amounts to something ahead that we can
work up to. It notifies the absentees of the
convention that if they do not come soon.
they need not come atall. It will have a sal-
utary effect upon the business of the conven-
tion. I sincerely hope there ie not a mem-
ber of the convention who does not mean to
leave here on the first of September, If we
do not, then I think we shall have certainly
failed in the purpose for which we came here.
We may have to remain here longer; it is
likely that from having no quorums and such
things, we may be forced to remain here
longer. But we ought not to be, and I hope
that we shall not be.
Mr. SCOTT. There is no one—
The PRESIDENT. Is the motion to lay on
the table seconded ?
Mr. ABBOTT. I second the motion.
Mr. SCOTT. There is no one more anxious
to adjourn than I am.
The PRESIDENT. The motion to lay on the
table is not debatable.
Mr. SANDS. The gentleman from Balti-
more city (Mr. Stirling) was allowed to speak
after the motion to lay on the table was made,
The PRESIDENT. The motion was not sec-
onded when bespoke.
Mr. SANDS. Nor was it seconded when the
gentleman from Cecil (Mr. Scott) obtained
the floor.
The PRESIDENT. It is now seconded. As
soon as the gentleman from Cecil (Mr, Scott)
arose to speak, the President inquired if the
motion to lay on the table was seconded.
And upon ascertaining that it was seconded
he immediately checked further debate.
The question was upon laying upon the
table, the resolution fixing the 31st of Au-
gust as the day for the final adjournment of
the convention.
Upon this question Mr. ECKER asked for
the yeas and nays, which were ordered.
The question being then taken, by yeas
and nays, it resulted—yeas 10, nays 45—as
follows;
Yeas—Messrs. Abbott, Audoun, Billings-
ley, Bond, Crawford, Davis, of Charles,
King, Miller, Sands, Scott—10.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough) President ;
Annan, Brooks, Brown, Carter, Clarke, Cun-
ningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Wash-
ington, Dellinger, Earle, Ecker, Edelen, Gal-
loway, Hodson, Hopkins, Hopper, Jones, of
Somerset, Keefer, Kennard, Lee, Mayhugh,
McComas, Mitchell, Mullikin, Murray, Ny-
man, Parker, Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell,
Schlosser, Smith, of Carroll, Smith, of
Dorchester, Smith, of Worcester, Stirling,
Stockbridge, Swope, Thomas, Thruston,
Todd, Valliant, Wickard—45.
The motion to lay on the table was accord-
ingly rejected.
The following explanations, pending the
call of the yeas and nays, were made by me members
when their names were called: |
Mr. SANDS. I vote "aye" upon this ques-
tion, for the reason that we were sent here to
do certain work, and we should remain here
until our work is done.
Mr. SCOTT. The reason why I shall vote in
the affirmative on this question is that the
people have a right to expect that we will get
through before the thirty-first of August,
and our voting for this resolution will
amount to saying that we expect to stay here
until that time. But my principal objection
is that all such measures consume time that
ought to be appropriated to the more important
business of the convention. I vote "aye."
The question recurring upon the adoption
of the resolution, it was then adopted.
AMENDMENTS TO JUDICIARY REPORT.
Mr. THOMAS gave notice that at the proper
time he would submit the following amend-
ments to the report of the committee on the
judiciary department:
Strike out the 19th section and insert the
following;
" Sec. 19. The State shall be divided into
nine judicial circuits, in manner and form
following, to wit; St. Mary's, Charles and
Prince George's shall be the first; Anne
Arundel, Howard, Calvert and Montgomery
shall be the second; Frederick and Carroll
shall be the third; Washington and Alle-
gany shall be the fourth; Baltimore city
shall be the fifth; Baltimore county shall be
the sixth; Harford, Cecil and Kent shall be
the seventh; Queen Anne's, Talbot and Caro-
line shall be the eighth; Dorchester, Somer-
set and Worcester shall be the ninth; and
there shall be elected as hereinafter directed
for each of said judicial circuits except the
fifth, one person from among those learned in
the law, and who shall have been a citizen of
the State at least five years, and above the
age of thirty years, at the time of his elec-
tion, and a resident of the judicial circuit, to
be judge thereof, and the said judges shall be
styled circuit judges, and shall respectively
hold a term of their courts at least twice in
each year, or oftener if required by law, in
each county composing their respective cir-
cuits, and said courts shall be called circuit
courts for the county in which they may be
held, and shall have and exercise in the coun-
ties of this State, all. the power, authority
and jurisdiction, which the circuit courts of
this State now have and exercise, or which
may hereafter be prescribed by law, and the
said judges in their respective circuits shall
halve and exercise all the power, authority
and jurisdiction of a court of chancery."
Strike out the 20th section, and insert the
following:
"Sec. 20. The judges of the several judicial
circuits shall be citizens of the United States,
and shall have resided five years in this State
and two years in the judicial circuit for which |
