32                The Maryland Constitution of 1864.            [378

on the last Wednesday of April (27th), 1864. Sixty-five
delegates of the total of ninety-six were to be elected before
the Convention assembled, and fifty members were neces-
sary for a quorum. No delegate was to take his seat till
he had taken before the Governor a certain stringent oath
of loyalty. The compensation was five dollars a day and
the mileage allowed members of the Legislature. A re-
porter of debates and proceedings was to be provided by
the Convention. The Constitution and form of govern-
ment adopted was to be submitted to the legal and qualified
voters of the state "at such time, in such manner,- and sub-
ject to such rules and regulations as said Convention may
prescribe." In case of the adoption of the new Constitu-
tion, the Governor was to issue a proclamation to that
effect, and take the necessary steps to put it into operation.
At the elections provided, the tickets were to be printed on
white paper, other ballots not to be received, and heavy
penalties were imposed on those judges of election or other
civil officers who failed to do their prescribed duty.

The campaign, in consequence of the above, began early.
As the state had declared for emancipation by the previous
fall election, the question now before the people was in
regard to the form that this action was to take. The Un-
conditional Union party of the state boldly took its stand in
favor of immediate emancipation without either compen-
sation of slave-owners or "negro apprenticeship," and the
election, in a great measure, favorably settled this as far
as the people were concerned.

The Conservative Union State Central Committee, at a
meeting held in Baltimore on December 16, 1863, led by
Thomas Swann and John P. Kennedy, had declared for
immediate emancipation in the manner easiest for master
and slave, since the people had willed it at the last election.
This evidently in large measure accounts for the fact that
in Baltimore City and several counties there were merely
"Union" candidates, with no opposition. In others of
the counties, however, there were three tickets—"Uncon-