The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-21
PROCEEDINGS OP THIN MARYLAND LEGISLATURE
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 30, 1860.
SENATE

PROCEEl)lNtS w IllE MARYLAND lEGlSLAlURE
ANNAPoLrs, Feb. 90 1860.
SENATE.
Two petitions, purely Of local character, from
Kent and Queen Anne's counties, were presented
and referred
Mr.. DUvALL offered an order, which was adopted
requesting the President of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal Company to furnish the Senate the
and place of residence of the holders of canal
scrip and bonds, and also the amount held, and re-
port to the Senate as soon practicable.
The bill introduced by Mr.. GARDINER, of Charles,
authorizing the County Commissioners to reduce
assessments. This bill excited some debate on Sat
urday and was referred to the Committee on Fl
nance.
The Committee Finance reported the bill with
some amendment, when it read second time.
The rules were suspended, when an animated de-
bate occurred upon the propretY OF passing the
bill. The vote was then taken and the bill was lost
for want of a constitutional majority.
The rules of the Senate suspended on mo-
tion Of Mr.. KTMMELL, in order to take up his bill
for educational purposes, which was defeated for
want of a constitutional majority.
On motion of Mr.. kINMEII, the vote recon-
sidered.
The order of the day, being the Canal bill, was
then taken up and read section by section.
Mr.. MckATG then proceeded to advocate the
passage Of the bill.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Mr.. SMITH, of Baltimore city, presented the me
mortal ot Reverdy johnson and 1000 other citizens
measures against the free negro population of the
State.
Mr.. SMITH said the memorial was signed by Rev
erdy johnson, q, William Brown, and one
thousand other citizens of Baltimore, deprecating
the passage of any severe measures by this Legisla
ture towards the coOred population, and especially
the proposition to sell into slavery those that
now free. The memorial is signed BY men who
known, and are substantially interested in the
prosperity of the city and State, and whose repre-
sentatiOns and petitions entitled to the respect
ful and careful consideration of this House. As
copies of the memorial have been laid upon the
desks of the members of the House some days since,
| shall not ask for its reading.
By Mr.. MILLER, leave to bring in bill to com
pensate the Law Greys Of Baltimore for services
rendered in the Harper's Ferry raid. Referred to
the Committee on Claims.
BY Mr.. DENNIS, leave to bring in bill to prohibit
the shooting Of foxes in Somerset county.
By Mr.. MAXWELL, of Cecil, leave to bring in
bill to compensate the Shields Guards of Baltimore
for services at the Harpers Ferry raid Referred
to Committee on Claims.
By Mr.. BEALL, leave to bring in a bill providing
for the destruction of foxes in Allegany.
Reports Of Committees.-Mr. RAIsIN, of Kent, re-
ported bill for REMEMBERING the scha0l districts in
Kent county.
Mr.. FoRD, of Baltimore county, having obtained
Il suspension of rules, called up bill entitled an
act supplementary to an act, to authorize the con-
solidatiOn of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Rail
road Company with the York and Maryland Line
Railroad Company, and the York and Cumberland
Railroad Company, and the Susquehanna Railroad
Company, by the name of the Northern Central
Railroad Company. The bill passed.
Mr. MACKUBBIN, having obtained suspension of
the rules, called up bill entitled an act to
pensate VIM. A. Spencer, Clerk of the Court of
Appeals, for fees due him. Read third time and
passed.
MARRIAGE OF MINORS.
Mr.. EAKLE, of Washington, called up a bill enti-
tied act prevent the issue of marriage licenses
to parties under age, without the consent of pa
rents or guardians and to impose fine of $500
upon the Clerk of the Court issuing the license
instead of 81 500 upon the minister for marrying
them. The age of the male is fixed at q and the
female l6 years.
ing clause.
Messrs Freaner and Eake spoke in favor of the
bill They thought the transfer of the penalty was
from the clergyman to the Clerk, where it proper
ly belongs. The Clerk should make all the neces-
sary Investigations. 1t was indeicate tor clergy
man to ask the necessary questions, and they all
shrank from it,
Mr.. GoLDsBoRouGH wished the law to rest upon
both parties. As the law stands the minister is
fined if he believes the parties to be under age not
otherwise. He withdrew his motion to strike out
the enacting clause, and moved a recon sideration
Of the vote to read the bill second time, so as to
insert an amendment.
Mr.. GORDON, of Allegany, argued in favor ofput.
ing check upon both the Minister and the clerk,
by imposing fine.
The vote was recOnsidered, and the Dill brought
back to its second reading.
THE EASTERN SHORE RAILROAD BILL.
The order ofthe day, being the Eastern Shore
Railroad Appropriation bill, was taken up.
A call of the House was made, and the door
keeper sent after the absentees.
Further proceedings under the call were dis
pensed with and the Eastern Shore bill was read a
second time.
The bill appropriates SIOI 53l to the Kent county
Railroad; Sll0,455 to the Queen Anne's and Kent
Railroad Sll2,73S to the Eastern Shore Railroad;
500, 100 to the Worcester county Railroad; $4,000
to the Choptank and Massion Railroad; S5SO00 to
the Elkton and Sassafras Railroad; S25 900 to the
Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad;
Sl5,S77 to the Bohemia Bridge Company, and
$40, 900 to the Columbia and Port Deposit Rail
road.
Mr.. BRIscoE stated that the bill was in an anon.
alous condition. 1t asks for an appropriation of
a large amount, and has been reported by the Com
mittee on Corporations, whereas it should have
been referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means.
Mr.. DENNIS explained that the bill, as reported
originally, had been referred to the Committee
Ways and Means reported to the House and refer
red to the Committee on Corporations lie did not
know whether this bill in its details had been be-
fore the Committee ON WAYS and Means-it might
have been changed in the Committee Corpora
tions. The Committee had been discharged from
the consideration of the bill.
Mr.. BRIsCoE insisted upon his motion to recon-
nit to Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr.. LONG, of Somerset no reason to refer to
a Committee. The details of the bill had been dis
cusSed not only before the w avs and Means Com
mittee, but before the Committee of the people of
the State in the whole. Why, then, talk of refer
ring to the Committee on Ways and Means? To
cause delay, and nothing else. The points are
simple. The faith of the State is pledged for the
payment OF the debt, and what could the Committee
on Ways and Means do with it? Report that the
State is in a condition so crippled that she cannot
perform her pledges? He did not think any mem
ber of the Committee dared to bring in such a re-
port. The question had been agitated throughout
the State for years, and if gentlemen were not ac-
quainted with its provisions it was their fault.
Mr.. FREANER said it is true that the measures
have been before successive Legislatures, but their
verdict has been against them The Committee on
WAYS and Means is the right place to mature mea-
sures to digest the provisions. As a member of
that Committee, he claimed his right to make a
minority report. The bill has not been before the
Committee, and he mad no chance to report
Where is the report of the Committee on Ways and
Means2 Where is the report of Committee on
Corporations, upon which members could base
their opinions? The House owes it to the Commit
tee Ways and Means and to itself to refer the bill
to the Committee. Let US be allowed our privilege
of making minority report. Let the voice of the
Committee be heard. He did not know the purport
of the engineering to which the bill had been sub
jected if it was not to rush it through without due
consideration.
Mr.. DENNIS contended that the duties of Commit
tees to digest and fix in form the subject. The
bill is report-it contains all the argument in