1856.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.              5

THURSDAY, January 3d, 1856.

The House met pursuant to adjournment; present the same
members as on yesterday.

The following gentlemen who were not present yesterday, Viz :
William B. Stone, Esquire, of Charles county; John D. Bowl-
ling, Esquire, of Prince George's county; and Thomas P. Par-
ker, William E. Timmons and Thomas B. Smith, Esquires, of
Worcester county, appeared in the House and took their seats.

On motion of Mr. Goldsborough,
The House proceeded to the election of Speaker.

Mr. Goldsborough, nominated William H. Travers, Esquire,
for that office.

The Chair appointed Messrs. Timmons and Kennedy, tellers;

On counting the ballots it was ascertained that Mr, Travers
had received fifty-three votes, and there were sixteen blank bal-

lots.

Whereupon the Honorable William R. Travers was declared
duly elected Speaker of the House of Delegates.

On motion of Mr. Kennedy,             

The oaths of office and test were administered to Mr. Travers,
the Speaker elect, by Mr. Frazier the Chairman pro tem.

The members were then severally qualified by the Speaker, in
the presence of each other, by taking the oaths of office, and
subscribing to a declaration of their belief in the Christian Re-
ligion.

On motion of Mr. Lester,                                       

The House proceeded to the election of a Chief Clerk.
                                                                                  

Mr. Partridge offered the following order:

Ordered, That Thomas H. Kent, of Joseph, of the city of

Baltimore, be and he is hereby appointed Chief Clerk, to the.

House of Delegates;

Which was read and adopted.

Mr. Silver offered the following order:

Ordered, That William H. Duncan, of Frederick county, be;
and is hereby appointed Reading Clerk of the House of Dele-
gates, and that John Palmer, of Queen Anne's county, J. W.
Clayton, of Cecil county, Robert J. Lecompte, of Dorchester
county, Franklin Hanway, of Harford county, and William H.
Engle, of Carroll county, be and they are hereby appointed Com-
mittee Clerks—That Joseph A. Skinner, of Washington county,
be and is hereby appointed Seargeant-at-Arms; that Cain Curry,
of Baltimore county, be and is hereby appointed Doorkeeper,
and that John Sullivan of Anne Arundel county, be and is hereby