58 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER SESSION, 1808.

fully submit the whole merits of the embargo plan, in all its various bearings, to be freely and finally decided by
our constituents, with an upright and rational confidence in their discernment, integrity and patriotism.
But the principal motive which has occasioned this reply, was to object to the extraordinary manner of your
message, to remonstrate against the new and exceptionable style, by which, we regret to observe, that it is so
peculiarly distinguished. We regret to find, that a language should be adopted and sanctioned by such high au-
thority, of a nature so well calculated to inflame the violence of political passion, and to promote disgust, dis-
satisfaction and strife, instead of those benevolent and honourable affections whic h, as guardians of the com-
monwealth, at this juncture particularly, it should be the duty and the happiness of us all to inculcate. Within
our recollection, this is the. first document of legislative proceeding, the first act of official character in Mary-
land, in which its citizens are openly designated and arrayed against each other under the appellation of con-
tending parties, and in which a very numerous, and certainly a respectable portion of them, are virtually stig-
matized as objects of the most unjust and ungenerous suspicion. According to the terras of the message, and
the obvious inferences which are to be drawn, the very members of this house, constituting a major part of it,
who in the exercise of a constitutional right have voted to declare those feelings, which they believe to pervade
the great mass of the substantial and independent interests of the state, may therefore be proscribed, not mere-
ly as "habitual opponents of the administration, " but as being among " the friends of the great belligerents of
Europe, and artful and designing men, who seek their own aggrandizement through the distresses and commo-
tions of their native country. " An imputation so aggravated and unfounded, as far as it may be supposed to
affect ourselves personally, would not be entitled to receive a moment's attention, if it was not from an appre-
hension of the gross errors and animosities which it must tend to infuse into the public mind, and were it not to
remain an unseemly precedent upon the journals of the legislature. When once an acrimonious spirit of cen-
sure shall be suffered to prevail in the accustomed mode of intercourse which subsists between the two branches,
it is easy to foresee that, instead of the decorum and discretion which should characterize every such produc-
tion, a message may soon degenerate into a mere vehicle of pert malignity and intemperate passion, emboldened
and instigated under a consciousness of legislative impunity. Deprecating improper extremities in this form,
and scrupulous ourselves to avoid every appearance of indignity, we should be unmindful of the obligations of
self-respect, and unfaithful to the sacred trust reposed in us, if we did not address these remarks with candour
and freedom to the serious and dispassionate contemplation of your honourable body.

By order, J. BREWER, clk.

On motion, Leave given to bring in a bill, entitled, An act to empower the executive to purchase annually
arms of the manufacture of the state, for the use of the militia, and for other purposes. ORDERED, That Mr.
Spencer, Mr. Baer, Mr. Scott, Mr. J. Thomas and Mr. Mitchell, be a committee to prepare and bring in the
same.

Mr. Dorsey, from the committee, delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An act to alter and abolish all such
parts of the constitution and form of government as are therein mentioned; which was read the first time and
ordered to lie on the table.

The amendments proposed to the bill to authorise and empower the levy court of Queen-Anne's county to
assess and levy a sum of money for the purposes therein mentioned, were read, agreed to, and the bill ordered
to bee engrossed.

The bill to make a further provision for the erection of a new court-house for Baltimore county, was read the
second time by especial order, and passed.

Mr. T. N. Williams, from the committee, delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, A further supplement to an
Sct, entitled, An act for regulating the mode of staying executions, and repealing the acts of assembly therein
mentioned; which was read the first time and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. O. Williams, from the committee, delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An act authorising Jasper E.
Tilly, late sheriff of Anne-Arundel county, to complete his collection; which was read the first and second
time by especial order and passed.

On motion, Leave given to bring in a bill, entitled, An act to incorporate a company to straighten and turn-
pike the post road from the Delaware line, in Caecil county, to the city of Baltimore. ORDERED, That Mr.
Mitchell. Mr. Spencer, Mr. Boyle, Mr. Hopper and Mr. Davis, be a committee to prepare and bring in the same.

The house proceeded to the second reading of the bill regulating the fees of the register of the court of chan-
cery, and, on motion, tint the words " and attornies at law, and the mode of collecting the same," be added
to the title of the said bill, the question was put, That the house adjourn? Resolved in the affirmative.

The house adjourns until to-morrow morning 9 o'clock.

THE house met. Present the same members as on yesterday. The proceedings of yesterday were read.

The bill authorising Jasper E. Tilly, late sheriff of Anne-Arundel county, to complete his collection, the
bill make a further provision for the erection of a new court-house for Baltimore county, and the bill for the
relief of Francis Rawlings, of Anne-Arundel county, were sent to the senate by the clerk.
Mr. Belt, from the committee, delivers to the speaker the following report:

FRIDAY, December 16, 1808.