Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1849-12-12


will be sent forth to the people, backed by
oil the influence which that convention can
give to il, and sustained by all the au,hori-
~ which can be derived from its endorse
ment.
Mr. B. said he might here invoke the au-
thorl'y at this memorial, and Of the reform
convention which adopted it, to bear HIM
out in the position he had been endeavoring
to malntain-that to The general assembly
alone. belonged the power Of amending and
altering the constitution. For, said Mr.. B.
u such had not been the opinions and SEN
'iments of the members of that convention,
they would not have been satisfied with re-
commeding the call Of a convention, simply
TO propose alterations and amendments to
be adopted and enacted into laws by sue
ceeding legislature. The recommendation
itself sufficiently proved, that in their judy
ment, the legislature, and the legislature
alone, had the power Of amendment. N ow,
Sir, do not gentlemen see the vast difference
between the powers and nature of The con-
vention asked for by this memorial, and
those Of the one contemplated in the bill
under consideration ? And if gentlemen
differ SO widely among hemselves--if their
own friends, out Of this hall. and among the
people, entertain such conflicting opinions
on the subject of reform, with what justice,
] ask, can we be taunled by them with run
ming counter 10 the popular will /? Sir, said
Mr.. B, the constitution, as i, stands, is The
work he people. 1t was made by them
and fol lnem-for them and for their chill
dren, to the la,es, generations Of time. II re-
fleets, and faithfully reflects, their wants,
their wishes and their true interests 1t
was not made, sir. for an hour or for day.
il as truly speaks the sentiments of The peo-
pie now as j. did the day it was made. Mr.
B. here read from page 49S Of McMahon's
History of Maryland, and from the opinion
of the Court Of Appeals in the case Of Crane
Is. Meginnis, ! Gill g. johnson 472, where
il is said "that the constitution, composed
of the declaration of rights and form of gov
eminent, is the immediate work Of the peo-
pie in their sovereign capacity, and con-
'ains standing evidences of their permanen,
will."] Now, sir, we are for carrying out
ahis will of the people. As the people have
prescribed, so we say, it must be done, and
in no other way We are in fac, democrat
tic in this respect, whilst our opponents are
anti-democratic.
The gentleman from Baltimore city (Mr
McLane) had referred to McMahon's Hislo-
~ Of Maryland for one purpose, will now
refer to it for another. ! am RICH, that the
gentleman quoled Mc,lahon, am not?
Mr.. McLane-"Yes.'
Then. ] suppose, if he is good authority
for you he is good authority for me also.
IMr. B. here read from pages 49S and 400
Of McMahon's Maryland, in which it is said
'slhat any change of the constitution was
null and void, unless passed by the acts Of
two consecutive legislatures, and would be
so declared by the courss."] Now, sir, !
have RICH, To hold the genllemah 10 his
own sulhor,y. Have not?
Mr.. McLane-"No."
The gentleman says no. Then ask the
gentleman why did he refer TO tina, author
al all If he does not consider him good
authority when his opinions happen to be
against his own, submit, that the gentleman
has no RICH. to invoke those opinions to
his aid when they happen to coincide with
his.
The gentleman had, however, in my judg-
ment, entirely mistaken the opinions Of that
distinguished writer. He cites him, as
understand, for The purpose Of showing tina,
the colony Of Mary land was pure demo-
cracv. Now, sir, | have not been able to
find, in any part of that work, the expression
OF any opinion by the author which will
jus,ify the gentleman in ascrbing to him
any such doctrine. The colony Of Mary
aand pure democracy Why, sir, the idea
is not dhly singular, but entirely novel; and
! doubt not, has originated with the gentle
man himself! The colony of Maryland,
" hilst j, existed as colony, derived all its
rights and powers from the bounty Of the
king Of England. The gentleman from
Charles (Mr. Reeder) yesterday read from
the original charter Of maryland, from which
we learn that the powers Of that government,
were derived, by grant, from the king Of
England. The colony herself claimed the
right to exercise those powers only by vir-
tue Of the grant. 1t was, not because she
claimed rights and powers independently Of
the crown, but because Of aIledged infrac
tions Of her chartered rights that she sepa-
rated from the mother country. Now. sir,
by pure democracy, understand form
of government, deriving all its powers from
the people-a government engendering its
own powers; and no. claiming them as de-
rived from the bounty of a king. IF the
gentleman can discover any thing like de-
mocracy in government, regal in its
forms and acknowledging allegiance to
king, | confess his ideas Of democracy are
entirely different from mine. insist, then,
tina, the gentleman has not only misconceiv-
ed the views Of the distinguished author 10
whom he has referred, but tina, he has mis-
taken the nature Of the rights and powers
Of The people of Maryland, as a colony, to
the same extent that he has their rights, un-
der the constitution which they have adopt
ed.