more constitutional experts. I therefore, am
strongly opposed to the 108 House.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recognizes
Delegate Bamberger to speak in favor of
the amendment.
I am sorry — Delegate Mitchell, do you
desire to speak?
DELEGATE MITCHELL: Yes, sir; in
favor of the amendment.
Mr. Chairman and fellow delegates—
THE CHAIRMAN: I should have said
this was in favor of the amendment to the
amendment.
DELEGATE MITCHELL: I am in favor
of the amendment to the amendment for a
smaller elected representation in both
houses.
THE CHAIRMAN: You may proceed.
DELEGATE MITCHELL: Mr. Chair-
man and Delegates, I was a convert yester-
day to the principle espoused by the amend-
ment to the amendment and the recom-
mendation of the Committee which has
worked on this problem. I still think that
the most compelling support for the Com-
mittee's recommendation and for the amend-
ment to the amendment is the experience of
other small states.
The Committee has recommended that it
is simply good housekeeping for govern-
ment; it makes for a more efficient govern-
ment. I call to the attention of the delegates
the fact that Maryland has a population of
3,100,689 and its present strength is 166.
Wisconsin has 3,900,000 population and it
has a smaller total of 133 for both houses.
Tennessee, with 3.5 million, has only 132
for both houses. Kentucky, with 3 million,
has 138. Virginia, with nearly 4 million,
has only 140. Alabama, with 3,200,000, has
141. Louisiana, with 3,257,000 has 144. Ken-
tucky, with 3 million, has 138. Georgia, with
3,943,000, and Minnesota, with 3,500,000,
are the only small States which have larger
representation than Maryland.
I would strongly suggest that if we look
at the figures of still other States, New
York, for example, with 16 million and only
208 representatives in both houses, it is
simply good housekeeping. It makes for effi-
ciency in the operation of our State gov-
ernment to have smaller representation.
I still would like to ask the Chairman of
the Committee his response to the question
which had concerned me, and which I think
might be helpful to the other delegates. It |
was the concern expressed by Delegate
Pullen when he said that the primary re-
sponsibility in a democracy is to keep gov-
ernment close to the people, which means
a maximum involvement of the people in
elected representation.
I think it would be helpful if the Chair-
man of the Committee would respond to
that concern, which I think is all of our
concern. Will a smaller House give effec-
tive representation to all of the people?
THE CHAIRMAN: I will give Delegate
Gallagher an opportunity to reply to that
later.
The Chair recognizes Delegate Marvin
Smith to speak in opposition to the amend-
ment to the amendment.
DELEGATE M. SMITH: Mr. Chairman,
I hope that all of us may be able to con-
tinue throughout this Convention to demon-
strate the good humor that was shown by
Delegate Gallagher earlier today.
I am a little like the sign that one of my
secretaries has on her desk: I don't know
much, but what I know I know real good —
and I know a little bit about the geog-
raphy of this State.
Now, what has been said here by our
brethren with reference to the counties and
the counties that may have a delegate, is
probably perfectly true, but what seems to
have been overlooked here, and the point
that 1 attempted, apparently unsuccessfully,
to get over yesteday is the matter of geog-
raphy. Whatever we do, Mr. Chairman, by
way of increasing the size of this House of
Delegates is going to assist us materially
in the rural areas from the standpoint of
cutting down the travel time between our
constituencies and our delegates.
In another generation there was a law
passed by the General Assembly of Mary-
land that provided that one of the U. S.
Senators should come from the Eastern
Shore. That was not passed, as may appear
to you, because the Shore was parochial, in
that instance. It was passed to protect the
rest of the State, because we are told that
otherwise they would have had both United
States Senators at that time. Obviously,
times have changed.
Now, we come here pleading with you for
just a little bit of give: let us have the 120
delegates.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate James to speak in favor of
the amendment. |
