421]           The Maryland Constitution of 1864.              75

counties consequent upon the above, by making the white
population of the state the exclusive basis of representa-
tion in the House of Delegates.

Early in the session of the Convention Mr. Clarke offer-
ed resolutions to the effect that it was "inexpedient ....
to adopt a system of representation based exclusively upon
population," and recommending instead that this principle
be applied to the counties, and then four more delegates
be given to Baltimore City than would fall to the largest
county. A plan of apportionment also submitted by Mr.
Clarke divided the county population by seven thousand,
giving Baltimore County, the most populous, a represen-
tation of eight, and consequently twelve to the city, the
entire number of delegates to be eighty. Failing this
plan, if the whole state was to be represented according to
population, districts were to be substituted in Baltimore
City. These resolutions were referred to the Committee
on Representation.¹⁵⁴ Mr. Belt submitted the proposition
that the entire state be divided into electoral districts, and
this was the ground on which the minority took its stand.¹⁵⁵

Mr. Abbott of Baltimore City on May 27 made the re-
port of the six Union members of the Committee on Rep-
resentation, which furnished the foundation of the com-
promise plan that was finally adopted as above stated.¹⁵⁶
The three Democratic members handed in a minority re-
port embodying Mr. Clarke's plan of giving the counties
representation according to population, and Baltimore
City four more delegates than the largest county.¹⁵⁷ This
was voted down by the party vote of 26 yeas to 46 nays.¹⁵⁸

The minority, as already stated, now skilfully took its
stand on the electoral district plan, which would tend to
slightly diminish the overwhelming party influence of the
larger counties and Baltimore City in particular, by afford-
ing opportunity for the minor political party (at this time

¹⁵⁴ Proc., 26-7, 31-3.              ¹⁵⁵ Proc., 88.              ¹⁵⁶ Proc., 120-1.

¹⁵⁷ Proc., 122-3.                                                        ¹⁵⁸Proc., 351.