PROCEEDINGS.

HALL OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.

WEDNESDAY, May 8th, 1867.

A PROCLAMATION.

BY

THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND.

STATE OF MARYLAND, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.

Whereas, by an Act of the General Assembly of Maryland,
passed at January session, 1867, entitled "An Act to provide
for taking the sense of the people of this State on the call of
a Convention to form a new Constitution and Form of Govern-
ment, and for assembling the members thereof," it was
enacted that an election should be held as provided by said
Act to take the sense of the people on the question of the call
of the Convention, and to elect delegates thereto in case said
call was sustained by a majority of the votes cast.

And whereas, it is by said Act made the duty of the Gover-
nor to count and cast up the number of ballots cast at said
election for and against a Convention, and the blank ballots
cast, and the ballots cast for delegates to said Convention,
and if it should thereupon appear that more votes had been
cast in favor of the call of a Convention than against such
call, to issue his proclamation declaring the persons having
the majority in the several counties and in the city of Balti-
more, respectively, to be elected to said Convention, and for
the assembling of the members thereof;

And whereas, the returns of said election have been received
from the city of Baltimore and the several counties of the
State, and upon counting and casting up the ballots which,
according to said returns, were cast at the election held for
said purpose on the 10th day of April instant, it appears that
the whole number of votes cast was 58,718, of which 34,534
were for a Convention, and 24,136 against a Convention, and

48 blank ballots; and it therefore appearing that more votes have been cast in favor of the call of a Convention than against the call of a Convention

Now therefore, I, Thomas Swann, Governor of the State of Maryland, in obedience to the requirements of the Act of Assembly aforesaid, do by this my proclamation declare and make known that the persons having the majority in the several counties and the city of Baltimore, respectively, have been duly elected delegates to said Convention, and that the Convention authorized by said Act will be held in the city of Annapolis, on the SECOND WEDNESDAY OF MAY next, being the eighth day of said month, where the said delegates will, on that day, assemble to enter upon the discharge of the duties prescribed by the Act aforesaid.

Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the [SEAL,] State of Maryland, at the city of Annapolis, this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord, 1867. THOMAS SWANN.

By the Governor:

JOHN M. CARTER, Secretary of State.

In conformity with the aforegoing Proclamation, and in obedience to the requirements of the Act of Assembly, the title of which is therein mentioned, the Convention assembled at 12 o'clock, M., on Wednesday the 8th day of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the Hall of the House of Delegates, in the city of Annapolis.

All the delegates elect appearing to be present, except Messrs. Thomas I. Hall, of Anne Arundel county, Anthony Kennedy, of Baltimore county, John W. Bennett, of Carroll county, Vivian Brent and John T. Stoddert, of Charles county, James Wallace, of Dorchester county, Henry D. Farnandis, of Harford county, William M. Merrick, of Howard county, and John B. Brooke, of Prince George's county.

On motion, by Mr. Isaac D. Jones,

Mr. John F. Dent was appointed temporary President, and Mr. James R. Howison temporary Secretary.

On motion, by Mr. Jones, it was

Ordered, That the proceedings of the Convention be opened by prayer, and that the Rev. Mr. Leach, who is now present, be requested to officiate; whereupon,

The Rev. Mr. Leach offered a prayer.

Mr. Charles S. Parran, submitted the following order:
Which was agreed to,

Ordered, That a committee of five be appointed by the Chair to inform the Governor that the Convention to frame a new Constitution for the State of Maryland, has assembled in the Hall of the House of Delegates, in accordance with the Act of the General Assembly, and his Proclamation relating thereto, and has temporarily organized by electing a Chairman and Secretary, and that the Convention desires to have a list of names of the Delegates who are shown by the returns made to him, to have been duly elected members of the Convention; whereupon,

Messrs. Charles S. Parran, of Calvert, Isaac D. Jones, of Somerset, Philip H. Roman, of Allegany, Bernard Carter, of Baltimore city, and J. K. Longwell, of Carroll counties are appointed the said committee.

The Committee retired, and on returning reported that they had called on the Governor, as directed by the order of the Convention, and that the Governor would communicate the information desired forth with.

On motion by Mr. Jones,

To adjourn until to-morrow at 12 o'clock,

It was determined in the negative.

The following message was received from the Governor, by Mr. Leary, his Secretary:

To the Convention:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

ANNAPOLIS, May 8, 1867.

GENTLEMEN: In accordance with the application of your Honorable Body through the Committee appointed to confer with me, I transmit herewith a list of the members elected under the Act entitled "An Act to provide for taking the sense of the people of this State on the call of a Convention to form a new Constitution and Form of Government, and for assembling the members thereof," passed at the late January session of the General Assembly of Maryland and I also hand you the Proclamation of the Governor issued in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.

