the 2d section, 1st line, and inserting in lieu
thereof the following:
"Shall be composed of seventy-three mem-
bers, to be apportioned among the several coun-
ties and the city of Baltimore, according to the
ratio herein provided, and to their several numbers,
(as shown by the last census of the United
States,) which shall bedetermined by adding to
the whole number of free persons, including
those bound to service for a term of years, three-
fifths of the slaves, and allowing to each county
one additional delegate for a fraction exceeding
three-fourths of the ratio, but each county shall
be entitled to at least two delegates. The ratio
shall be one delegate to every six thousand of
said population in said counties and city, until
the number of the House of Delegates, shall be
sixty-nine, and thereafter the ratio shall be one
to every thirty-two thousand."
Mr. F. stated that the result of this distribu-
tion, would be as follows;
Counties, Population, No. of Deleg's.
Allegany, - 22,584 - - 4
Anne Arundel, - 20,871 - 3
Baltimore county, 40,082 - 6
Carroll, - 20,220 - 3
Caroline, - 9,370 - 2
Calvert, - 7,824 - 2
Cecil, - - 18,601 - 3
Charles, - 12,329 - 2
Dorchester, - 17,162 - 3
Frederick, - 37,419 - 6
Harford, - 18,498 - 3
Kent, - - 10,608 - 2
Montgomery, - 13,815 - 2
Prince George's, 16,946 - 3
Queen Anne's - 12,776 - 2
Saint Mary's, - 11,359 - 2
Somerset, - 20,224 - 3
Talbot, - - 12,158 - 2
Washington, - 30,108 - - 5
Worcester, - 17,490 - 3
Baltimore city, 167,830 - 10
Howard, - 12,000 - 2
Total, - - - - 73
Mr. FIERY said it was not his intention to oc-
company his amendment with any remarks.
Mr. SCHLEY moved as a substitute for said
amendment, to strike out all after the words
"the House of Delegates," in the first line, sec-
ond section, and insert in lieu thereof the follow-
ing :
"Shall consist of sixty-nine members, to be ap-
portioned among the several counties, according
to the following rates: Every county shall elect
one delegate for every six thousand souls, fede-
ral numbers, it may contain, and for any fraction
above three-fourths of said number, there shall
be allowed to every county having such excess
one additional delegate. The city of Baltimore
shall be entitled to the same number of delegates
as the county which shall be entitled to the largest
representation, and no county shall have less
than two delegates." |
Mr. S. said that the printed statement on the
tables of the members, would show the ratio un-
der this amendment to be as follows:
Basis 6000 and exces
Counties, over three-fourths
Anne Arundel ----3
Howard ----2
Baltimore city - - - -6
Baltimore county ---6
Carroll ----- 3
Caroline -----2
Calvert .---- 2
Cecil ------3
Charles - - - - - - 2
Dorchester ---- 3
Frederick -----6
Harford - - - - - 3
Kent ------2
Montgomery ---- 2
Prince George's ----3
Queen Anne's ---- 2
St, Mary's -----2
Somerset ----- 3
Talbot - - - - - - 2
Washington - - - - 5
Worcester - -- --3
69
Mr. MERRICK said he supposed that under the
general interpretation given to the rule, it was
competent for the friends of the section to amend
or perfect it before the question was taken on
striking out.
The CHAIR, (occupied pro tem. by Mr. Brown,)
concurred in the opinion of the gentleman from
Charles, (Mr. Merrick.)
Mr. MERRICK. So I supposed. With that
view I shall offer one or two amendments.
The CHAIR now intimated his opinion to be,
that the question must first be taken on the second
substitute, and that then it would be in order for
the gentleman from Charles, (Mr. Merrick,) to
move his amendments.
Some conversation followed on the point of
order.
Mr. MERRICK said he thought that upon reflec-
tion, the Chair would perceive that the decision
which had been given, would lead to some con-
fusion. The original spirit of the rule undoub-
tedly was, that before any question was taken on
striking out and inserting a substitute in lieu
of the original proposition, the friends of that
proposition had a right to amend or perfect it.
After that, came the contest between the original
proposition and the substitute.
The CHAIR said that the gentleman and the
Chair differed only in one particular. Before
any matter was adopted as a substitute for an
original proposition, its friends had a right to
perfect it. But it seemed to the Chair, that the
first question was on the second substitute, if
that was amended or adopted, it was still a sub-
stitute, and then the gentleman could offer his
amendments.
Some further conversation followed. |
