The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-03
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

| Boyd, relative to the condition of the wall al
| Jones Falls. Referred to the Committee on the
| Harbor.
Mr.. WooD presented the petition of Geo. Appold
Son, in reference to placing switches from Their
premises North street to the track of the North
| ern Central Railway. Referred to the Committee
| on Internal improvements.
Mr.. BEALE offered 4 resolution in regard to pub
| fishing the thesis of the graduates of the High
| Schools in Album FORM Laid on the table.
The President announced sealed communica
| tion from the Mayor.
Mr.. BEALE moved that Committee be appointed
| to invite the Second Branch into Convention
| Adopted.
The CHAIR appointed Messrs. Beae and Houston
as the Committee.
After the convention adjourned the President
called the Branch to order.
Mr.. BEACHAM, of the Committee on Highways pre-
sented an ordnance relative to enclosing Lafayette
Square. Laid on the table.
Mr.. BEACHAM presented an ordinance DECLARING
Pierce street from Fremont to Poppeton streets
public highway. Laid on the table.
Mr.. RANDOLPH presented supplementary ord
Passed
Mr.. WooD called for the order of the day, being
the majority report of the Committee on High.
ways in regard to a city railroad.
The bill was taken up and discussed and amend
ed. When the clerk had finished reading the bill
Mr.. MONTAGUE said he hau a bill to offer and de-
sired the clerk to read it,
The clerk then read the bill, which authorizes
Chauncey Brooks, Genus Barnum and others to lay
down a railroad.
Mr.. MONTAGUE said he wished it to be understood
that be was there to advocate that bill which offer
ed the greatest revenue to the city. He was not
welded to the bill he offered. If any other gentle
man had bill to offer which was superior to
his he would vote for it, When, on previous oc-
casion, he had assured gentlemen that a more ad-
vantageous bill to the city would be offered some
doubted that secure and good names could be found
to support it. He wished the members to examine
andsa II fhavy
ble He said he would present to the Council some
statistics which he had gathered from reliable
sources, and as he gave the figures he wished the
friends OF the majority to put them down, as he
would demand that they should be controverted-
The average number of persons who use the omni-
buses per day is about S,000 The estimated cost of
the road made by gentlemen well capaciated byudg-
ment and experience to make such an estimate is
S35O,OOO. This includes the purchase of cars and
horses and all things necessary for the perfect
operation of the road
Mr.. WooD.-"ls the gentleman authorized to use
the figures he gives?"
Mr.. MONTAGUE-''l am, SIR"
Mr.. WooD.-"By whom?"
Mr.. MoNTAGuE.-"By one of the proposed COM
pany."
Mr. WooD.-'Then you are their agent?"
Mr.. MoNTAGUE.-"No sir: | am not their opent
but | am the agent of the city,"
Here marks of appreciation were given in the
lohbies.
The PREsIDENT.-'T will order the lobbies to be
IL
Mr.. TALBoTr.-"Mr. President-Let the gentle
men in the lobbes follow the train of their feelings.
Every body knows that they are deeply concerned
in regard to the city interests"
Mr.. MoNTAGUE.-''l am not to be driven from nv
position by ridicule, do intend that gentlemen
shall fret me or disturb the of my temper.
Now, sir, this bill proposes to pay to the
city annually ten thousand dollars, which
Is the interest on $lGG,GG6.G6, and this amount
should be added to the expense of constructing and
placing the road in working order which makes
the outlay of the Company amount to trifle over
a half million of dollars. He did not want this bill
carried by any subterfuge false ISSUE but if it
passed he expected it to do by the force of truth
lie therefore desired members to pay particular at
tentIon to the facts. Allowing there to be 800
working days in the year, and an average of 900
persons to use the omnibus per dav, there
which at charge of five cents per person
would produce revenue to the Company of Sl2O,-
600. Allowing 20 per cent of the gross receipts to
be consumed in the Legitimate expense of running
the cars and Keeping the road in order there would
still be left for the Company 500 OO0 as the profits
OF an investment of half million of dollars This
is the revenue derived from the road after the pay
ment ofSlO,O0O per year to the city. Now where is
there any comparison between the bills? Can pen-
tlemen get over these figures? But to the other
point, are these men responsible? Do they offer
form the work? Look at the names. Are they
what are called straw? Are they children? Are
they not responsible? Or can gentlemen suppose
that such men would act from blindness or piaue?
