The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-29
PASSENGER RAILWAY QUESTION.
MAJORITY REPORT In FAVOR OF
BROCk---MINORTTY REPORT OF MIR.
TURNER---INTERESTI DEBATE, &c.

PASSENGER RAILWAY QUESTION.
MAJORITY REPORT In FAVOR OF
TURNER---INTEREST DEBATE, &c.
The subject of the City Passenger Railway was
up before the Legislature, yesterday, in its various
phases, of which we give the following detailed
summary of proceedings.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
During the morning hour the following petitions
were presented
Mr.. KRAFT presented the petition of W. s. Pat
finger, Daniel D. Hobbs, J. 7. Wallis, and 81 9th
ers of Baltimore, in favor of the Brock Railway
charter.
Mr.. BAYLEss presented the petition of John II.
Rogers, John W. Davis and AZ other citizens of
Baltimore, in favor of the Brock charter.
Mr.. MILLER presented the memorial of John H.
Read, George NJ. Addison, Charles Kidd, and Al
other citizens of Baltimore, in favor of the Brock
charter.
Mr.. MILLER presented the.memorial of J. Weston
Perkins, IL. IL. Grahame, j. d. Gimour, Blair &
Co., and 80 other citizens of Baltimore, in favor of
the Brock charter.
Mr.. SETH presented the memorial of Walsh &
CGnradt, W. II. B. Fussebaugh, +. III. B. Boyd
Augustus Getty and 50 other citizens of Baltimore
in favor of the Brock charter
Mr.. WILSON, of Cecil, presented the memorial of
r. G. Rieman, w. 7. Foster, c. +. Taylor and Al
other citizens Of Baltimore, in favor of the Brock
charter.
Mr.. MILLER, of Cecil, presented the memorial of
b. e. Goodman, Charles Caspari, and 27 other citi-
zens of Baltimore, in favor of the Brock railway
charter. Also, memorial of the same character
from Messrs Coleman Bailey, John w. Randolph,
David b. Grieves, William Henry Hiss, and 60 other
citizens OF baltimore. Also, similar memorial
from K. b. Chenowith, Edward X. Price, and 33
other citizens of Baltimore.
MAJORITY REPORT.
Dr. GoLDSBORoUGH presented the following report
of the Committee on Corporations to the House of
Delegates, relative to the Baltimore City Passenger
Railway:
The Committee having Investigated the charges of
fraud and corruption in the obention of the ordinance
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore passed and ap
proved March Is 1885, in relation to the Baltimore City
Passenger Railway, beg leave to report they have
examined great number of witnesses and taken large
mass of evidence, which they herewithin submit to the
consideration of the House
After the most diligent investigation the Committee
have failed to obtain evidence uorrnntion
either on the part of the City Council assgnees The
utmost efforts failed show that any bribe was Of
fered consideration received the part of the City
Council or that the grantees used any undue influence
on the same.
In regard to the allegations that the assgnees and
their associates belong to the Republican party which is
Justly obnoxious to the people of Maryland the committee
nave been satisfied OF the utter groundessnes the
charge by letters and certificates from gentlemen Of tn
highest character The seventh section does not provide
for the amount of the capital stock subscribed
the value oil the shares nor the payment of the subscrp
on for the election of Directors or Managers
Nor does 1t define the relative power influence which
he several stockholders shall have in the conduct of the
business of the partnership There exists nowhere any
power to exclude any offering to subscribe on the
ground OF pecunary inability to pay any other moral
consideration.
In regard to the opening of books for subscription
Messrs Brock Co. have acted under the advice
sell who were decided in their conviction the
observance OF the section not binding and obligatory
on the assgnees In relation to the fare charged or
allowed to be charged under the ordinance the amount
of four cents for each goes the
the other cent for the purchase of parks in the city
Baltimore
There has been no evidence before the Committee to
satisfy it that rate of fare lass than four cents would
remunerate the parties working such roads, ex
perience Of other cities prove the contrary
to the park cent? the Committee, viewing this subject
local matter leave to the City Council Baltimore
hereafter be elected who have the power under
said ordinance to dispense with this tax their udg
ment the people of Baltimore desire it, then the rail
ways be operated upon the charge of four cents only
for the transportation of each passenger any part of
the city to another upon the line of said road.
