36                The Maryland Constitution of 1851.             [414

Congress, Charles J. M. Gwinn, of Baltimore City, a prom-
inent lawyer of the State, and several others of distin-
guished ability. The total number of members of the con-
vention was one hundred and three. Politically there
were fifty-five Whigs and forty-eight Democrats.

The convention was temporarily organized by the call-
ing of Col. Benjamin C. Howard, of Baltimore county, to
the chair, and James L. Ridgely, of the same county, was
appointed secretary.

Elements of discord abounded in the convention. Party
feeling was very strong, and perhaps to this cause may
be attributed in a great measure the difficulties and dif-
ferences which were encountered in the progress of the
session. An entire week was consumed before the con-
vention was able permanently to organize, owing to polit-
ical division and sectional jealousy.

The candidates for the presidency of the convention were
Hon. John G. Chapman, of Charles county, Whig; Col.
Benjamin C. Howard, Democrat; and William C. John-
son, of Frederick county, independent Whig. After eight
days of various attempts to elect a president, during which
time caucuses were held by both parties to instruct their
members as to what compromises would be accepted and
what required, Mr. Chapman, the Whig candidate was
chosen permanent president. He was a conservative re-
former," and had voted against the call of the convention.

On taking the chair Mr. Chapman said that venerating
as he always had done, the characters of those wise and
patriotic men, who in 1776 formed the first republican con-
stitution of the State, he had witnessed with a distrust,
which he never desired to conceal, the efforts that had
been made to change its provisions.² George G. Brewer,
of Annapolis, was made secretary to the convention.

Nineteen standing committees were appointed by the
president to prepare and bring business before the con-

² Baltimore American, November 16, 1850.