative Branch Committee until the day
after tomorrow.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Gleason,
if the present motion carries, you would
not have an opportunity to make such a
motion, because we would have adjourned.
It could be made tomorrow morning, of
course, if the motion to amend fails, and
we do convene tomorrow morning.
Before you make any other motion, may
I call on Delegate Powers as Chairman of
the Committee on Calendar to advise the
delegates of the situation of the Calendar
and the effect on the Calendar of either a
deferral of consideration of Committee
Recommendation LB-I until another day,
or adjournment of the Convention to an-
other day?
DELEGATE POWERS: Mr. President,
in answer to the question, I would say that |
