American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-02-20
[Reported for the American Republican,
MEETING OF TIL q MILITARY CON-
VENTION,
INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS.

An adjourned meeting of the Military Con-
venton, was held on Wednesday evening in the
chamber of the First Branch of the City Coun-
Gil, in the City Hall. The convention was nu-
nerousy attended, and was called to order by
Gen. J. Spear Smith, the President.
Captain Pickoll, of the National Blues, pre-
sented series OF resolutions, passed at a recent
meeting of that company, which were read,
and ordered to be placed on the records OF the
convention.
Gen. Steuart chairman of the select com
mtteo, then presented and read to the conven.
ton, the memorial which had been prepared to
be presented to the Legislature. The memo
rial is long, but as it sets forth in firm and en-
ergetic language the views of the Military OF
the city of Baltimore, we publish it in erienso,
believing that it will be read with interest by
every class Of our citizens
MEMORIAL
OF THE MILITARY CONVENTION.
To the Honorable the
General ASSEMBLY Of .MaryLand:
The memorial of the officers of the Dis
irict Militia and officers and privates re-
presenting the Volunteer Corps of the city of
Baltimore, assembled in convention, respectful
ly represents
That your memorialists entertaining a due
sense of their obligations to carry out in gooh
faith and with proper discretion the objects of
their organization as citizen soldiers, under the
sanction of existing laws, and impressed with
the difficulties which obstruct them in the dis
charge of their duties, (arisng from the too
great stringenCy of these laws, and their con-
sequent non-entorcemenD were in the course of
the last summer induced to take the subject in
to considerations and this movement of your
memOrialiss receiving fresh impulse from the
anxeties of their fellow-citizens, in reference
10 the unsettled and threatening state of our
foreign relations, resulted i'll the formation of
the Military Convention above referred to,
whose entire proceedings are appended to this
memorial, and respectfully and earnestly re-
commended to the attention of your Honorable
body.
From these proceedings it will appear, that
the convention proceeded with the utmost de-
liberation and publicity to discuss the subject
of an amendment of the existing Militia laws,
for the regulation of the Militia of the city of
Baltimore not presuming to interfere with the
laws for the regulation of the Militia in the
countes-and it is proper to state for the infor-
nation of your Honorable Body, that although
the meetings of the convention were frequent,
and always attended by number of citizens,
including the Reporters or the daily press, (who
promptly reported what was done) and although
by order OF the convention itself there was pub.
lished at the time full and accurate synopsis
of the draft OF the bill that was agreed upon,
still no murmur of dissatisfaction was heard
from the press or from any quarter indicating
the slightest opposition to these proceedings.
A large committee (the same now instructed
TO present this memoriaD was appointed to
take charge of the bill and submit it to your
Honorable Body at an early day of the present
session, and it is known to many members of
the House of Delegates that a part of said COM
mittee proceeded to Annapolis on the LIST Tues
day of January, sought and obtained an inter-
view with the house committee on the Militia,
and after explaining the provisions of the bill,
left the matter to be duly considered and dis
posed Of
Your memorialists had good reason to sup
pose that the delegates of the city of Balt-
more, who were personally solicited to look az
ter and advocate the bill, would see that it
was promptly and fairly considered, and for
that purpose would have the bill printed-but
they regret to say it appears from the journal
of the House. that the delegates of our city
pursued different course, and instead of af-
fording your honorable body an opportunity of
considering the Importance of the bill, or the
fitness of its provisions, those delegates have, in
q manner not less unexpected than unsatisfac-
tory to your memorialists, (and as they believe
to the great body of the citizens of Batimore)
assumed to themselves the exclusive RIGHT to
judge of an important act of legislation solicit
cd fiom your hands, and have attempted to