Arundel county, was requested to act as temporary secretary of the Convention.

On motion of Mr. Jones, the Rev. M. Leech, of Annapolis, was requested to offer prayer. Mr. Leech being present, came forward and offered up an appropriate invocation to the Throne of Grace.

On motion of Mr. C. S. Parran, Messrs. C. S. Parran, I. D. Jones, J. H. Roman, Bernard Carter and J. R. Longwell were appointed a committee to wait on the Governor and request an official list of the members of the Convention.

The committee appointed to wait on the Governor, returned and reported that they had performed that duty, and that the Governor would send in a communication to the Convention.

At 12.45 P. M. a communication was received from the Governor, enclosing his official proclamation convening the Convention, and also an official list of the delegates.

The roll was then called and all the members were found to be present excepting Thomas J. Hall, of Anne Arundel; Walter S. Wilkinson, of Baltimore city; Anthony Kennedy, of Baltimore county; Benjamin W. Bennett, of Carroll county; John T. Stoddert and Vivian Brent, of Charles; Col. Jas. Wallace, of Dorchester; Henry D. Farnandis, of Harford; Wm. M. Merrick, of Howard; Elbert G. Emack and John B. Brooke, of Prince George's.

Mr. Jones, of Somerset, moved to adjourn until tomorrow, at 12 o'clock.

Mr. George M. Gill opposed the motion. The Convention was here to accomplish the business before it with the utmost possible dispatch. The people expected them to go to work as speedily as possible. He therefore hoped that the Convention would proceed to the election of a presiding officer at once, and that the oath would be administered to the members.

Mr. Jones thought the preliminary business of the Convention could best be perfected in an informal meeting. There were a number of officers to be appointed, and a meeting could be held tonight to fix upon them.

After some further discussion the motion to adjourn was disagreed to by yeas 37, nays 49.

Mr. Outerbridge Horsey, of Frederick, moved that the Convention proceed to select a president viva voce. Agreed to.

Mr. Geo. W. Dobbin nominated the Hon. R. B. Carmichael, of Queen Anne's.

No further nominations being made, on motion of R. C. Barry, Mr. Carmichael was declared the unanimous choice of the Convention.

On motion of Hon. John Wethered it was ordered that a committee of three be appointed to conduct Mr. Carmichael to the chair.

The president pro tem. appointed Messrs. John Wethered, Walter Mitchell and Geo. Wm. Brown as the committee.

Mr. Carmichael, in assuming the duties of the chair, said:

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 the highest concern to themselves and to the State. Appreciating as I do the responsibilities 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, therefore, gentlemen, totally without words to express as I would my sense of your favor.

It would not be becoming in me to attempt to foreshadow the result of the proceedings of this Convention by reference in detail to any of its measures. They are unknown to me. It is only for me to say that you have been called here to frame a new constitution or to adopt that which has had an existence de facto here for a brief space; and to express the opinion that you will discharge

the duty that has been imposed upon you in such a manner as to promote the peace and order of the State, and to reflect lasting honor on yourselves. I trust, gentlemen, that the proceedings of this Convention will be marked by that harmony which should prevail among men of common opinions, and upon an occasion of so great magnitude.

I bring to this position no experience in reference to the duties of the chair. I shall have, therefore, gentlemen, to anticipate that indulgence from the members of this body which their partiality has disclosed. I thank you, gentlemen, for the honor you have conferred upon me. [Applause.]

On motion of Wm. P. Maulsby, a committee, consisting of Messrs. Maulsby, R. C. Barry and George M. Gill, was then appointed to wait on Judge Daniel R. Magruder and request his attendance for the purpose of administering the oath of office to the members of the Convention.

On motion of Mr. Wickes, of Kent, a committee of three was ordered to prepare the form of oath to be submitted to the members of the Convention.

The Chair then appointed Messrs. Wickes, Brown and Ritchie as the committee.

Mr. James R. Brewer offered a resolution to provide for the appointment of a committee to arrange the seats so that the delegations from the different counties and the city of Baltimore shall have contiguous seats, but afterwards withdrew the motion.

The Convention then, at 2.30 P. M., adjourned until 11 o'clock tomorrow.

It was announced that an informal meeting would be held tonight in reference to the officers of the Convention.

SECOND DAY.

ANNAPOLIS, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1867. The Convention met at 11 A. M. The proceedings were opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Leech, of Annapolis. After the call of the roll the journal of yesterday's

proceedings was read by the temporary secretary, James R. Howison, Esq.

Mr. Wickes, from the committee appointed to prepare a form of oath to be taken by the officers and members of the Convention, made the following report, which was adopted:

The committee to whom was referred the question as to the form of oath to be taken by the officers and members of this Convention, beg leave to report:

That by the fifth section of the act of the General Assembly of Maryland, providing for the call of this Convention, passed at the January session of 1867, chapter 327, it is enacted that before any member elect or officer of said Convention shall enter upon his duties, he shall take the oath to discharge said duties in the form prescribed by law for members of the House of Delegates of this State, mutatis mutandis, except the Speaker or President elect of said Convention, who shall take the same oath in the presence of said Convention, before some judge or justice of the peace of this State.

That by virtue of the act entitled "An act to restore to full citizenship and the right to vote and hold office, all persons who may be deprived thereof by the provisions contained in the 4th section of the constitution of this State," passed on the 24th of January, 1867, chapter 17, and also by virtue of said 5th section of said act of 1867, chapter 327, the oath or affirmation required to be taken by the members and officers of this Convention is as follows:

"I, do swear, (or affirm,) as the case may be, that I will, to the best of my skill and judgment, diligently and faithfully, without partiality or prejudice, according to the constitution and laws of the State of Maryland, discharge the duties of a member or officer of the Convention to frame a new constitution and form of government for the State of Maryland, called in pursuance of the act of the General Assembly of Maryland, passed in the year 1867, chapter 327, and that since the 4th day of July, 1851, I have not in any manner violated the provisions of the present or the late constitution in relation to the bribery of voters or preventing legal votes, or procuring

illegal votes to be given; and I do further swear (or affirm) that I will bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland, and support the constitution and laws thereof, and that I will bear true allegiance to the United States, and support, protect and defend the constitution, laws and government thereof as the supreme law of the land, any law or ordinance of this or any State to the contrary notwithstanding; and I do further swear (or affirm) that I will, to the best of my ability, protect and defend the Union of the United States, and not allow the same to be broken up and dissolved, or the government thereof to be destroyed under any circumstances if in my power to prevent it, and that I will at all times discountenance and oppose all political combinations having for their object such dissolution or destruction."

The committee further report that said oath should be administered to the president elect of the Convention, by some judge or justice of the peace of the State, and should then, in conformity with the third section of the sixtyeighth article of the code of public general laws, be administered by said president to the other members of the Convention, and to the officers thereof; and that said oath, after having been administered as aforesaid, should be subscribed by said president, members and officers of the Convention, respectively, in conformity with the provisions of said article of the code.

JOSEPH A. WICKES,
GEO. WM. BROWN,
ALBERT RITCHIE.

The president of the Convention, Judge Carmichael, then took the oath of office before Judge Daniel R. Magruder, and subscribed his name thereto.

The oath of office was then similarly taken and subscribed to by the members of the Convention, by delegations, before the president.

Mr. Geo. M. Gill offered the following, which was adopted.

Ordered that the following persons be declared appointed to the offices of this Convention for which they are respectively named, and during the pleasure of this Convention: Secretary, Milton Y. Kidd, of Cecil county;