Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-03-05
Minority Report in Relation to the
Executive Contingent Fund.

Minority Report in Relation to the
Executive Contingent Fund.
We have received from Annapolis the
report of the minority on the Executive
Contingent Fund:
TO the honorable,
The II. Of Delegates Of Maryland:
The minority of your committee have
the honor to report that they have ex-
amined the vouchers for the years 1856
and 1857, chargeable to the contingent
fund, and agree with the majority in tes-
tifying to their correctness, but take ex-
ception to their reflections on the conduct
and course Of the late Governor.
The Convention, art. =, sec. 9, says,
The Governor shall be commander
in-chief CT the land and naval forces of
the State, and may call out the militia to
repel invasion, suppress instruction, and
cntorce the erecation Of The lars" again,
section 10, g He shall take care that the
laws be faithfully executed" These,
then, are clearly duties made obligatory
On the Executive, made SO by the Con-.
stitution, which he takes an oath to sup-I
port. His judgment then must be left
free, for it is to this Judgment he is to
look when such emergencies arise as re-
quire the interposition of Executive au-
thority.
In his message, SO unadvisedly, and in
the opinion of the minority of your COM
mittee, SO uniustly condemned by a strict
party vote of this House, Governor Lyon
sets forth in plain, uuvarnishcd way,
the condition of things in Baltimore city,
the necessity, IN his Judgment, for his in
terposition, his mode of proceeding, and
the results. To any one who reads this
statement, it is evident that the Govern
or was acting, and did act, under high
sense Of duty imposed upon him by his
conscience, his position, and the laws of
the State.
In his judgment then, strengthened,
too, by council with wise and able men,
he finds it necessary to call out and enroll
certain troops. Troops without arms are
useless; it would be an unnecessary dis
play. In locking for arms to place in the
hands of these troops, Governor Ligon
finds that those of the State are unfit for
service; arms must of course be had
for clearly the same laws which empow-
cred the Governor to call out the troops,
made it incumbent on him to arm them.
In this crisis he turns for aid to the Go
vernon of Virginia, who with that conf
ty and promptnes3 which characterizes
him, Immediately sent them on. 1t was
Tor the transportation of these arms from
Richmond to Washington, and back again
to Richmond, thas the heaviest charge on
the contingent fund was incurred; other
arms were brought from Frederick and
Easton, and sum of $273 90 expended
tor ammunition These several sums &c
to swell up the amount to some 1,70C
paid out Of the contingent fund
These acts Of the Governor have beer
denounced in the most sweeping manner
as extravagant, +" extraordinary" and
unconstitutional" by the majority Vi
your committee in their report.
The minority of your committee arc al
loss to comprehend how that act can be
unconstitutional, which is made obi
gatory by the Constitution itself
As to the acts of the Governor being
extraordinary, the minority of your
committee are of the opinion, that all that
was Extraordinary in his course, was
caused by the condition of things in Bal
timore, and by the rebellious and contu-
macious conduct of the Mayor Of that
city, Thomas Swami, who, although a
sworn servant of the State, threw in the
way of the Executive, his appointed chief
and ruler by the people, every obstacle
that his insubordinatc temper could sug-
eest.
In conclusion, the minority of your
committee can find nothing in the course
OF Ex-Governor Ligon to disapprove. but
much to admire and recommend; and in
their opinion, so far from his course ha-
wing been unconstitutional" he proved
himself wise and honest Executive. and
a good and faithful servant of the people
Respectfully submitted
JONI CONTEE,
GEO. II. MORGAN,
b. TONGUE.
February 10Th, 1858.