The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-18
MAYORS MESSAGE.
MAYORS OFFICE, CRY HALL, l
Baltimore January IL 1859

disease has appeared in its malignant forms ant
iase humperS OF all classes have fallen victims to it,
ravages While similar results predicted here TIN
eity OF baltimore has enjoyed her usual exemption
desolate by the unprecedented mortality which ha,
| marked its PROGRESS in other c;tiss Toth;s ~ @ a
ly illustrates the advantages of our natural positon haI
the uninterrupted with which for years past on,
people have been favored Thara non ha - 80. 80 l u
for congratulations than that which secures tho means ~
robust health and physical h ~
vcissudes of clmae-whch has enabled us heretofore
TO appropriate the blessings of commercial enterprise and
those active industrial pursuits which kind Proyidanca
The wide.snraod ra,,nIs;oo :; - ,.
trade and productye industry which for two ,,as ~ y.
cities regret to s3v has t % psiesity 1i our large
decided reaction The mechanical and WORKING classes
are still suffering; and large accumuIaons of caita in
the absence of adequate inducement have been with
drawn from pursuits in which it had been proab and
advantageously employed f'' w
The CITY of baltimore has haen stoadi, h;,a; ~ .
system of manpfactnres a,,hroc;,, on ~, 9, S uP
expanded domestic trade This has he b re ti or an
ted by her close proximity to the markets of the West
with which her entarnriss hos nj aad ~ S " e VEST
ncation presence almost at her own door of the
great staples of and iron which enter o LARGELY
the most profitable of mechanical pursuits The ac
tiviy of her works of internal improvement-the
growth OF her populaton-the steady increase of her
weaith-the continued ascendaDcy of her geographical
postlon-depend in no small degree upon the success
win Which she maintains her independence of all
neous aids The governmental policy which looks to the
protection OF home industry by wise Determinations
one in which community is more deeply interested
than our own and Of all the which nave been re-
ferred to- instrumental precptatng the crisis with
which all sections of country now struggling that
which isolates the government from the people and
leaves our home ind ustry toerish destructive com
petition with the crowded work shops the
in Judgment prolific of the evIis TO when
49,; are u look Tor fehe by prompt and decided legis-
ia'.on. io
~ S ts Past year has been one of general depres
~ an branches oil BUSINESS our city has had no just
1'nse o " eonipiain. ,
ooo so uufng i e year have amounted to $1O119,
u s,s' ans - a' 'foo' 'i9o IN 1901.
our taae IN nour grain, groceries, tobacco dry goods
nv ledther Nc &c, mas been well sustained
one soz OF wheat hour in 1888 amounted to
s 60 90. ooo''i1 parreis IN 1891, showing an
T M @ ;" o oo'f5. s p'tIeis ~
] S , VI gram snow taiiing oil OF over half
=; az. Vi SheiS' aItiioutapie manly TO the short crop
/" " t'e ~ W est
M us'I anu noaSses, the trade has increased.
oon OF lea TOBACCO, show an increase of "a,
O00 anu T tne oregh exports an increase OF II,
Voo hosseads The total of leaf tobacco sold during the
year was 1900 hogsheads.
20 +hn TO- e es'"aeu safes ior the year are equal
" rt uliose vi 1927.
Eeueai .raue OF our clty has been estimated at a
5"I'aa ~ VI ohe huhurea anu thrty three millions of
"oIials;
10 ny no means proDiem OF diihcut solution, in the
uure ueVeiopmeht Doth OF our domestic and foreign
t"ia " % ,, eAent the Guy oil Baltimore VIII be sus
'aihed III the estimates of her early founders. She
aS; " 'e coHrmercli centre ol the west, than Phila
oeiPla' 9r new lork, or Boston; and with railway
Offering greater facilities than those any
3n ner rvaiS cannot be doubted, that results
usy ookeu I0r IN the commencement of her great
TEN oi internal improvements have been rather suspend
i e ta CUT on ny events which have since occurred Her
clalnS as an original market both for Supply and dstr
button as well as the most convenient point export for
the varied products of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
are 100 Wei founded to he permanently shaken by peri
oca eVus IN trade The city of Baltimore
almost III tne very centre of more than thousand miles
oi the best connection between the
waters OF the East and West Her access to the
ocean may De rendered easy and unobsructed The effect
her nod and deter mined policy backed by the State
Maryland in the appropriation of than thirty Fl We
millions of capital the development her legitimate
trade was only beginning to be felt when in common
win the ctes OF the board and indeed the whole
ohoh' sne ioud herself IN the midst Of financial and
commercial crisis almost without example in past
history The fact that she has wthsood the shock with
so little apparent nveniencethat credit has
mahtalned-that her works of internal improvement
encountered by embatrassments inseparabe from the
heaVy outlay required in their construcon-haye con-
nued to operate dvanageousy with so little OBJ
structongive assurance of future which may well in
spre and point to period not remote
Wneh our most sangaine hopes may be than re
alHen.
