423]                          The Convention.                             45

the legislature from altering the relation of master and
slave as then existed in the State. The representatives
from the southern counties had no faith in a constitution,
especially since the old constitution had been abolished by
a revolutionary act.¹⁹ They did not consider themselves se-
cure unless they had the controlling influence in the gov-
ernment of the State in their own hands.

When the final vote was taken on the popular basis of
representation for the whole State, only seventeen votes
were cast in its favor, and sixty against it.²⁰ Baltimore
City and Frederick county cast a solid vote for the popular
basis; Baltimore and Carroll counties three each, and Har-
ford county one. The remaining counties cast a solid
vote against the proposal.

The committee after a long deliberation and comparison
of views, found it impossible to concur by a majority in
any plan of representation. On the 15th of February, Mr.
Merrick, with the permission of the committee, submitted
a plan for consideration. The report was not one in
which the committee concurred. It was for the purpose
of bringing the subject before the convention that the
committee authorized the report to be made.

The plan submitted by Mr. Merrick gave Baltimore
City two more delegates than the largest county in the
House of Delegates; the members to be chosen annually.
The Senate was to be composed of twenty-two senators
elected for a term of four years. One senator from each
county, and two from Baltimore City; but the city was to
be divided into two senatorial districts and nine electoral
districts, for the purpose of electing members to the House
of Delegates. Each district was to elect one member.²¹
The proposition to district Baltimore City, as has been
done since, was advocated by the Whig voters of the city,
who were in the minority.²²

¹⁹ See ch. i, p. 32.

²⁰ Debates, vol. i, p. 122.

²¹ Debates, vol. i, p. 285.

²² Baltimore American, November 20, 1850.