No. sir, they are responsible, and will give the best
sureties that they will fill the letter of their con-
tract But there is another condition in this bill 70
which special attention should be directed. This
grant is only for fifteen years. and at the ex-
piration of that time the company propose to
pay larger annual sum to the city or
give up the Improvement This IS n
consideration which should not be overlooked and
gentlemen should remember that no rational esti-
mate OF increase of population in the city during
that time Will so increase the necessities of the peo
pie as to demand such an increase in cars, as to
prlng INTO the city treasury an amount of money
equal to that proposed to be paid by the bill which
he had presented"
Mr.. TALBoTT.-"Does the gentleman, even in bis
widest dreams, think that the city will ever get
this improvement, if made, in her possession p
Both the bills are alike in this particular They
give grants to companies, and whatever company
gets 1t will keep it forever. There is no difference
between the bills in this particular. It's all bosh
to talk about the city ever coming into possession
of it."
Mr.. MoNrAGUE.-"That is only the gentleman
opinion
Mr.. TALBoTT.-''Yes, sir, only my opinion"
!, Mr.. MoNTAGuE-"I would be sorry to take it as
the aggregate opinion of this Branch Mr.. Presi-
dent let these two bills go before the public Let
them be Published in the newspapers and let public
sentiment speak, and nine e-tenths of the community
would be with this bill in opposition to that of the
majority OF the Committee. The gentleman NAV
laugh, (said to MIR. Beale-reporter,) but much as
L am in the habit of respecting his opinions re-
spect public opinion still more. We are here to
reduce taxation and husband the citys resources
Will the gentleman from the Seventh ward assist
me? No, he is irrevocably pledged to the support
OF the other bill''
Mr. BEALE-"The gentleman must not misrepre-
sent me. Not irrevocably. If bill is presented
which | deem better than that presented nv the
Committee, it will receive my support The bill
offered by the gentleman from the goth ward has
not been discussed yet, and cannot promise it
my support"
MIR. MoNrAGUE.-"Well, I am glad to get that
much from the gentleman. He is on the anxious
bench and think will soon have him converted !"
Mr.. BEALE.-'You will be there first"
Mr.. MoNTAGTE.-'I do not scorn it."
Mr.. BEALE.-"That's the proper doctrine"
Mr.. MoNTAGUE.-'1 am not going to consume the
time of the Council longer"
Mr.. TALBoTT.-'l am glad to hear it'
sit down.
Mr.. TALBorr.-"My remark was intended to be
Pickwickian in its sense. Will the gentleman
please continued"
Mr.. MONTAGUE then gave the number of persons
on Baltimore street who had wanted Passenger
Railway, and their character, whether property
holders or tenants He also had them divided into
those in favor of one, and those favorable to two
tracks through Baltimore street
Mr.: BEAcHAN.-"Where did the gentleman get
that list?" 81
Mr.. MoNrAGuE.--"From one of the gentlemen
to whom it is proposed to issue the grant"
Mr.. BEAcHAM.-"Whati is his manner"
Mr.. MoNrAGUE.-"Mr. Willet."
Mr.. BEACHAM.-"Yes, and that Mr. Willet pot
those names for the of the omnibus men, but
afterwards sold out. Mr. Robertson told me that
such was the fact"
Mr. MoNTAGUR.-''Some others might have sold
out As for himself in opposing the bill of the
majority of the Committee, he opposing the in
terests OF two of his most intimate personal fre pds
ana who were also his constituents They had
never spoken to him of the matter. he to them,
and nothing but sense of duty caused him to mr.
sue the course which he was now pursuing. Before
he would sit down he would present and ask for the
reading OF letter which he had received and
been requested to present with the proposed re-
quest. He assured the member of the Fourth ward
to whom the letter referred, that he presented it
only because it had been sent to him for that mr.
pose. For the Chairman of the Committee on
highways he entertained the kindest feelings and
and nothing was farther from his intentions than
to mar the relations which existed between
them lie would say that he had not spoken to the
author of the letter.
The letter was handed to the clerk, when some
objection was raised to it being read, when
Mr. TALBOT said, "Will the gentleman from the
2Oth ward state vaguely what the contents are?'
Mr.. MoNTAGUE-"Iw will state nothing vaguely. I
am not in the habit of speaking in that manner
have not read the letter, but have been informed
that it denies that the Chairman of the Com mittee
on Highways informed the parties interested in the
granting of the right of way, that the Committee
would report at the time they did,"
Cries of "read the letter." The clerk than read
the letter, which proved to be from Mai Daniel
McPha, and the contents were substantially as MIR.
Montague stated
Mr.. BEACHAM-"What | meant was that they had
been informed that they could appear before the
Committee represented by paid counsel He had
informed MIR. McPhail that if the Committee agreed
Tn hna. H. LII II