Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-02-12
MARYLANp LEGIsLArrRE.

L
In the Senate, Oh Saturday last, Mr..
WALLACE, from the committee on Judi
cial proceedings, to which was referred
the House preamble and resolutions in
relation to the message of Gov. LIGoN,
reported them without amendment; they
were then read the second time, and, on
motion of Mr.. WALLACE, were made the
order of the day for Monday last. Gen.
GATHER, Of this county, submitted the
the following message:
Gentlemen Of the House Of Dclcgatcs:
We respectfully return to your honor
able body series of resolves which have
been transmitted by your honorable body
to the Senate for its action. We arc
prompted to this by many reasons of
force, few of which we respectfully re-
capitulate.
The resolves treat of subject which
involves private character as we'll as Of
tclal conduct, inquiries which ought to
be considered with great dcliberation,
and with special reference to the 1ruc
facts of the case. 1t might be we'll
doubted, whether it was ever in the con-
temptation of the trainers of our politi-
cal system that the Legislative branch of
1t should engage in the enumeration of
mere distractions, which can have no
other effect than to arouse feelings of
unkindness in the breasts of the people
of the State. 1t would seem to be more
proper to believe, that the appropriate
exercise of the functions of the General
Assembly, would be in the form of laws,
which can be executed instead of mere
declarations, which, however insulting
and untrue, are nevertheless impotent to
any good end. But, be this as it may
we are not prepared to deal with the
matters embraced in the resolutions, be-
cause, as yet, this body has not had the
necessary information. By the Consti-
tuition, your honorable body is constitu-
ted the grand inquest for the State, with
plenary power to collect the truth by the
examination of witnesses; a power of
Ahe highest character, and to be exer-
cised with a full appreciation of its i'm
portance. AS yet, so far as the Senate
is advised, the power has not been called
into requlsition, touching the subjects
embraced in the resolutions sent by your
honorable body for its action. If we
were TO act upon them now, we would
DO so upon no other evidence than that
which is contained in the message of
Gov. Ligon, and the correspondence be-
tween him and the Mayor of the city of
Baltimore lnasmuch as these papers
are incopgruous, who is to decide between
them? What right is there existing in
any body, to pronounce a sentence upon
any individual, however humble, without
knowledge of the facts of the case p
That no such night exists any where.
even the direst sense of justice in the
breast of men will affirm. We know
full well that the principal matter treated
of in the resolutions, are not within the
personal knowledge Of the members of
this Legislature. The scene was the
city of Baltimore, whilst, with the cx-
ception of the delegation from that city,
the rest of the body were distant from it.
This statement is incontestably true,
and being SO, any opinion pronounced by
the Legislature, must necessarily be with
out any moral force. If it be essential
to keep a watchful and jealous eye on
the doings of all who are in office, which
all must admit to be proper, and which
III substance is avowed by your resolu-
tons, it is not tho less required by the
law of simple justice, that before iudg-
ment be pronounced, knowledge should
be had by those who assume to do so :;
and the more especially so. by body
assumed by the theory of our govern
ment, to be the assembled wisdom of the
State. In constituting the House of
Delegates the grand inquest of the State,
the trainers of our government, did not
commit the folly of depriving it of the
means Of acquiring the truth and it is
but reasonable to suppose it never was
designed the prerogative should be exer-
eised, other than under circumstances,
which, if they would not secure correct
expression of opinion, would neverthe-
less show it was the purpose to deal fair
~ and impartially. 1t never was the
design to confer on a body high power,
to be used under the influence of passion
or caprice. Without pretending, and
disclaiming most explicitly any intention
to intimate the House of Delegates has
acted under any such influence, the SEN
ate holds it to be its sacred duty, under
no circumstances to be dispensed with
to see it acts Understandings, in mat
ter of the gravity Of the subject of the
resolutions. Nor can it be unmindful
that the whole press of the country has
characterized the acts of violence said to
have been enacted in Baltimore, in terms
which place that city in light unworthy
of our State, and to its serious detriment.
If, therefore, it be deemed advisable,
that the Legislature should notice Off
eially what there took place, it ought
only to be done when all proper means
have been resorted to for information -
lnfammatory and partizan resolves can
not establish fact, nor can they cast
censurc on the meritorious. or release
the guilty from the just censure of the
UN