The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-08

not recognize Mr.. Freaner's right to resign. He
wanted an investigation If Mr. Freaner was not
entitled to a seat, who was? Some one must be-
Mr.. BURGESS stated that Mr.. FTeaner had re-
signed his commission. If he was entitled to seat
at any time, the seat is now vacant. The question
therefore is what action is to be taken? The
House has accepted the resignation, and the only
course left us is to send a message to the Governor
and let him order election. Not only is this
the case but from the letter OF Mr.. F. himself, he
sets forth that he never was a member. This mat
ter should also be taken into consideration.
Mr.. KILBoURN took the floor and spoke to the
question. He said that it was not the question
merely of resignation, but to know how many
members there were in the House; if a bill is
before the House the Speaker should know how
MANY members there were here and when to decide
upon the constitutionality of vote. This one
important feature but there was another. 1t is a
question, if Mr.. F. did not hold the seat, who did
This must be decided.
Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, offered as a substitute,
an order to appoint committee of three to ascer-
tain who are members of this House from Washing
ton county, and refer the investigation of Mr..
Freaner's case to them.
Mr. LINrHICUM objected to the order, because it
goes behind all previous action of the House, and
premises that Mr.. Freaner's resignation has been
accepted This not done. He called upon the
House to reject the order. Mr.. Freaner's resigna-
ion had not been accepted.
Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, thought that no action
could be taken by the House on this resignation.
member vacates his seat, and there is end of it.
II he never held that seat constitutionay, soon
as the disqualification was shownthe matter would
also end
The substitute of Mr.. DENNIS was adopted and
Messrs Morgan, Compton and Stake appointed a
committee under the order.
On motion the House then adjourned till 81
o'clock, when the free negro bill will be taken up
and continued till finally disposed Of
PER EXPRESS-NIGHT TRAIN.
~ EVENING SEssIoN-Upon the re-assembling of the
mouse at the afternoon session, an insufciency OF
members being present to form a quorum, a call
Oh Tue house was made, and the Sergeant-at-Arm
sent OUT ior the absentees. When further proceed
IngS under the call wara FdiSponeed WITH tho Free
Negro Bill, NO. Al, which had been under discus
sion in Committee of the Whole for the past few
days, amended and reported on favorably to the
House, was then called up and read bv sections
To the third section Mr.. McAllister offered al
amendment so as to exempt Baltimore city from
the provisions of the bill, so as TO allow free ne
groes to come into the city of Baltimore. HI
wished free negroes to be allowed to come into the
city if they desired. He understood that ALE
gany and Cecil counties desired to be included.
Mr.. DENNIsoN, of Baltimore county, objected tc
this amendment. He thought it would be in effect
to exert bad influence upon the slave property
of slave-owners. Negroes from the North would
be allowed to come into Baltimore, corrupt tn
slaves and entice them off. He moreover dislike
| to make Baltimore an asylum for free negroes G
| the North.
| Mr.. MCALLIsTER withdrew the amendment in
| tending to offer it in another place.
Mr.. MILLER, of Cecil rose to personal explana
| ton. Mr.. McAllister was mistaken about the de
| sire of Cecil county to be included in the exemp
| ton he proposed. She did not desire the exemr
ton, and her delegates would vote as they pleased
| upon the bill
Mr.. DENNIsoN, of Baltimore county, moved t
strike out the ninth section, which provides for tn
sale of free negro when he makes a contract wit
a white man, unless the contract is made in wri
! ting. The motion was lost
| Mr.. McALLIsrER, of Baltimore, offered an amend
ment to the last section, providing that nothing
in the act shall apply to Baltimore city unless ap
proved of by the Mayor and City Council of Bait
| more
| Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, objected to anything
of the kind. We are bere, he said, to make tn
| laws for the State. The City Council of Baltimor
and its Mayor have nothing to do with maxim
laws. We will not delegate to them our power
| We choose to reserve to ourselves the right t.
complete legislation on this subject. The amend
| ment makes the law operative only upon tn
| assent of the Mayor and City Council of Balti
more.
Mr. MCALLIsrER thought the proposition had
precedent The last session of the Legislator
threw the burden of the approval of the Greea
| Grocers' bill on the City Council.
Mr. BRIsCoE-"Will the bill be voted for by tn
Baltimore delegation if we vote for his amend
ment?"
| Mr.. TURNER-'sThat is premature"
Mr.. MCALLTsTER-'I might ask the gentleman
| he would vote for my amendment if | would vot
| for the bl.'
Mr.. MILLER concurred with Mr.. Dennis. H
! could not vote for the amendment.
Mr.. BOOZE offered as substitute to Mr.. MCAllis
| ter's bill, paper to provide that nothing In tn
act should apply to Baltimore city-with no pre-
visions about the concurrence of the City Council
Mr.. BRIscoE asked if they would even then vot
! for the bill?
Mr. MCALLIsrER thought that if the gentleman
was such friend of compromise, he would vote fC
the amendment offered, and end the controversy
once.
DR.. DENNIS, of Somerset, replied that, if an
county city wished exemption from the bill, b
was ready to give it, though reluctantly. He woul
| vote to that end only, that the counties that de
sired the bill might have the advantage ofits pre-
visions. We want it and will therefore accord
others what they ask, that we may get what W
desire. However, he would tell them, before the
were exempted, that they would make their cour
! ties or city perfect Liberia.
| Mr.. DENNIsoN-If Washington county and Balti
more city are exempted, a man can go to thos
places and manumit his slaves. They renal
there and can travel as free all over the State
| But gentlemen have made their bill so obnoxiou
from many hard laws, that those places will nc
| submit to it.
Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, offered an amendmer
to Mr.. McAllister's amendment, providing thu
| if Baltimore city exempted that none of tn
| free negroes in Baltimore city shall 60 into th
counties.
The question was taken on all the amendment
| and they were lost.
The question then required upon the adoption {
the bill. The vote was taken upon it and lost b
the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Morgan, Raisin, Medders, Welcl
Mackubbin, Briscoe, Parran, Compton, Burgess
Worthington, Quinlan, Chaplain, Dennis of Son
erset, Stanford, Linthicum Keene, Holland, Jont
of Prince Georges, Legg, Starkey, Jacobs, Lane
ing, Dennis of Worcester, Straughn, Griffith, Hal
ding, Gordon, Barnard, Mills, Turner of Howard
| Brown-31.
Nays-Messrs. Ford, Dennison of Baltimor
county, Renshaw, Lawson, Wilson of CedA MAJ
well, Miller, Kesser, Clagett, Routzhan, johnson
Salmon, NALL, Wilson of Hartford Bayless, Mccoy
Booze, Berry, Crowley, McAllister, Smith, Turne
of Baltimore city, Denison of Baltimore city
Coudy, Eakle, Brining, Stake, McCleary, RoOp
Gorsuch-30.