359]           The Maryland Constitution of 1864.              13

But the Constitution had been formed and passed in an
irregular and unsatisfactory manner, and was unpopular
with a large number of the people, who demanded a more
just and more modern instrument. In fact, there had
already been several movements for a Constitutional Con-
vention, notably in 1858, when the Legislature ordered a
vote on the question of a new Constitution, and made
provision for a convention in case the people were favor-
able, but there was a majority of over 8000 against it.¹⁴
Later, the Legislature of 1862 made a strong move in this
direction. During the special session in the fall of 1861
permission was, on December 11, granted the Senate
"Committee on Judicial Procedure" to report a bill for
taking the sense of the people on calling a Constitutional
Convention. The bill was reported during the regular ses-
sion on January 20, 1862, and passed its third reading on
February 14. The House of Delegates amended the
Senate bill, and passed it during the night of the last day
of the session (March 10), seemingly returning it too late for
any further action by the Senate, as we have no subsequent
record of the bill.¹⁵

The radical wing of the Union party in the state had
been sharp enough to see the advantage of combining the
emancipation sentiment with this dissatisfaction with the
State Constitution, and instead of favoring an amendment,
declared for a new Constitution in a convention in Balti-
more on May 28, 1862, composed of delegates from Union
ward-meetings.¹⁶ They carried this move further in the
summer of 1863, when they formed a new political party,
known as the "Unconditional Union," which embodied the
idea among its principles.

¹⁴ Governor's Message, House Documents, 1864. Schmeckebier,
"Know Nothing Party in Maryland," 94-6. (J. H. U. Studies,
series xvii, 238-40.)

¹⁵ Senate Journal (1861-2), 20, 127, 250. House Journal, 474,
894-7, Deb. 1, 581.

¹⁶ Nicolay and Hay, viii, 455.