would there be a doubt that the candidate
receiving the 35,000 votes would be elected
governor, he receiving a majority of the votes
cast for that office? And it so in the case of
governor, would it not be precisely so in the
case of an amendment to the constitution?
The law of the State provides that blanks
shall not be counted, it would lie precisely
the same, I apprehend, in reference to an
amendment to the constitution, as in reference
to an election to any office. Still I have no
objection to the change in this section, if any
person has any doubt upon the subject.
Mr. CHAMBERS. Respectable persons do
doubt; I doubt, and the gentleman from Bal-
timore city (Mr. Stirling) doubts.
Mr. EARLE. Will these words remove the
difficulty? After the expression "a majority
of the qualified votes cast at said election,"
insert "on the proposed amendment or
amendments."
Mr. CHAMBERS. That is right.
Mr. EARLE. That part of the section will
then read, "And if it shall appear to the sat-
isfaction of the governor, from the returns of
said election made to him by the proper au-
thorities, that a majority of the qualified votes
cast at said election, on the proposed amend-
ment or amendments, were in favor of the
said proposed amendment or amendments,
he shall, by proclamation, declare said
amendment or amendments to be part of the
constitution of the State."
The report of the committee of revision, in
relation to the article on " amendments to
the constitution," was then concurred in,
VOTE ON THE CONSTITUTION.
Mr. RIDGELY. In connection with the
subject of the committee on revision, I have
an order which I wish to submit to the house.
It is as follows :
Ordered, That the committee on revision
be instructed so to modify that part of the
schedule which provides for the taking of the
vote on the constitution on the 12th day of
October, 1864, so as to extend the said time
for two days, including the 13th day of Oc-
tober, 1864."
I offer that for this reason: the provision
in the schedule requires that the oath shall
be administered to every voter. It has been
thought by a great many persons that it
would be impossible to take the vote in one
day in some of the counties, where the dis-
tricts are large, and there are many voters.
Mr. HEBB. I am not prepared to vote upon)
that question just now. I move that it be
passed over until the committee on revision
get through making their reports.
The PRESIDENT. As the committee on re-
vision are now engaged in making their re-
ports, this order cannot now be received ex-
cept by unanimous consent.
Mr. RIDGELY. I have no objection to
69 |
having it laid over until the committee get
through their reports.
SUNDRY OFFICERS.
Mr. EARLE, from the committee on revision,
made the following report on the article on
" sundry officers."
The first section of this article, as referred
to the committee by the convention, reads as
follows:
"The governor, the comptroller of the
treasury and the treasurer shall constitute
the board of public works, who shall exer-
cise a diligent and faithful supervision of all
public works in which the State may be in-
terested as stockholder or creditor, and shall
appoint the directors in every railroad or
canal company in which the State has the
legal power to appoint directors, which said
directors shall represent the State in all
meetings of the stockholders of every rail-
road or canal company in which the State is
a stockholder; said board of public works
shall require the directors of all said public
works, from time to time, and as often as
there shall be any change in the rates of toll
on any of said works, to furnish said board
a schedule of such modified rates of toll, and
shall use all legal powers which they may
possess to obtain the establishment of rates
of tolls, which may prevent an injurious
competition with each other, to the detriment
of the interests of the State, and so to adjust
them as to promote the agriculture of the
State; the said board of public works shall
keep a journal of their proceedings, they
shall hold regular sessions in the city of
Annapolis, on the first Wednesday in Janu-
ary, the first Wednesday in April, the first
Wednesday in July, and the first Wednesday
in October in each year, and oftener if neces-
sary, at which sessions they shall hear and
determine such matters as affect the public
works of the State, and the general assembly
may confer upon them the power to decide ;
they shall at each regular session of the gen-
eral assembly make a report to the general
assembly and recommend such legislation as
they shall deem necessary and requisite to
promote or protect the interests of the State
in the public works, and perform such other
duties as may be hereafter prescribed by
law; and a majority of them shall be com-
petent to act. The governor, the comptroller
of the treasury and the treasurer shall re-
ceive no additional salary for the services
rendered as members of the board of public
works."
This section is very long, and somewhat
contused in expression. The committee recom-
mend that it be modified, though not changed
in substance, and that it be divided into two
sections, which shall read as follows :
Sec. 1. The governor, the comptroller of
the treasury, and the treasurer, shall consti-
tute the board of public works in this State ; |
