tution wag taken and read over, and there
was no suggestion made, I think, by any
member of the committee, to change the mode
of election. They are elected now by general
ticket; and so far as I am informed the pres-
ent mode works well.
Yon have a certain number fixed by law;
in some counties 4, in some 5, in some 6, 7,
or 8. Now, if yon elect by districts, It will
either be necessary for the counties to be re-
districted, assigning so many to each county,
or that one should be taken from each elec-
tion district. In some counties, having a
large number of election districts, that would
create a large board. In other counties the
board would be too small. On consideration
of the question, the matter being suggested,
for one I think there are some objections to
carrying it out.
Furthermore the county commissioners will
hive the whole power of taxation. They
have the whole power to regulate the internal
affairs of the county. I think the whole
county are interested in voting who shall
constitute the board. But if you let one little
election district elect one member, and anoth-
er another, yon constitute a board of county
commissioners something like the legislature.
I am in favor of making the county a politi-
cal incorporated body. It is so recognized
under the law. And when the people are to
elect this board of county commissioners, the
people of the whole county, of every part of
the county, should have a voice not merely
in the election of one member of the board,
but of the entire board. These are the rea-
sons which confirmed me in the opinion that
this provision should remain as reported by
the committee.
Mr. PURNELL. The theory of the proposi-
tion of the gentleman from Baltimore county
(Mr. Ridgely) could not becarried out in our
county. There are ten election districts, and
we have only five county commissioners. In
the election of these commissioners they are
not the selected favorites of the particular
districts in which they reside, but they are
chosen and elected by the different parts of
the county so as to make the board represent
every part of the county irrespective of the
districts in which they reside.
I have thought it Advisable in wronging
the commissioners of the various counties,
that the numbers and times of election should
be so arranged that ft part of the old board
should always remain in. It is very apparent
in a great many instances, when a new board
is elected, all inexperienced men, many of
them not knowing the duties devolved upon
them, there will be difficulty in transacting
their business. Hence it seems to me that by
retaining two of the eld board, it would aid
very much in facilitating the deliberations of
the board and the transaction of their busi-
ness. They would have the benefit of the
experience of those who had before served. |
It is my own opinion therefore that two mem-
bers of the old board should always remain
upon the new board.
Mr. RIDGLEYT. I believe the suggestion
made by the gentleman from Worcester (Mr.
Purnell) is a very excellent one. I think some
provision should be made by which a portion
of this board should hold over; and that the
whole board should not be elected at one
time. But this detail would be much more
properly referable to the general assembly.
It would be impossible for us in the constitu-
tion to meet the exigencies or particular
wishes which might prevail in the different
counties. There might be circumstances
which would exist in one county, and which
would net exist in another county; and the
idea of uniformity could not properly be kept
up in the constitution.
I now move the amendment 1 indicated
before, to strike out in the third line, the
words "by general ticket and not by dis-
tricts," and insert "in such manner aa the
legislature may prescribe," so that it shall
read, " and shall be elected in such manner
as the legislature may prescribe, by the voters
of the several counties," &c.
Mr. SCOTT. I would suggest to the gentle-
man to insert after the words " in such man-
ner" the words " and for such term," so that
they can fix the term of office so as to have a
rotation.
Mr. RIDGELY. I will accept that modifica-
tion. The section will require further modi-
fication to conform to this amendment if it
shall be adopted.
Mr. CLARKE. Some counties may prefer to
elect by general ticket, and others may pre-
fer to elect by districts. There is nothing to
make it uniform. If it was left to the legis-
lature they might give the right to some
counties to elect by districts; and in other
counties it would be impracticable. That
was the reason why the provision was made
that the election should be by general ticket
and not by districts, instead of by districts
and not by general ticket.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, &C.
The PRESIDENT announced, that the hour
had arrived for the consideration of the
special order, being the report of the select
committee upon the thirty-ninth section of the
legislative article.
Mr. RIDGELY moved to postpone the con-
sideration of the order of the day until one
o'clock.
Mr. CLARKE. I am sure we will not be
able to-day to get through the report of the
committee on the appointment, tenure of of-
fice, &c. I think the thirty-ninth section of
the legislative article is a very important sub-
ject. We have a full house this morning,
and I hope we will consider it now. If we
postpone it, we may not have as full & house
for some days to come. |
