32              The Maryland Constitution of 1851.            [410

urging the people to cast their ballots for the convention.
The banners displayed bore in large letters the motto:
" A long pull, a short pull, and a pull together."³⁸ Similar
meetings were held in several parts of the State.

The vote in regard to a convention was taken on the 8th
of May. The ballots were marked thus—" for a conven-
tion," and " against a convention." A majority of 18,833
votes were cast in the State for a convention. In Balti-
more City the aggregate vote cast was very small, only
some 8500 voters went to the polls, and of these only 376
voted against the convention. The following counties
voted against the proposition: Prince George's, Dorches-
ter, Charles and St. Mary's. Somerset county voted for a
convention by a majority of six votes.³⁹ The election for
delegates was held on the 4th of September, and on the 4th
of November, 1850, the convention assembled in Annapolis.

The fact that the articles of the constitution which gave
to the legislature the power to propose and make amend-
ments were not repealed, gives the convention a revolu-
tionary or extra-constitutional character.

³⁸ Baltimore American, April 19, 1850. ³⁹ See Appendix, p. 85.