Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-03-15
sfaryland Legislature.

truth, when we say, that such BODY never
| assembled in the capitol of this State before,
and it il more than probable, that such a
reckless. assemblage will never convene in
! Annapolis again.
| From its organization, until its final and
hssty close. twas prodigal Of both time and
money. Bills most obnoxious to the moral
sense of the State have been proposed and
seriously considered; chartered rights and
vested privileges have been disregaried, and
constitutional law trampled under foot.
Bent on, it would seem, the accomplish
ment of one, and to the majority the great
aud orershadowing interest, namely the GUST
ing Of certain individuals from office and
place--the interests Of the State-the inte-
rests of Daltmore--and to us what is OF vi
tai importance, the interests OF Allegany
county are all made 10 succumh 10 party
maneuvering-to sink TO the bottom, that
democratic Office seekers may float into place
and power.
In the lac; campaign, who were they that
dscoursed 50 eloquently upon the canal p
spoke in ouch confident tones Of the signal
advantage that would accrue to the county,
ii tho democracy Should succeed and tie
canal by them turned over to tne bond hold
ora or other than politicians for managenel I?
Do you ask who? Why the Democratic can
didatcs And what have they done? With
large and overwhelming majority they
hnv, suffered the bill! which was to give re-
atty 10 their promises, 10 sink 10 low. chat
it could no. be reached. And why? That
they might have an opportunity to Dust the
Baltimore delegation, aud vote into the posi-
ton Of Comptroller. n man whom the people
had repuiiateh Had the same interest becl.,
felt for the canal bill That was manifested
in the contested election cases, that bill in
oil probability would have been passed, and
we would ut least have been sparcd TIE APP
prelarsion Of an increase Of tolls On the
canal. How true il 10 that Democracy holds
tie promise to the ear, but breaks it to the
heart. II bcgomes the people OF .tl!egany
to hid /, Z strict accountability those who
have 10 shamelully neglected their interests
The following article. which we find in the
Baltimore Patriot, wr copy, because it gives
such graphic picture of the dongs Of the
recent Legislature:
IL, 8
this State. which expired on Saturday night,
went out in scores appropriate to its short
and discreddable career. Perhaps it would
not hs too much 10 say that no such Assem-
BIZ has ever been seen 10 Annapolis before,
and we hope Nnd trust 1t will he long before
we shall! ever look upon its like again Scared
into existence By tho John Brown raid, which
frightened so many weak brethren from their
propriety, and helped on by the numerous
applicants Of the old Democratic party for
the United States Senatorship, it has been
diverted in these particulars, into better
thugs than was intended; and, besides Sc
curing the election Of Mr.. Pearce, it has
been driven into defeating the jacobs bill.
From its organization up to the latest mo-
nlcnts Of its brief existence, it FILTERED away
time and money II wasted day after day
in the discussion Of bill to rob the free
coorci population of their freed.m--a bill,
the proper disposal Of which would have
been found in an order TO the keepcr OF the
Hall to sweep it out Of the room. Week
after week was wasted in collecting aud
bringing to Annapolis, at great expense, wit.
ncsses IN cases where dispositions proved no.
thing. Thousands of dollars were flung away
in trivial useless expenses; and hundreds Of
thousands more wasted in bills for the pur-
chase Of arms, for cxtravagant rcmunera-
tons OF hopeless cases. while even pittances
were denied to deserving Institutions, and
they refused even n smgle dollar to COM
plete the repairs Of the State House. The
amounts Of their enormous cXtrayaganccs are
yet unknown; but it is already certain that
lao surplus whatever can remain in the chest
to be used in the reduction of the State debt
even if the Treasury is not even now abso-
lrtely bankrupt. The most reckless eXtrav-
agnncc in useless matters, and in matters
worse than useless the most miserable stin-
gincas in things useful and indispensable.
1t is already certain that they haze APP
propriated more money than any previous
Assembly-that they have paid the petty
employees and underclerks, whose number
they increased, the most extrayagant wages
while they refused to pay Just debts already
contracted, and for articles, Of which the
State had received full benefit. Nor have
these been their only sins They have shown
the most reckless disregard Of all the l,rinci-
pies of legislation, in adopting in caucus
and in thrusting through the Houses with
out debate, the most obnoxious and ill-con-
trived measures, whose Gully consequence
thus lar, has been expensive litigation. They
have manifested an Ignorance of the forms
of legislation rs complete rs it was dscredt
able and have outraged all its propritties
in passing insulting orders Of inquiry to the
Governor, and OF rebuke to other public
servants for votes approved by almost every
one except themselves, which last failed in
the Senate only for want Of the time neces-
sarv t" its preparation,
The atmosphere in which these honorable
Bodies moved was one Of incessant impurity,
heated and poisoned l,y all the appliances
and corruptons Of the most bare-faced lobby
that ever polluted the State House. Politi-
cal jobbing and log-rolling seemed to have
taken the place of debate; and considerations
Of public policy were completely abandoned
whenever private interests could be made to
intervene.
The few good acts they were whcedled into
passing were perpetrated with the most in
decent haste and accompanied by the most
outrageous refusal of even a hearing on the
other side. llltemper and bad blood usurpcd
the place Of courtesy and good breeding
dignity was lost in squsbbles; petty differ
ences grew into personal difficulties and ouar-
rels. which made even men of his own party
threaten to Gust the Speaker, who, it is said,
under apprehension of general row, de-
clared the House adjourned before it had
time to refuse him vote of thanks
The Chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means, shortly after the question of the
Senatorship was decided, left finally for his
home, leaving the Appropriation Bills to
take care of themselves. The Chairman OF
the Committee on Elections, after reporting