74               The Maryland Constitution of 1864.            [420

The article dealing with the Legislative Department
(III) showed a number of changes, most of them in the
line of improvement. In this connection, the most im-
portant question of all was that of basis of representation,
concerning which there had been much complaint through-
out the state, especially on the part of Baltimore City and
the northern and western counties. In 1851 the prin-
ciple of representation according to population had been
adopted for the first time,¹⁵² but with the restriction that
Baltimore City should have only four more members than
the largest county. At the same time the entire popula-
tion, white and black, slave and free, was made the basis.
The above-mentioned parts of the state justly condemned
all this, which gave to the southern, slave-holding counties
an unfair measure of power and the practical domination
of the state.¹⁵³ As can be well imagined, the majority
members of the Convention, particularly those from Balti-
more City, were determined to change this system en-
tirely. The minority, coming altogether from the more-
favored section of the state, naturally fought the move
with all their might, particularly as they would be helped
in some measure by the county members of the majority,
who were evidently unwilling to have the basis placed en-
tirely on population, for the reason that in this case Balti-
more City would be given too much power for their liking.
Under these circumstances, the compromise was effected
according to which the basis of population was applied by
an artificial rule, limiting Baltimore City and the larger
counties, but with the result of allowing the city a larger
representation than heretofore. The entire majority, how-
ever, joined together in a shrewd political move and in-
creased the reduction of the political power of the southern

¹⁵² A constitutional amendment in 1837 had only partially incor-
porated this principle.

¹⁵³ See Nelson, "Baltimore," p. 157, for a quotation on this sub-
ject from a speech of Hon. Henry Winter Davis; also see news-
papers of 1863-4.