Intimately connected with the future commercial nros
fatapSco river The great value attached to this work
has never been properly estimated. the 5th of Jan
uary 1852, the Board of Trade passed a resolution EN-
powering committee of most influential business
men, 10 examine IN all Its bearings, the subject of deep
siihs oul snip chahhel Ihe commendable zeal with
Me Tue WORK was undertaken resulted in determina
tion TO apply to the City Council for appropriation of
S9oooo to the State Legislature for of the auc
soh uutieS ior many years withheld from the city; and
also 10 memoriaze Congress in such form might be
deemed advisable. an APPROPRIATION to remova
the obtructons in the bed Patapsco river and the
chesapeake Day at the mouth of said river" These
Iot' am appy 10 be able to sate were responded to in
proper spirit
The hrSt year OF the operations Of the Board under this
ne new vs. system was employed with limited force in cutting
depth of feet only The removal of these
established the fact that the cnrrent instead Of hai a.
vered in direct line with an increased velocity
which had the effect of deepening the channe and the
government engineers acting under the information thus
obtained located the boundaries of a new channel in a
straight line from point distance below the fort
to the mouth of the river.
The channel thus marked out is a true f 8 + and W
N. W line-admtting the passage of vessels with
South wind, and shortening the distance several miles
By the old channel different courses were reoured
to reach our wharves.
In order to make the channel accessible as speedlv s
possible to mercantile marine depth was first pro
duced throughout its entire length of nineteen feet Sub
sequently was increased to TWENTY-FIVE feet and a tb
present time, for most of the distance il has reached
maximum of from twenty four to twenty.six feet
recent survey by Lieut. Comstock of the engineers
establishes the gratifying fact that no change has taken
place in the bed of the subsequent accumu
iations
The original estimate of the engineer to obtair i
form depth twenty feet was $500 600 The general
Government has contributed up to this time about
$l30000
1t is greatly to be desired that the attention of our rem
resentatves in Congress NAV he steadily directed "a the
importance of this work II makes tb stronst snnasI
in a national point of view The channel as ar ,sien
projected requires enlargement An additionaI annrn
pration of 100000 it is confidently believed will Sc
passage to the harbor Baltimore of Sufficient
width and capacity accommodate vessels Of the largest
class
My connection with another important WORK of i'm
proyement, induced ago to urge the openin of
free passage to the ocean, for vessels the heaviest
tonnage indispensable to the demands Of Ia,e and
creasing trade 1t justly remarked in the memorial
TO your honorable body in 1852 by the committee of
the boaru OF Irade lat the r"'"sen river and the At
ahtc ocean were nat the continuance OF our lines of rail
reads
Ihat the advantages OF the harbor of Baltimore to
Naval marine should have been so long overlooked
not ail to excite surprise. There is point upon the
Eastern seaboa d, where naval depot could be esab
snea win 'e prospect of IKE tacitie and indeed it
re, cond ian b =" e ae Sy ~ one ~nTrt IN tme :" war
Of tbe Sa p ~, ~ @ ; i ''e,S ~, WIN tne '"Hin.n'
t @ 80 ~ = hiIa 9 ~ @ iie "us,'oc suPP','' III 'he
event OF oockaue OF our ports, The mineral region of
Maryland furnishes the only afe reliance for he supply
cos lot our steam marine IL Is TACT worthy OF note,
.nt rom the chesapeake bay TO the Capes OF Florida,
@ - o'y one hrooI accessible TO hrst class frigates,
~ . w @ " - ~ % a., o',vl lo'ts cpais "ohid nave 10
50 y. ii. eolis'e a"ir iIsh anu preat expense OF
,o - etl"ot pe uoup,eu that tls view wan
up -, I 81. tpon @ sne iaNolaoe conslea aton oi Ooh-
~ E % % 't IN noLh SO near TonPletloh anu Proms
hs s9 ineaGuine dement's WIN be persev in with
two vears ~ ~ maj " '' 'fe'"''o"' VI ''e past
NJ! III the practical working OF our present
p' ysii' uiuei lc many anu lhiP"'Iiht chalg
es "oh nave peeh introduced satshes me- that results
nave oeeh reached which cannot ii to lead to increased
harmony ana economy IN the future II has been my
chlei ooeet 10 nring every department OF the city gov
erhmeht uhuer frequent ana rigid accountability; and
WINE they are kept astnct ana indepei denE OF each
oer " htepOSe such restraints as VIII detect remiSs
ness, and guard efectuay against wasteul extraya-
gance or the exercise of any discretion in their dsburse
ments beyond the limits assigned them by the Council
In the application OF these checks have been
fully aided by the office of Comptroller, which although
of recent introduction compared with other bureaus has
already proved itself the valuable feature in the
organization 1t may well be doubted whether the busi.
of any city is conducted with more promptess and
regularity is less exposed imposition from defects
in the distribution and details Of its various offices The
daily contact of the public with these departments will
suthclently establish the justice OF this remark.
The department of the City Commissioner has been
conducted with strict to economy, and presents
most satisfactory exhibit of the operations of year
The public thoroughfares good condition and with
the exception of of 81 500 occasioned Ivy the
heavy freshet in June last the approprations for that
of he hava haan A