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


wanted an investigation If MIR. Freaner was not
entitled to seat, who was? Some one must be-
MIR. BURGESS stated that Mr. Freaner had re-
signed his commission. If he entitled to a 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 message to the Governor
and let him order new election. Not only is this
the case, but from the letter OF Mr.. f. himself he
sets forth that he never was 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 a resignation, but to know how many
members there were in the House; if 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 was 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 to them.
Mr.. LINTHICUM 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 was not done. He called upon the
House to reject the order. Mr.. Freaner's resigna-
Il on had not been accepted
Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, thought that no action
could be taken by the House on this resignation. A
member vacates his seat and there is an end of it.
LII he never held that seat constitutionally soon
as the disqualification shown the 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.
II EVENING SEssIoN-Upon the re-assembling OF the
mouse at the afternoon session, insuficiency of
tn oil
ol Tue mouse was made, and the Sergeantat-Arms
sent OUT ior the absentees When further proceed
ingS un9er the cal wera FdiOponeod with, the FREQ
Negro Bill, NO 44, 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 by sections.
10 the third section Mr.. ilcAllister offered an
amendment so as to exempt Baltimore CITY from
the provisions of the bill, so as TO allow free me-
groes to come into the city of Baltimore He
wished free negroes to be allowed to come into the
city if they desired. He understood that Allie
gany and Cecil counties desired to be included
Mr.. DENNIsoN, of Baltimore county, objected to
this amendment. He thought it would be in effect
to exert a bad influence upon the slave property
of slave-owners. Negroes from the North would
be allowed to come into Baltimore, corrupt the
slaves and entce them off, He moreover dislikeC
to make Baltimore an asylum for free negroes o
the North.
Mr.. MOALLIsTER withdrew the amendment in
tending to offer it in another place.
tion. 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 exemp
ton, and her delegates would vote they pleased
upon the BILL
Mr.. DENNIsoN, of Baltimore county, moved tc
strike out the ninth section, which provides for the
sale of free negro when he makes a contract with
white man, unless the contract is made in wri.
ting. The motion was lost.
Mr.. MCALLISTER, of Baltimore, Offered an amend
ment to the last section, providing that nothing
in the act shall apply to Baltimore city unless APP
proved of by the Mayor and City Council of Balti
more.
Mr. DENNIS, of Somerset objected to anything
of the kind. We are bere, he said, to make the
laws for the State. The City Council of Baltimore
and its Mayor have nothing to do with making
laws. We will not delegate to them our power
We choose to reserve to ourselves the right to
complete legislation on this subject. The amend.
ment makes the law operative only upon the
assent of the Mayor and City Council of Balti-
more.
Mr.. McALLIsrEn thought the proposition had a
precedent. The last session of the Legislature
threw the burden of the approval of the Greea-
Grocers' bill on the City Council.
Mr.. BRIsCoE-"Wil the bill be voted for by the
Baltimore delegation if we vote for his amend
ment?'
Mr.. TURNER-"That is premature
Mr.. MCALLIsTER-'l mi ght ask the gentleman il
he would vote for my amendment if | would vote
for the BILL"
could not vote for the amendment.
Mr.. BOOZE offered as a substitute to Mr.. MCAlls-
ter's bill, paper to provide that nothing in the
act should apply to Baltimore city-with no pro
visions about the concurrence of the City Council
Mr.. BRIscoE asked if they would even then vote
for the bill?
Mr.. MCALLIsTER thought that if the gentleman
was such friend of compromise, he would vote for
the amendment offered and end the controversy al
once.
DR.. DENNIS, of Somerset, replied that if any
county or city wished exemption from the bill, he
was ready to give it, though reluctantly. He would
vote to that end only, that the counties that de-
sired the bill might have the advantage of its pro.
visions. We want it and will therefore accord to
others what they ask, that we may get what we
desire However, he would tell them, before they
were exempted, that they would make their couu-
ties or city perfect Liberia
Mr.. DENNIsoN-If Washington county and Balti-
more city are exempted, man go to those
places and manumt his slaves. They remain
But gentlemen have made their bill so obnoxious
from many hard laws, that those places will not
submit to it.
Mr.. DENNIS, of Somerset, offered an amendment
to Mr.. McAllister's amendment, providing that
if Baltimore city was exempted that none of the
free negroes in Baltimore city shall go into the
counties.
The question was taken on all the amendments
and they were lost.
The question then required upon the adoption of
the bill. The vote was taken upon it and lost by
the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Morgan, Rasin, Medders, Welch,
Mackubbin, Briscoe, Parran, Compton, Burgess,
WOrthington, Quinlan, Chaplain, Dennis of Som
erset Stanford, Lnthicum, Keene, Holland, Jones
of Prince Georges, Legg, Starkey, Jacobs, Land
ing, Dennis of Worcester, Straughn, Griffith, Har-
ding, Gordon, Barnard, Mills, Turner of Howard,
Brown-31.
Nays-Messrs. Ford, Dennison of Baltimore
county, Renshaw, Lawson, Wilson of CedA Max
well, Miller, Kessler, Clagett, Routzhan, johnson,
Salmon Naill, Wilson of Hartford, Bayess, Mccoy,
Booze, Berry, Crowley, McAister, Smith, Turner
of Baltimore city, Denison of Baltimore city,
Coudy, Eakle, Brining, Stake, McCleary, Roop,
Gorsuch-30.