(Mr. Stirling) prevails, the Convention will
act upon a grave matter without having re-
ceived any information of what preparations
have been made for the reception of the Con-
vention, and without knowing whether we
shall be better accommodated in the city of
Baltimore than here. Are we to take a vote
upon the question of moving from the seat of
government the Convention for the formation
of the organic law of the State, to a distant
city without knowing what preparations will
be made for us, or whether we shall be as
comfortable there as here? Our State
Library is here; our Governor is here; our
Treasurer is here; and all will be absent from
the city of Baltimore. If it is the will of the
majority of the Convention to move to Balti-
more city, let us be first informed, before we
act, what preparations have been made there
for our convenience and accommodation. If
the question is acted upon to-morrow, the
amendment of my friend being adopted, we
shall be without any information, and without
any official communication from the Mayor or'
City Council of Baltimore on the subject.
We shall be acting in the dark; and it may be
that we shall have to reconsider the vote that
we take to-morrow if the amendment pre-
vails. I think then that we ought to post-
pone it for a sufficient length of time to get
all this information, and to give an opportu-
nity to all the absent members of the Conven-
tion to be present when the vote shall be
taken upon the order.
Mr. CUSHING. The desire of the City
Council that the Convention should go to
Baltimore may amount to nothing at all. I
do not know that of their own motion they
ever dreamed of inviting the Convention
there. I think it is an empty courtesy; if we
want to go, they would be glad to have us ;
so far as the statement in the paper goes, I
think myself that it is eminently fitting that
the Convention should stay where it is. So
far as my knowledge goes, there is no place
in the city of Baltimore where the Conven-
tion could hold its sessions as comfortably,
and in which the members could have the game
facilities for the discharge of their duties that
they have here. In order to test the sense of
the Convention upon the proposition, I move
hat it lie upon the table.
The motion was not seconded.
Mr. BARRON. I desire to make an explana-
tion, called for by the remarks of my colleague
who has just taken his seat. The resolution
inviting this Convention to the city of Balti-
more was passed in good faith. I do not
think there was a gentleman in either branch
of that City Council that voted for it for the
purpose of offering to this Convention an
empty invitation. They met for the purpose
of inviting them to the city of Baltimore with
the intention of procuring for them the best
hall in the city of Baltimore. The gentleman
has intimated that we have no place suitable |
for the sessions of this Convention. We have
the Odd Fellows' Hall, with 180 seats in it,
desks and all, complete, that we can get.
Temperance Hall, we can get. Rechabite
Hall, we can get. We have plenty of them;
as many as we could ask for. I assure you
that that invitation was not extended as an
empty courtesy.
Mr. SCHLEY. There has been no informa-
tion given in response to my inquiry; but I
find in the newspapers the information which
was published; amid I have no doubt of its
authenticity Nor do I doubt that the action
was in good faith, nor as to the ability of the
city authorities of Baltimore to provide a
proper place. I will not enter here into the
discussion whether it is advisable or not for
us to accept the invitation when it comes to
us in form. That is a matter which I presume
the Convention will determine upon in due
time. But I see appended to the resolutions
themselves the statement that Messrs. Duke-
hart, Wayson and Lamdin, of the First
Branch, and Messrs. Evans, Markland and
Wilmot, of the Second Branch, were appointed
as a committee to carry the resolutions into
effect, to tender the invitation, &c, I sup-
posed that this committee were here in form
to present this invitation. Certainly I should
be exceedingly reluctant to take any action
whatever on a naked invitation contained
merely in a newspaper paragraph. It is true
that this Convention have not inquired of the
city of Baltimore whether they would receive
us, or whether they would entertain us there,
or anything of the sort. I regard this as
having emanated from the city authorities
themselves; and I am happy to hear the mem-
ber from Baltimore city, himself a member of
the City Council, (Mr. Barron) remark that it
has been tendered in good faith. As to the
suitability of the Hall, the advantages of the
transfer, &c., they are matters for subsequent
consideration. For one, whatever may be my
opinion as to the propriety of the removal, I
am unwilling now to vote upon any such
resolutions until they lire officially presented,
or until official notice of them is given to this
Convention. I shall therefore vote either for
a motion to lay upon the table or to postpone
it until some future day when an official com-
munication shall be made.
Mr. BERRY of Baltimore county, I renew
the motion to lay the order on the table for
the reason that at any time after to-day it can
be brought up; and to-morrow or any subse-
quent day the Convention can consider the
question. I understand that the committee
are not in the city of Annapolis, but that
they will probably be here this evening.
Mr. RIDGELY. It is proper perhaps, in view
of the remarks that fell from the gentleman
from Baltimore city (Mr. Stirling,) that I
should make a statement. We have learned
that a newspaper copy of the resolutions ten-
dering the invitation to this body is in the |
