Decided in the negative. Mr. Parran submitted the following amendment: Rule 44, 4th line, strike out the words "at any time thereafter, " and insert the same words after the word "order," in the third line. Decided in the affirmative. Mr. Sands submitted the following amendment: Rule 48, strike out the rule as reported, and insert: "Upon calls of the Convention, or in taking the yeas and nays on any question, the names of the members shall be called by counties in alphabetical order. Decided in the negative. Mr. Berry, of Baltimore county, submitted the following amendment: Rule 48, line 2, after the word "members," insert the words "beginning with the President." Decided in the affirmative. Mr. Clarke submitted the following amendment: Rule 49, strike out the rule as reported, and insert: "The Standing Rules of the Convention shall not be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members elected." Decided in the negative. Mr. Clarke submitted the following amendment: Rule 49, strike out the rule as reported, and insert: "The Standing Rules of the Convention shall not be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. The question being on the adoption of the amendment, The demand being sustained, The yeas and nays were called, and appeared as follows: So the question upon its adoption was decided in the negative. Mr. Jones, of Somerset, submitted the following amend ment: Rule 49, strike out the word "present," and insert the words "elected to this Convention;" Decided in the negative. Mr. Stockbridge submitted the following amendment: Rule 49, strike out the words "a majority," and insert the words "three-fifths;" Decided in the affirmative. Mr. Kennard submitted the following amendment: Rule 53, line 5, after the word "reading," insert, "if objection is made, then a majority of the members shall decide upon the question of engrossment; after the engrossment of a report is ordered, the Secretary shall have the same printed as engrossed;' Decided in the affirmative. Mr. Clarke submitted the following amendment: Rule 53, line 3, after the word "reading," insert the fol lowing, "on which second reading it shall be open to amendment; Decided in the affirmative. Mr. Hebb submitted the following amendment: Strike out Rule 54, and insert the following as Rule 54: The previous question shall be always in order in Convention, and shall be in this form: "Shall the main question be now put?" It shall only be admitted when demanded by a majority of the members present, and its effect shall be to put an end to all debate, and to bring the Convention to a direct vote upon pending amendments, and the section of the Constitution then under consideration. On a motion for the previous question, and prior to the seconding of the same, a call of the Convention shall be in order, but after a majority shall have seconded such motion, no call shall be in order prior to a division of the main question; and on the previous question there shall be no debate. Pending the consideration of which, The Convention met. FRIDAY, May 20th, 1864. Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Patterson. Present at the call of the roll the following members: Messrs. Goldsborough, President, Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron, Berry, of Prince George's, Blackiston, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Carter, Clarke, Crawford, Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis, of Washington, Dellinger, Earle, Ecker, Edelen, Gale, Galloway, Greene, Harwood, Hatch, Hebb, Hoffman, Hollyday, Hopkins, Hopper, Johnson, Jones, of Cecil, Jones, of Somerset, Kennard, King, Lansdale, Lee, Marbury, Markey, Mayhugh, McComas, Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Mullikin, Murray, Negley, Noble, Nyman, Parker, Parran, Peter, Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell, Sands, Schley, Schlosser, Scott, Smith, of Carroll, Smith, of Dorchester, Sneary, Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes, Thomas, Thruston, Todd, Valliant, Wickard, Wilmer, Wooden. The proceedings of yesterday were read. Mr. Galloway submitted the following order: Ordered, That the Committee on Accounts be directed to examine and settle the accounts for repairing and fitting up the Hall for the use of the Convention, under an order of the Legislature. Which was adopted. Mr. Purnell submitted the following preamble and resolutions: WHEREAS, it is a matter of great importance that there should be a prompt and faithful attendance of the members and officers of this Convention, for the performance of the duties entrusted to them in their respective committees, as well as during the sessions of this body; Therefore, be it resolved, That hereafter no member or officer of this Convention shall receive any per diem for such time as he may be absent from the said Convention; and that the President is hereby directed and required, in giving a certificate of payment to such member or officer, to deduct from his account such time as he may have been absent, unless occasioned by actual indisposition, or some other unavoidable circumstance. Resolved, That for the purpose of ascertaining the time lost by the members and officers the Secretary of this Convention be required to keep a weekly list, on which he shall note the respective days when each of said members or officers shall be absent, and file the same weekly with the Clerk of the Committee of Accounts, who shall deduct the same from the allowance of each member and officer, so that, at the end of the session, the number of days each member or officer has been absent, except from actual indisposition or other unavoidable cause, may be ascertained and entered upon the Journal of Proceedings. Resolved, That every member shall be considered and noted as absent unless his name be entered on the Journal at the opening of each day's session, and also entered among the the yeas and nays, that shall be taken on every proposition to adjourn, unless his absence be occasioned by actual indisposition or other unavoidable circumstance. Which were read. Mr. Markey submitted the following order: Ordered, That the Committee on the Judiciary inquire into the expediency of changing or amending the Testamentary System, in cases where a testator has devised his property to his executors to be sold, or has directed his real estate to be sold by his executors, for the payment of debts and legacies, or for any other purpose; so as, in the event of the death of both executors or the survivor, or the death of a sole executor, to give power to the Orphans' Court of the county or city of Baltimore, where letters testamentary have been granted to appoint an administrator de bonis non, with the will annexed, and invest him with power to sell such real estate and administer the proceeds according to the will of the testator. Which was adopted. Mr. Todd submitted the following order: Ordered, That the Treasurer of the State of Maryland, upon the order of the President of this Convention, pay to Thomas J. Corkran, who temporarily discharged the duties of Page, in the beginning of the sessions of this Convention, the per diem and mileage allowed to the permanent Pages, for the number of days of service rendered by him. Which was adopted. Mr. Clarke submitted the following order: Ordered, That the Committee on the Legislative Department be instructed to inquire into the expediency of inserting the following articles in the Constitution: 1. No free negro or free mulatto shall come into or settle in this State after the adoption of this Constitution. 2. All contracts made with any free negro or free mulatto coming into the State contrary to the provisions of the foregoing section, shall be null and void; and any person who shall employ such free negro or free mulatto, or otherwise encourage him or her to remain in the State, shall be fined in a sum not less than fifty dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars for each offence. 3. All fines which may be collected for a violation of the provisions of this article, or any law which may hereafter be passed for the purpose of carrying the same into execution, shall be set apart and appropriated for the colonization or removal beyond the limits of the State of such negroes and mulattoes and their descendants as may be in the State at the adoption of this Constitution, and may be willing to emigrate. |