cussed this question, nor had an opportunity
been yet presented of debating it on its merits.
And now we find a hollow proposition brought
in here, and he was called upon as a delegate
from Baltimore city, to express his sentiments
in regard to it. Singular to say it violated the
very principle it started out with. Let gentle-
man adopt a principle, and show him that there
was a spirit of compromise, based on some prin-
ciple. Let them not stand on an odious discrimi-
nation against people who live in the city, as con-
trasted with those who reside in the country and
he was ready to give such a compromise his sanc-
tion. There was one great principle which he
believed every man should go for; it was that
the people should be represented according to
numbers in the State of Maryland. And if you
are afraid of their aggregate power and want a
compromise on some principle, then check it in
the Senate.
He would say that according to the eternal
principles of justice, the people had a right to be
equally represented in the Senate as well as the
House. But this would be a compromise which
had a principle. The Senate could not pass any
law, without the approbation of the House of
Delegate and each would hold a veto on the
other. There, the power was equally divided,
and there was a compromise between the two
antagonist principles of territory and population.
But when he was asked to abandon such a high
and honorable compromise-and not even to look
it in the face, but to come down by the whittling
operation to the little end of nothing in order to
purchase four or five additional delegates to the
great city of Baltimore, with more white popu-
lation and property i nit than one-third of the
whole State, he would say that he spurned it as
a compromise, because instead of being half a
loaf, it was but a crumb. Now, there was his
position, as taken originally. In order to define
that original position he would read an extract
from the debates in this Convention on the fifth
of February last.
Here Mr. B. read his remarks of that date
from the Register of Debates, showing that he
had then declared that he would know no com-
promise on this question, and it must be passed
without his vote. By no compromise, Mr. B.
explained, that he meant no compromise of the
principle in the House of Delegates.
Why, there were gentlemen in this Convention
who recollected that before Christmas, when the
gentleman from Anne Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey,)
had remarked that Baltimore city could gamble
voters away by twenty and thirty thousand in
compromises, he, (Mr. B.,) had replied that he
did not come here to gamble away human rights,
as if we were at a faro bank gambling our money.
He would place himself consistently with the
position he had taken before Christmas, and in
the debate on the fifth of February, and would
fearlessly adhere to it. Now, he did not desire
to make a long speech but only to say this, that this
jealousy against Baltimore city, which he had
referred to in Convention, and which it was said
was well founded, was his opinion, an odious, |
unjust and unreasonable jealousy and ought not
to exist as between city and country. Was it, he
inquired, founded upon principle? Was it found-
ed upon experience in the affairs of Maryland?
He said it was not. Gentlemen got up and de-
clared themselves to be reformers, while they, in
many instances, opposed the principle and would
debar others of their just rights. These were
the men who would make odious discriminations
and distinctions between Baltimore city and the
rest of the State, merely because the city con-
tained a large population. Now, was there any
thing sound or rational in such an argument as
that? Was not this he asked, an agricultural
State? Was not Baltimore a commercial city?
And was there ever any thing heard of in opposi-
tion between the two? Was not commerce the
the handmaid of agriculture? And was it not to
the interest of both, and of all the people of the
State, that these two great interests should act
together in union and harmony? Certainly it
was.
He would say, that there was no foundation
for jealousies as between the country and the
city, and he would not yield to them, so far as
his vote was concerned, isolated now as this ques-
tion was. What was the principle upon which
the eight million bill was passed? Who advoca-
ted it? The small counties? He could show
the Convention the memorials from Queen
Anne's, Caroline and other counties, in behalf of
that bill. Were not the contemplated improve-
ments to connect with Baltimore city? Was
there any jealousy then? And was it not found
that the people, even of the Eastern shore, had
been highly benefitted fy those improvements-
therefore, they had nothing to complain of against
Baltimore? That was the fact. Now, was he
going to recognise those little local jealousies,
because one great city and a few counties hap-
pened to fancy that they have rival interests?
There was nothing in the argument-nothing in
the exception to the admitted general rule of
right and justice. If they were afraid of Balti-
more-if they were afraid of her overwhelming
population, why not curtail and limit the subjects
of legislation. "We are," [observed Mr. B.,]
"willing to co-operate with you; we have done
so on every occasion." As far as he was concerned,
he would give the counties a carte blanche
to restrict and tie up the Legislature so as to pre-
vent them from taxing the whole people of the
State. He believed that they had already satis-
factorily acquitted themselves in that respect.
He was willing to protect the smallest counties
against the largest, so that legislative oppression
should not be brought to bear upon them. He
was of opinion that numbers ought to have their
due weight and preponderance and influence, at
least, in the popular branch of the Legislature.
He had very briefly submilted the grounds upon
which he rested his argument, and he did not see
why the bond of human rights should not be ful-
filled.
Mr. B, in reply to a question from Mr. PRESST-
MAN, said:
If this Convention did not touch the basis of
representation at all, but if it went for salutary |
