Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1851-01-22
MARYLAND REFORM CONVENTION
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. IL, 1851.

Ihf oapplngtOn gave notice OF the following a.
mendment to the report of the Committee on the
Elective Franchise, when the order of the day
should come up ::
"Every free white man of 81 years of age and
upwards, being citizen of the United States, hav-
ing resided in this State one year, next preceding
an election and the last six months resident of the
county city, where he may offer his VOTE shall,
II not excluded by the provisions of this Constitu
ton, be entitled to vote at such election in the e.
lection district Of which he shall at the time be
resident and at no other place. for all officers that
now are, or may hereafter be elective by the peo-
pie. and that he vote by ballot
On motion of Mr.. Smith, the order heretofore
submitted by him, to meet at 10 instead Of IL o.
clock, was taken up. 1t was amended so as to
take effect from and after Monday next.
MIR. Phelps moved to amend to except
every Monday, which was negatived, and the order
adopted-yeas 46, nays %.
Mr.. Dorsey, chairman of the Committee on a
Declaration of Rights, made a report, which was
ordered to be printed
Mr.. Sprigg proposed substitute for the
port of the Committee on the Executive Depart.
ment, Submitted by Mr.. Grason) the articles en-
braced in the order Of inquiry offered by him
Saturday last.
Mr.. Magraw, from the Select Committee in re-
gard to the preparation of Map of the State,
&C., reported that the Secretary of State was now
engaged in the preparation of copy of Lucas
map, exhibiting the boundaries of the counties,
on which it is designed to lay down the election
districts in such manner will show their con-
tiguty. The committee asked to be discharged,
and they were discharged accordingly.
Mr.. Weems moved to reconsider the vote of
the Convention adopting the resolution, authoriz-
ing the preparation of said map and the tables of
population, sc.
Pending this motion, the President announced
the arrival of the hour for taking up the order of
the day-being the report Of the Committee on the
Elective Franchise.
On motion of Mr. Merrick, the Convention again
went into Committee Of the Whole on said re-
port, (NIr Blackstone in the chair) After some
time spent III debate therein, the Committee rose,
and the chairman reported that they had made
some progress and asked leave to sit again. The
leave was granted, and the Convention adjourned.
The following are the proceedings had in Con-
mttee Of the Whole:
Mr.. Weems moved to strike out said first arti-
Gle to the word 'election and insert, 'that every
free white male citizen Of this State of the age of
t21 years and upwards, having resided as citizen
II months. -
On motion Of Mr.. Dorsey, this amendment was
amended by striking out ':this State, and insert
ing ..United States.''
On motion of Mr.. Weems. it was amended by
inserting after ''resided.' the words sin this
State
After debate, the question was taken on this a.
mendment, and it was rejected-yeas 20, nays SO.
Jan. 13, 1851.
The Convention met and resumed the unfinished
business Of Saturday, being the motion of Mr..
Weems to reconsider the resolution offered by Mr..
Thomas, and adopted, for the preparation of a
map of the counties, election districts, Sc, with
the white, free black and slave population ofeach.
Mr.. Morgan moved its postponement until to-mor-
row. Negatved.
On motion of Mr.. ShrVer, said motion was post
poned until Tuesday next.
AIr INIT nnvpi t0 bn lrItio
offered by Mr.. Stewart, of Caroline, and rejected
providing for withholding the per diem Of the men,
bers and officers, when absent, unless such ab-
sence be occasioned by sickness.
The President decided the motion out of order,
unless by a renewal of the notice of the motion be
given.
On motion, it ordered to be entered on the
journal, that Nessrs. NJ. Newcomer and Jacobs,
members and NIr. Marriott, committee clerk
are detained from the Convention by ndlsposi-
ton.
! On motion of Mr. Brown, the Secretary was
authorized to detail such of the committee clerks,
as he may think proper, to add up the census
turns for the use of the Convention.
! Mr.. Neill presented petition Of sundry citizens,
members of the Mennonite Church, that the Con-
yention will consider the necessity of making pro-
vision in the new constitution for such societies
and persons as are conscientious in bearing arms,
swearing the oath, and serving as jurors, sc. Re-
ferred to Committee No. IA.
! On motion of Mr.. Phelps, the Convention, in
Committee of the whole, (Ar. Blackstone in the
chair resumed the consideration of the order Of
the day, being the repogt 81 the Committee on the
Elective Franchise.
The question being upon the amendment of Mr..
Chambers, of Kent, to insert the words ''for six
months After some remarks by Mr.. Buchanan,
it was decided in the negative by yeas and nays
as follows-yeas 81, nays SO.
| Mr. Chambers, of Kent, then offered the fol-
th> 49,,
report:
'sThat every free white male citizen of this
State, of 81 years of age, or upwards, and no
other, having resided II months in this State,
and months in the county, Howard District,
or city of Baltimore, next preceding the election
at which he offers to vote, shall have right
of suffrage; and shall vote by ballot in the election
district in which he shareside in all elections here
after to be heidi
/ Mr.. McIienry moved to amend said report, by
striking out all from the word ''electon'' ;inSSd
line, to the word ''and" in the 5th line, and in
sertng: ''Shall, unless excluded by other frovi-
sions of this constitution, be entitled to vote at
every public election, in the election district
where his residence may have been established
for days preceding such election and not else
where.''
Mr.. Donaldson moved to fill the blank with sssix-
ty." Mr.. McHenry moved to fill it with s'ten"
Mr. Phelps moved to fill it with s'thrty - none of
which was agreed to.
MIR. Phelps moved to amend said amendment,
by inserting after the word ''disrict, the follow
ing ''of the counties, and the several wards of
the city of Baltimore.''
After debate, by Messrs. Gwinn, Dorsey, Cham
bers of Kent, and others, the committee rose, and
athe Convention adjourned.
+ Jan. Ia, 1851.
The President presented communication from
the Treasurer, in obedience to order of the
Convention, giving the condition of the finances of
the State, which, on motion of Mr.. Brown was Or
dered to be printed
| The President also laid before the Convention
! communication from the Governor of Louisiana.