71

[No. 5.]

JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON SE-
CRET SOCIETIES.

Thursday, January 31st, 1856.

Committee met at 4 P. M., agreeably to notice. Present all
the members.

That portion of the Governor's Message referred to the Com-
mittee was read.

Letter of the Chairman inclosing resolutions of the House,

creating the committee to the Governor, was read.

Governor's answer to that communication was read. Mr. Mer-
rick's letter, with a list of names of witnesses he wished to have
summoned, which had been placed in the hands of the Chairman
on the 19th inst., was presented to the Committee.

The Chairman proposed to confine the inquiries of the Commit-
tee to the Platform published by the American Party, or National
Council held in the city of Philadelphia, in the month of June last,
alleging that the Governor, by his response, referred to that as the
principal evidence of the existence of these secret societies, and
therefore we should, for the present at least, confine our inquiries
to that document.

Mr. Merrick objected, and said the duties of the Committee were
pointed out by the resolutions of the House creating the Commit-
tee, and were not to be circumscribed by any power other than the
House, by its orders or resolutions.

Mr. Merrick then made the proposition that subpoenas be issued
for the several witnesses named in his letter to the chairman of the
19th inst., viz: Thomas W. Hall, John M. Edgar, Thomas T.
Hutchins, Archibald Sterling, Jr., William A. Disney, Alexander
McClintock, Henry Ourdorf, J. B. Brashears, and Dr. John C.
Orrick, all citizens of Baltimore, and whom, it was represented,
had once been members of the Order, but have now withdrawn
from it; and Rev. Andrew B. Cross, Grafton L. Dulaney, Z. Col-
lins Lee, Milton Whitney, J. Morrison Harris, Samuel Hinks,
Chas. D. Hinks, Judge Spicer, E. D. Kemp, and Chas. R. Grif-
fith, also citizens of Baltimore, and who were represented still to
be members of the Order.

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