G. w. GoLDsBoRoUGH, Chairman.
JAS. W. MAXWELL,
A. MEDDERs,
W. HENRY LEGG,
A. X. STAKE,
CHARLES II. HARDING.
MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. TURNER, of Baltimore city, presented the fol-
lowing report from the Committee on Corporations
on the Brock Railway bill:
That in the beginning and in the subsequent course of
the parties concerned fraud and corruption resorted
to- that the assignee of the grant from Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore never made with bona
de intention of carrying out the provisions of seventh
secon that the faithful performance Of that part of the
ordinance was essential requisite to make the assign
ment legal and attempt to set aside and defeat
objects and of the said seventh section
strue the meaning of the grant differently evil
dent designs of the grantor and the express of the
ordinance ITSELF wond amount in the Judgment of the
minority absolute forfeiture of the grant and re-
Iinqulshment by the grantees their assigns of all
benefits and profits to be expected from its
The general tenor of the evidence brought before the
Committee satisfies the minority if there was not posi-
tive fraud yet there evident completely the part
of the assgnees and their friends agents the various
transactions that have attended the history of the mea
sure which should ytate their whole proceedings and
deprive them of the consideration of the Legislature in
seeking confirmation of the privileges granted them by
the City Council and Mayor of Baltimore
The evidence of many Of the witnesses to sat
sfy the minority that whatever names may have been
put in the grant, the capital and of Mr. Brock
and his associates the relied upon by the
grantees for carrying the objects of the ord
nance therefore trainers of the ordinance appear
to have acted with dupicty and unfairness which the
minority cannot but look upon with suspicion and repre-.
the business the minority willingly admits their un-
doubted right and legitimate privilege to employ their
means in the formation Of street railways whenever op
portuntes therefore are properly presented And in this
particular the minority the impression that
ronnd M boef may lave been placed position
calculated to reflect nurously upon them than the
eVdence IN the premises would justly seem to warrant
lSigned ROBERT TURNER.
THE SENATE BILL REPORTED
Mr.. GoLDsBoRoUGH, Chairman of the Committee
on Corporations, on the part of the majority then
reported fayorably upon the Senate bill granting a
charter to Messrs. Brock Co., for the incorpora-
eiSh III q ohillholO SitJ dsseuPeT hhllWdy-
DEBATE on THE BILL
Mr.. KRAFT moved to print the bill and make it
the special order of the day for Thursday next.
Mr.. FREANER arose and said: This, believe, is
the celebrated City Passenger Railway bill, which
has convulsed the city and State for so MANY
weeks The course of the press on this subject has
made it more than local. 1t has extended over the
State, and the artificial circumstances thrown
around it have made it of more Importance than
it would otherwise have been. He thought
the testimony WINS voluminous; we have not had
time to look into its merits, and considering the
vast interest manifested by the people large, the
matter should be well weighed before this House
came to act upon it. He therefore asked post
ponement until Tuesday next.
Mr.. KRAFT thought the matter had been discuss
ed thoroughly. If the State was convulsed by it.
If the papers have teemed with other matter
be thought every one should now be prenared to
ed, if it is to be killed. let the Legislature act at
once 1t has been debated in the Senate 1t has
been debated in the House. Weeks have been con-
sumed in the taking of testimony. Every gentle
man in the House has either heard or read the
evidence, and no one, he thought, had not his
mind made up on the subject. Delay would ad-
vance the interests of neither party. The friends
of the bill would not risk anything in promptly
acting on the matter, while the enemies of the
measure would not gain anything by putting it Off
As have before said, the papers all over the State
have teemed with matter about this BILL One
paper has been constantly filled with it. The SUBJ
Ject OF Irauo mas Deen thoroughly ventilated. AL
most every line in this journal has made the
charge and in the face of all this he could not see
how any one could not make up his mind.
The bill concerns Baltimore city alone. Every
one of her delegates, he knew, had made mp their
minds. They were willing to take the responsible |
ty and come to an issue at once. If they have
made up their minds, whv not allow an immediate
of opinion? He moved that the bill be
made the special order of the day for Thursday.
Mr.. MILLER had not made up his mind He knew |
nothing of fraud in the matter He had NOT time |
to investigate the matter. When the bill was lust
reported from the Committee, and he had no chance
to think over it, to investigate the matter, how
could he come to a conclusion He had not COM
nitted himself on the bill, but waited to see the
evidence before he made up his mind He repre-
'ented constituency whose interests he had near