The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-27


cents is not enough those practical who proposed
hud the road for that fair wou not have made the offer
Thoseresponsble those solid of Baltimore will agree
to do the work and give your city $4,000 for the
privilege.
In the of sense will you agree that these
men shall be thrown aside, and in fifteen years give
Brock Co million dollars of your hard earnings
lcries of no, mol 1t would be disgrace Baltimore
and to Maryland am gratifed to see such meeting OF
substantial men before me- who know their rights, and
knowing dare maintain them. TApplause.l
Mr. Sedenstricker then introduced George NJ.
Gill, Esq, who said in substances:
Citizens Of Baltimore Your presence here tonight is
the evidence that feel proper interest in the ques
ton now under consideration That question is not
whether your highways shall be given up to the control
of an irresponsible company for fifteen years or for any
stated PERIOD but whether they to be allowed pass
from your hands forever. If the bill pending before
the Legislature of the State should become law
have no other effect than to virtually confer upon Brock
Co., the exclusive right your highways all time
Objectionable, odious, oppress i've and injurious
the ordinance passed by the City Council pre-
ferabe far odious the which
firm that ordinance The charter granted by the Council
contained provision binding the grantees open books
of subscription by which the citizens of Baltimore
be allowed to subscribe for the capital stock which
necessary to build and equip the road The intention
the ordinance was to give the people of this city the
control of the road True that provision not carried
OUT; The books were opened, but only in mOckery
What are Brock Co. doing They are before the
Legislature of the State praying for
ton with capital stock of two millions of dollars,
far exceeding the requisite amount to build equip the
road If they succeed in securing their ends the conse-
will be- that they will forever remain in possession
of this valuable franchise. At the end of fifteen years
is true the city will have the power of purchasing the
railway. but at what price? Not by paving the actual
of the road by paying for 81 900 600 worth
stock Is it strange therefore that this people should
out against the perperaon of this infamous outrage
Is it strange that you should be here tonight express
Indignation and enter your solemn protest against
the eonsummaton of this monstrous iniquy? If there
were other Objectionable feature in this bill this
would be sufficient to bring here demonstrate against
its enactment.
am not here to attack any member of the present Leg
sature am one Of those who feel grateful to the gen
tlemen composing that body for the alutary
which they have already passed for benefit and the
fruits of which to be this night For,
is owing in small degree to these that
are allowed to meet here tonight, and without fear
molestaton give expression to our opinions. Yet am
citizen OF Baltimore feeling interest in her welfare
and prosperity and will always be ready to defend her
rf2ts and to resist the consummaton of great public
wrong
Let justice be done to Brock Co. Let them be paid
for the money labor and time which they have expended
nut no more. They knew what they doing when
they secured the grant They knew that they per-
petratng an outrage this community and they have
no right to take advantage of their wrong. They
want capital stock of 81 900 900. For what? To build
road which will cost $500 900 5000 600? No They
want the money to put it in their pockets To enrich
themselves Is this community to be robbed for the bene
fit of Brock Co. If it is the greatest injustice which
winch was ever perpetrated on this city.
Loud calls for Hodges, Hodges
James M. Hodges, ESQ.,, then came forward and
spoke in substance as follows:
Feloo Citizens Il before you to make speech;
come here merely business man, to speak to you
business way We are all here for common purpose
to speak about the ourages that have recently been
cted upon rights and want the voice of this meet
ing to be carried in thunder tones the plains
Anne Arunde county into the halls Of Legislature
Annapolis saying that we do not want the present rail
road ill endorsed and that will endorse no one who
VIII 90 SO. don't make any wholesale charges of cor
rupton against Messrs Brock & Co, those who have
been intimately connected with them that is only
of time; all know the and although have had
no direct evidence to that effect still the circumstantial
stronger than other could possibly OBJ
tain.
Mr. Hodges said he did not expect to speak until late
in the afternoon and he would merely discuss the ques
tions before the meeting in business way prove that
illegal means had been used to obtain the passage
of the present bill by the City Council Suppose, said
he you are about to put out contract for building
house or steam engine and two of equal response
biy come forward and offers take the
hve thousand dollars and another at three thousand
dollars, would any of you give it to the person who
oilers at five thousand fso would like to that
Again, suppose agent and give out contract
for your employer for five thousand dollars when you
could have the work performed for three thousand
what would your employer think OF you, could you es-
cape suspicion from him your integrity in the
action? This is the condition of the City Council in giving
railroad with five foreigners when our
own citizens offered to give it to for three cents
Men brought up among you and identified with the in
terests of city have been cast off, and having
no sympathy with you politically socially have been
thrust into their places The speaker hoped the Legisa
ture would this matter in the light the citi
of Baltimore it. 1t had been said remarked Mr.
Hodges that foreign capital had been introduced into
city, which was benehttiug Baltimore As a merchant
he knew the advantages OF foreign capital but it
introduced by Brock Co., il would be detrimental
the interests Of the city instead of advantagesus-it
would bring ruin and degradation upon Brock Co.
charging the citizens of Baltimore u-urious rates
interest upon their capital invested and be invested
here. They will exact Is per cent on all of it.
The speaker then went into calculation to show that
If the Legislature granted the charter to Brock & Co.
with ita of $4,000 600 for fifteen years. they would
take from the pockets of the citizens of Baltimore in that
time, and transfer it to Philadelphia, the of So 9S2
7S7 with their capital untouched and the railroad the
same as to-day. 1t was mOnstrous TO think that this
amount will be carried off to enhance the value
tion in the city of Philadelphia.
We applying said the speaker, to the Legisa
ture of Maryland to defend those rights which
been graSped from us, under circumstances which
could not control; and We the Legislature to
grant this charter and against endorsing this measure
which will compel us to fvecent fare, when they
can give us threecent fare; them to shrink
from the endnrsanAnt of this ti
poisoned chalice.
Mr. Hodges said he agreed with the gentleman who
spoken before him in everything said in
that solid phaanx Of the Democracy who had up
the Legislature and passed those Reform measures which
were to redeem the city from all its misrue and ourages
OF past years, but we want them to show that
they cannot only defend rights practically
narily If they will do this they will find that Gibraltar
itself will only be another for Baltimore. Loud
and prolonged cheering
A motion that the first blank in the resolutions
be filled with two hundred names was made and
adopted
The second blank was filled with five and the
Chair appointed the following gentlemen the COM
mittee: Edmund Wolf, w. 4. Hack, Lawrence
Sangston, A. X. Mantz and II. Snyder.
The meeting then adjourned.