The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-20
THE EASTERN SHORE CLAIM.

lhE EASl ERN SHORE CLAIM
aIrL'cArloN TO THE GOVERNOR FOR THE CALL OF AN
ENrEA SEssIoN or THE STATE LEGISLATURE EY THE
MASS CONVENTION OF THE CITIZENS or Tue CouN-
TIES OF THE EASTERN SHORE, HELD AT EAsToN
TALBOT COUNTY, APRIL l4rH AND 18TH, 1858.
TO Hon. Thomas II. Hicks, Governor of Mary
iand-Slr: The undersigned, on behalf of a mass
convention OF your felowcitizens from all parts of
tne Eastern Shore of the State, and in accordance
with the views of large portion of the people of
.hat Shore, most respectfully petition your Excel
lehcy 10 exercise the power vested in YOU by the
loth section OF the I'd article of the constitution to
convene the Legislature ON extraordinary occa-
sions for the purpose of making provision for the
payment OF the sum due the Eastern Shore for
works OF Internal Improvement, which, together
Nun WI 9ther important measures relating mostly to
rne estern Shore, were not provided for at the
regular session. In presenting this request we
ueem IL incumbent upon us to show that an occasion
now exists for the exercise of this power which in
the language OF the constitution, may be regarded
as eXtraordinary."
BY the act of 1885 oh 395 snvan millions Of do,
lars were appropriated to works of internal i'm
Pro'ement on the Western Shore and one mil
Shore. VA 'H' i-'''e'n
The circumstances attendant on the nassara of
tS act and the fact of its being the result of dis
uhct arrangement, whereby the benefit of the latter
sum was to be secured to the Eastern Shore consi-
~ G'alm, the justice of which know to be
ADMITTED by your excellency, and which has been
acknowledged by the passage of bills for its paw
ment by both branches of the Legislature alter
nately' during the last two sessions of that BODY
-. Tue reasons assigned by the Legislature for the
ultimate failure of these bills were in the first case
the want of time for proper consideration: and in
Inc second instance, the objection to the provisions
oil the particular BILL and the want of time for the
proper preparation OF substitute; although it was
distinctly avowed by every member who opposed
the Dill that the claim was just and ought to be
paul. ana they were prepared to support bill for
nat purpose II there could be obtained time for the
preparation OF such one as would place the matter
upon Its own merits, without interfering with other
important interests
Inc lmposslbility of transacting the business of
the State for two years in the limited space of six
V-nve days, to which the regular sessions are now
connned and the preference ALWAYS given to private
over public business, where there is not sufficient
time for the transaction ofboth are facts universal
ly known and acknowledged
=, w are now for the second time the victims of
tins limitation of the sessions. No Legislature ever
labored more necessarily than the last and vet A
large amount OF business left unfinished and
there Is no reason to suppose that at another repu
lar session there would be time for that considera
ton OF the claims of the Eastern Shore which our
earnest efforts for two sessions have failed to secure
1t Is equally obvious that a second DELAY of two
years must be ruinous to enterprises in which a
large amount of capital has been invested, and in
which the people have been induced to embark their
own means, on the solemn pledge of stipulated
amount OF assistance from the State.
When it is considered that an extra session was
held expressly for the works of internal improve
ments on the Western Shore; that these works had
already received large appropriations from the
State, and had no actual right as we have. to de
mand the payment of appropriations already made;
that their appropriation bills had been discussed
and rejected at session of much greater lenptb
than tnose at which ours were under consideration
we feel that these circumstances alone would
constitute sufficient reason for regarding this as an
"eXtraordnary OCCASION" precisely similar to that
which has led to extra session at the present time
nplplhOrInU Statn nf
But there are other of great force and i'm
poftance. The large appropriations heretofore made
to works OF internal improvement, exclusively on
the western Shore have entailed the citizens of
the State heavy burden of direct taxation which
has prevented immigration into those parts of the
State which were not provided with the facilities
Afforded by the works of internal improvements
Under the influence of this policy great change
has taken place in the relative population of the
two shores, and this has had powerful influence
IN producing a new system of representation, by
which the political power of the Eastern Shore has
been greatly reduced
Whatever is calculated to delay or obstruct still
further the Development of the weaker portion Is
UNJUST IN ITSELF and will naturally be regarded as
an injury inflicted BY the stronger for its own
benefit.
