members on the Committee on Basis of Rep-
resentation, the Committee on the Legislative
Department, and the Committee on Elective
Franchise and Qualification of Voters.
On motion of Mr. NYMAN,
It was ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal that Mr. Dellinger, of Washington county,
is absent from his seat to-day in attendance, at
Washington city, on official business
Mr. SNEARY submitted the following order:
Ordered, That the Committee on the Tenure,
Duties and Compensation of all civil officers
not embraced in the duties of the standing
committees, inquire into the expediency of
abolishing the office of Commissioners of Pub-
lic Works.
Mr. CLARKE. That subject is already before
the committee and it is under consideration
whether the office should be abolished or
should be modified in any way. I have no
objection to the passage of the order.
The order was agreed to.
Mr. BERRY, of Baltimore county, read the
following telegram:
"BALTIMORE, May 12, 1864,
To John McGarigle, Annapolis :
Good news from Grant, dated yesterday.
After six days' fighting says result is much in
our favor. Loss is heavy but thinks losses of
enemy must be greater. We have captured
over 5,000 prisoners in battle, and have lost
but few. He says I propose to fight it out on
this line if it takes all summer, and adds that
the Government is sparing no pains to sup-
port him. Does not believe that Warren has
been killed.
[Signed] ALEXANDER FULTON."
RULES OF ORDER
Mr. KENNARD, from the Committee on
Rules, submitted the following report, which
was read.
The Committee appointed to prepare Rules
for the Convention beg leave respectfully to
make the following report :
CONVENTION.
Rule 1. The Convention shall not sit with
closed doors, and in no case shall the Hall,
where it may be holding its sittings, be
cleared of spectators, except in cases of dis-
order.
THE DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT.
Rule 2. The President shall take the chair
every day precisely at the hour to which the
Convention stands adjourned; shall immedi-
ately call the members to order and after
Divine service has been performed on the ap-
pearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal
of the preceding day to be read
Rule 3. The President shall preserve de-
corum and order; may speak to points of
order in preference to other members; shall
decide questions of order, (unless the yeas
and nays be required.) subject to an appeal
to the House by any two members, (in which |
appeal no member shall speak more than
once, unless by leave of the Convention,)
and he may vote on every question, except
on an appeal from the decision of the chair
on a question of order.
Rule 4. The President shall examine and
correct the Journal before it is read; he shall
have a general direction of the Hall; he shall
have a right to name, from time to time, any
member to perform the duties of the Chair,
but such substitution shall not extend beyond
a term of days; he shall appoint
all committees, unless otherwise directed by
the Convention,
Rule 5. No person shall be admitted within
the bar of the Convention but members of
the Executive and Judiciary Departments,
members of the General Assembly, and such
other persons as may be invited by the Presi-
dent.
Rule 6. The President (or Chairman of the
Committee of the Whole) may order the
Lobby to be cleared in case of disorder.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
Rule 7. Section 1. The Secretary shall read
the Journal of the preceding day; after the
reading thereof, the Journal may be corrected,
unless one member objects In case of such
objection, a majority of the members present
shall be required to make the desired correc-
tion.
Sec. 2. The presentation and disposition of
petitions, memorials or others papers.
Sec. 3. Orders and resolutions,
Sec. 4. Reports of Standing Committees.
Sec. 5. Reports of Select Committees.
Sec. 6. Reports of Committees on their
second reading.
Sec. 7. Reports of Committee on their
third reading,
Sec. 8. Deferred or unfinished business.
Sec. 9. The order of the day.
PETITIONS, MEMORIALS, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS.
Rule 8 Petitions, memorials, orders, reso-
lutions and other papers, when presented,
must be endorsed with the name of the mem-
ber by whom they are presented.
Rule 9. All orders submitted to the Con-
vention (after being read) may be acted upon
immediately, postponed or otherwise disposed
of, as a majority of the numbers present may
direct.
Rule 10. Any subject matter before the
Convention awaiting consideration may, on
motion, (if a majority of the Convention so
determine,) be fixed as the order of the day
at such time as may be directed under the
provisions of these Rules.
Rule 11. All orders, resolutions and reports,
or other matter, after being submitted to the
Convention, (when not fixed for a day cer-
tain,) shall be rated under the head of "de-
ferred or unfinished business," and shall come
up for consideration in the order of time in
which they were presented. |
