DELEGATE MORGAN: Mr. President,
the Committee on the Executive Branch
will postpone its meeting originally planned
for immediately after the session, until 9:30
A.M. tomorrow morning.
THE PRESIDENT: Are you now ready
for the question?
(Call for the question.)
The question arises on the motion to ad-
journ until tomorrow, Tuesday, at 12:00
noon. All those in favor, signify by saying
Aye; contrary, No. The Ayes have it. It is
so ordered.
(Whereupon, at 5:55 P.M., the Convention
was adjourned to reconvene 12:00 noon on
Tuesday, November 7, 1967.)
PLENARY SESSION
NOVEMBER 7, 1967—12:00 NOON
PRESIDENT H. VERNON ENEY,
PRESIDING
THE PRESIDENT: The Sergeant-at-
Arms will clear the aisles and close the
doors. The Convention will please come to
order.
The invocation today will be offered by
the Reverend Charles Daugherty of the
Chapel of the Ascension, Lexington Park.
Reverend Daugherty.
REVEREND DAUGHERTY: Let us
Pray:
Almighty God, Who has given us this
land for our heritage, we invoke Thy bless-
ing, for the men and women gathered here
for a good work — the ordered, responsible
governing of the people of our state. Give
them the vision, to see what ought to be
done and the wisdom to know what can be
done. Save them from blind idealism and
bleak cynicism. Let their work be a hard-
headed labor of love. Love of their fellow
men, their state, their nation, their world
— Your people, Your state, Your nation,
Your world. Though they may be perplexed,
save them from despair. Be with them, oh,
Lord, now and in the days to come.
Amen.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
Roll call.
(Whereupon, the roll call was taken.)
Have all delegates answered roll call? |
(There was no response.)
The Clerk will record the roll call.
A few minutes delay in opening the ses-
sion of the Convention has been due to the
fact that both print machines broke down
just as the debate schedule was being
printed. It is being Xeroxed. It will be here
in a few moments. Rather than call on the
Chairman of the Committee on Calendar to
report, I will skip that for the moment
and proceed to a few announcements so
that you will have an opportunity to see
the late schedule before the Chairman of
the Calendar and Agenda Committee pre-
sents it.
Yesterday, in the Committee of the
Whole, the question was asked whether or
not the prior Constitutions of Maryland
made any reference to God in the provision
for the oath, and 1 indicated that a very
quick glance at the copies of the four pre-
vious Constitutions indicated that in the
oath section, there was no reference to God.
This was partially incorrect in that the
1776 Constitution in prescribing the oath
does indeed not make any provision to God
or any Supreme Being, but in the same
section, following the provision for the
oath, provides that the person taking the
oath shall also subscribe a declaration of
his belief in the Christian religion. Simi-
larly, the subsequent Constitutions did not
make in the oath section itself any refer-
ence to a Supreme Being, but each of them
in a provision in the Declaration of Rights
did require in varying terms that elected
officials indicate their belief in a Supreme
Being.
I make this statement merely so that the
record will be correct.
Delegate Beatrice Miller?
DELEGATE B. MILLER: Mr. President,
I rise on a point of parliamentary inquiry.
I would like to know whether it is possible
to call for reconsideration of the amend-
ment that we passed yesterday in the Com-
mittee of the Whole?
THE PRESIDENT: It would not be at
this time. There will be an opportunity, of
course, not for reconsideration, but for the
equivalent, new consideration of that, when
the Committee recommendation is presented
to the Convention on second reading. It will
then be open for amendment. Delegate
Miller?
DELEGATE B. MILLER: There is no
reconsideration of any action taken by the
Committee of the Whole; is that correct? |
