but these funds are placed beyond the control of every parent and guardian in the State; those who bear the burdens are denied all share in their direction.

Mr. George advocated his amendment. The people of Baltimore wanted their own system secured to them by constitutional enactment. They did not want it left to the dangers of log-rolling in the Legislature.

Mr. Howard said gentlemen from Baltimore did not seem to care what became of the counties so they got their own system. He wanted this Convention to place the seal of condemnation on this present outrageous system. He did not hesitate to say that it was odious to the people of Cecil county; that the standing of the teachers was not as high as under the old system, and that the means of education were limited, although the expenses had been so enormously increased.

Mr. Barnes said if there was anything dear to the people of Baltimore, it was their system of public schools. That system had grown step by step for forty years, until now the scale of education was as high as that of any institutions of learning in the country. They desired their own system, but they did not want to interfere with the counties, and on this point his friend from Cecil, (Mr. Howard,) was mistaken. They were perfectly willing for the counties to have any system which suited them.

Mr. Kilbourn explained that the report of the committee did not provide for a uniform system, but that it would be competent for Baltimore to have a separate system, if she desired it.

Mr. Stoddert was disappointed at the action of the committee. The people of Charles county felt more on this subject than on any other, and they had looked to the Convention for relief.

Mr. Gill had been in favor of the report of the committee, but after hearing the debate he had changed his mind. He was here as a representative of the city of Baltimore to watch over and protect her interests, and he would not consent that one atom of the school system of Baltimore should be disturbed. He wanted that system intact, wanted it a separate system, and was not willing that it should be left to legislative discretion. He was

not, however, in favor of the proposition of his colleague from Baltimore, (Mr. George,) as he thought it too broad, but he had an amendment which did represent his own views, and with this he did not see any objection to the plan as recommended by the committee on education. In regard to what has fallen from the gentleman from Charles, (Mr. Stoddert,) he (Mr. G.) did not scruple to say that he had no objection to being taxed for the support of the schools of the lower counties in the present impoverished condition. He wanted this system of Baltimore secured to them, and then if the Legislature may prefer to lay a general school tax he would not object, but all he asked of this Convention was that it should give them their own system.

Mr. Rider said that, as a member of the commitee, he should like to give the reasons why he had sanctioned the report. The subject of incorporating into the constitution a detailed system was thoroughly discussed, and he was satisfied that it would not be politic to encumber the constitution with such a provision. He believed that it would be the most popular thing they could do to pass the first section as reported. He was in favor of giving to the city of Baltimore a separate system, as he did not believe a uniform system could be adopted. The present system was odious, because the funds were eaten up by the officials. He confessed that there were some features in the present system which were good, and he believed it was the opinion of the people that it might be improved upon. The whole subject had been thoroughly discussed in committee, and the unanimous conclusion was that the constitution should not be encumbered with the details.

Mr. Barnes said they were all in the dark as to the result of education, and read from the statistics of crime in Massachusetts and Maryland, by which it appears that crime of all kinds was relatively three to five hundred per cent. greater in Massachusetts than in Maryland.

After some further remarks, Mr. Barnes moved the further consideration of the subject be postponed until Tuesday next.

Mr. Farnandis had no objection to the postponement, if the Convention thought it could improve this article. In

the course of his remarks he said that in justice to the superintendent he would say that he had received a letter from that gentleman explaining in regard to the great cost of printing his report, that he had only asked for the printing of 3,500 copies. Concerning the system, he would say that it required an infallible head and an inexhaustible treasury. [Laughter.]

Mr. Ritchie concurred, in the main, with the views of the gentleman from Harford, but as he had not been able to give the attention to this important subject which it merited, he hoped the motion to postpone would be agreed to.

Mr. Brown differed with his colleague, and hoped the Convention would settle this matter now. He dissented from the views of the committee, but was satisfied that, from the temper of the Convention, no better plan count. be adopted than that reported by the committee, and, therefore, though reluctantly, he should vote for it.

Mr. Page concurred mainly with the views of the gentleman from Harford, but rose to express the view which his constituents had impressed on him, which was that a uniform system should prevail throughout the State.

Mr. Dobbin was perfectly willing to adopt the report of the committee as it stood, if it did not preclude the city of Baltimore from having her own system. He was willing to leave the matter to the Legislature, relying on our ability to convince them of the excellence of the system, and that they cannot furnish us with a better, but he did want some qualification which would not prevent the Legislature from giving to Baltimore a separate system.

Mr. Barry said the second section provided for this, as it left the present system in operation until the end of the next session of the Legislature, except so far as adopted or continued.

The debate was continued by Messrs. Dobbin, Farnandis, George, Wallace, Gill, Tarr of Caroline, Garey, Barnes, Nelson and others.

The further consideration of the subject was then postponed until Tuesday next.

Mr. Stoddert submitted the following:

Ordered, That the committee upon the legislative

partment be instructed to consider the expediency of making it the duty of the Legislature, as soon as the public debt shall have been paid off, to cause to be transferred to the several counties and the city of Baltimore stock in the internal improvement companies equal to the amount respectively paid by each towards the construction and completion of said works, at the market value of said stock, to the support of free schools, or so much thereof as may be necessary, and any balance to be used at the discretion of the counties and the city of Baltimore for their respective benefit.

Without further action, the Convention then adjourned.

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.

ANNAPOLIS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1867. Convention met at 10 o'clock. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Henderson.

The Chair presented communications from clerks of Circuit Courts, &c., in answer to orders of the Convention.

The order submitted by Mr. Gill yesterday, in reference to the mayor and city council of Baltimore, and laid over, was taken up, read, and passed over informally.

The order submitted yesterday, at the close of the session, by Mr. Stoddert was taken up and adopted.

The report of the committee upon the Attorney General and State's Attorneys was taken up.

Section 1 was read and passed over without amendment.

Section two was read.

Mr. Mackubin moved to amend by making the salary of the Attorney General $2,500 instead of $3,000.

On this proposed amendment a protracted debate ensued, but it was finally defeated.

Mr. Watkins, of Montgomery county, moved to amend by adding at the end of the second section, "provided the Governor shall not employ any additional counsel in any case whatever, unless authorized by the General Assembly," which was adopted.

Section three was read, as follows:

"No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General who has not resided and practiced law in this State for at least ten years next preceding his appointment."

Mr. Wickes moved to amend by inserting after the word "who," "is not a citizen of the State of Maryland and a qualified voter therein at the time of his appointment."

Mr. Mackubin moved the following as a substitute:

"No person, unless a native of this State, actually resi dent therein at the time of his appointment, shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General who has not resided therein at least ten years next preceding his appointment, and has been admitted to practice law therein at least ten years prior to his appointment."

Mr. Mackubin said the object of his amendment was to throw this office open to those sons of Maryland who had been temporarily absent in defense of what they conceived to be right. Now that the struggle was over, he was willing to welcome them back with open arms.

After some discussion, Mr. Barry proposed the following as a substitute:

"No person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General who is not a citizen of this State, and a qualified voter therein, and who has not resided and practiced law in this State for at least ten years."

Messrs. Mackubin and Wickes accepted the substitute in lieu of their amendments, and it was then adopted. Sections 4 and 5 were read and passed over without amendment.

Section 6 was read.

Mr. Tarr, of Caroline, moved to amend by filling the blank prescribing the time for the election with the words, "Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, 1867."

Mr. Garey would ask the chairman of the judiciary committee if that committee had come to any conclusion in regard to the election of judges.

Mr. Dobbin said the committee had arrived at no defi