We feel that the delay in the payment of our
claim has been caused at the recent session of the
Legislature by the er-of the Western Shore.
That the power she has acquired bv the means
which have been drawn from us BY taxation has
oeen used to prevent us from obtaining the same
facilities for business that we have assisted her in
procuring. That because our public works might
enable us to seek a better mark elsewhere their
construction must be prevented, that Baltimore
may have the monopoly OF our produce, and compel
us To sacrihee the fruits of our toll for the benefit
OF those who fatten on the products of our labor
ms conviction is creating deep and embttered
feeling, where brotherlv love has heretofore pre-
vailed, and every hour that the injustice is continu-
ed VIII only augment its depth and intensity But
there Is a third consideration which constitutes
condition OF affairs without precedent in the pre-
vlous history of the State, and which is therefore in
Its very nature "cXtraordinary."
An act has been passed for changing the consti
tuition itself before another Legislature can assem-
BILE at the regular period 1t has been boldly asser-
ted that by a new constitution any obligation of
State may be annulled and therefore our claim
might be entirely abolished.
we ask, IN common honesty, that our claim shall
De settled before 1t is buried under new constitu-
tion
We ask, in the settlement of this matter, that we
may have the benefit of our present representa-
ton before that representation itself be taken
away.
That If our organic law is tC be altered we may
at least meet as brothers when we assemble to form
the compact under which we are to live, and not
with our present feelings of enlargement and hos
tility.
1t has been charged by some of the newspapers
upon the Eastern Shore that this convention intend
ed to recommend Reputation of the direct tax
put such charge is entirely unwarranted 1t is
the opponents OF our claim who have taken the
ground OF reputation, by refusing to pay us the
million OF dollars which was appropriated to us in
the same act of 1885, for which we have been nav
ing direct taxes since lS4l The opponents of this
appropriation are the regulators, and not our
selves.
That provision of the constitution which directs
that the hayerRor shall be taken alternately from
the different sections of the State, is necessary to
the protection of the different interests which must
ever exist In those sections, and of which the in
cumbent OF the executive chair is therefore the pc
cullar guardian and representative
10 your Excellency belongs the distinguished
honor OF having endangered to engraft on the pres
ent constitution provision securing to the Eastern
Shore the right to separate from the Western
Shore and unite herself with either Delaware or
Virginia, as the only etectua protection to her in
terests, with even the present number of represen-
tatiyeE,
You have now been elevated to a position in
winch your duty requires yor to make every proper
effort to preserve the present boundaries of the
State. We hope and believe that tits your desire
to perform this duty faithfully; but we also hope
that you regard even this high duty secondary to
another OF still greater Importance viz: the protec
on OF the rights OF the people in every section of
the State, and especially those of your native shore
We ask you, then, to exercise the power which
you alone possess to secure to fair and i'm
partial hearing, where neither the want of time
nor the interference oil other measures can pre-
vent full and free discussion and investiga-
ton, and satisfactory adjustment of the details
OF law to secure to us rights. We request
you, act of justice, to give US an opportunity
to ascertain whether rights can be protected
in Maryland, before called on to unite with
the Western Shore in preparing a new bond of con
federation.
We ask you to say that the discussion of cues
tion involving the great principles of State faith and
public honor, and the rights and interests of large
and important portion of the State shall not be post
poned for two years for the paltrv consideration of
the cost OF an extra session. We ask you that the
Eastern Shore shall not be required to incur the
loss of 100000 in the interest for two wears of the
money which has been so long withheld from |
her, in order to prevent the expenditure of one |
fourth OF that sum by the State which is alone re-
sponsible for the delay. We ask your excellency