The official returns from the several counties and the city of Baltimore are on file in this office, subject to the use of the Convention.

I have the honor to be, with great respect,

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS SWANN.

Allegany County-Thomas Perry, Alfred Spates, William Walsh, J. Philip Roman, Jacob Hoblitzell, Thomas J. Mc

Anne Arundel County-James R. Howison, Thomas I. Hall, E. G. Kilbourn, Luther Giddings.

Baltimore City-First Legislative District-Lindsey H. Rennolds, Ezra Whitman, John H. Barnes, Isaac S. George, Joshua Vansant, Edward F. Flaherty, James A. Henderson. Second Legislative District-George M. Gill, George William Brown, Bernard Carter, Albert Ritchie, Henry F. Garey, George W. Dobbin, J. Hall Pleasants.

Third Legislative District-J. R. Brewer, John Ferry, J. M. Peters, John Franck, J. P. Merryman, I. M. Denson, W. S. Wilkinson.

Baltimore County-Charles A. Buchanan, John Wethered, Ephraim Bell, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel W. Starr, Charles H. Nicolai, Robert C. Barry.

Calvert County-John Parran, Charles S. Parran, Dr. John F. Ireland.

Caroline County-R. E. Hardcastle, Dr. Charles E. Tarr, Tilghman H. Hubbard, W. H. Watkins.

Carroll County-John K. Longwell, George W. Manro, Sterling Galt, Benj'n W. Bennett, Thomas F. Cover, William N. Hayden.

Cecil County-Benjamin B. Chambers, George R. Howard, James B. Groome, James O. McCormick, Eli Cosgrove.

Charles County-Walter Mitchell, Vivian Brent, John T. Stoddert.

Dorchester County-James Wallace, William T. Goldsborough, George E. Austin, Dr. Levin Hodson.

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Frederick County-William P. Maulsby, Frederick J. Nelson, Harry W. Dorsey, Outerbridge Horsey, William S. McPherson, John B. Thomas, Dewitt C. Johnson.

Harford County-Henry D. Farnandis, Henry W. Archer, Dr. John Evans, Evans S. Rogers, Henry A. Silver.

Howard County William M. Merrick, James Mackubin, Henry O. Devries, James Morris.

Kent County―Joseph A. Wickes, Richard W. Ringgold, C. H. B. Massey, William Janvier.

Montgomery County-Greenbury M. Watkins, Nicholas Samuel Riggs of R., Washington Duvall.

Prince George's County-John F. Lee, John B. Brooke. Fendall Marbury, Elbert G. Emack.

Queen Anne's County-Richard B. Carmichael, Thomas J. Keating, Washington Finley, Stephen J. Bradley.

St. Mary's County-Robert Ford, John F. Dent, Baker A. Jamison.

Somerset County-Purnell Toadvine, Thomas F. J. Rider, James L. Horsey, Isaac D. Jones, Henry Page.

Talbot County-William Goldsborough, Richard C. Hollyday, Henry E. Bateman, Ormond Hammond.

Washington County-Andrew K. Syester, R. H. Alvey, Joseph Murray, S. S. Cunningham, William Motter, George W. Pole.

Worcester County-J. Hopkins Tarr, Littleton P. Franklin, Thomas P. Parker, Samuel S. McMaster, George W. Covington.

On motion by Mr. Outerbridge Horsey, of Frederick County,

The Convention proceeded to elect a President, viva voce.

Mr George W. Dobbin, of Baltimore city, nominated the Hon. Richard B. Carmichael, of Queen Anne's county, and there being no other nomination,

On motion by Mr. Barry, of Baltimore county,

The Hon. R. B. Carmichael was declared to be the unanimous choice of the Convention, and was conducted to the chair by the following Committee, appointed by the President, pro. tem., to wit:

John Wethered, of Baltimore county; Walter Mitchell, of Charles county; and George William Brown, of Baltimore city.

The President addressed the Convention as follows:

Gentlemen of the Convention:

This is a most distinguished honor. I thank you profoundly, proudly thank you. A partial constituency conferred the high privilege upon me of a seat upon this floor, to partake in your deliberations and labors on a subject of of the highest concern to themselves and to the State. Appreciating as I do the responsibilties of that position, and the exalted characters of the members of this body, I feel that my position on the floor was fully equal to the measure of my deserving. The choice which has just fallen upon me to preside over your deliberations is, according to my taste and in my judgment, the highest to which a citizen of Maryland could aspire, or any authority bestow. I am