Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-11-30
Extra Session OF the Legislature.

Extra Session of the Legislature.
The propriety of the Governor of Marylan
converting the Legislature of this State in
extra session, is now engaging the attention
oil her citizens, and our exchanges furnish us
with evidence, not to be questioned, that the
people of Maryland are anxious to express
Their sentiments upon the all absorbing and
important questions of Northern aggression
and Southern secession, and we know of no
better or more appropriate way than through
her legislative Representatives Numerous
petitions have been signed and forwarded to
his Excellency, asking him to convene the
Legislature as soon as possible, so that the
voice Of Maryland may be heard, and her citi-
zens occupy their proper position in the i'm
pending crisis
As an additional reason for an extra session,
the Baltimore Exchange very appropri-
ately remarks; " Had not the present political
crisis become complicated with financial
one, we should, as we before intimated, not
have deemed it our duty to advocate an i'm
mediate call for an extra session, preferring
that the Executive should be brought by the
force of circumstances, as we believe it speedi-
ly must, to that determination. But the sus-
pension of the Banks, and our wish to guard
the commercial and financial interests of the
State against the perils involved in that step,
determined us, at all events 10 point out this
neW necessity for immediate legislative action
no susneneion nf Q57 ,roc ,o+ looa1;1ad aud
no advantage was taken of it. Now there is
some wei@ht in the position thai laws are
weakened by their having been once broken
without harm to their violators but there is
also much in the consideration that the tole-
ration extended to a first offence may cease
upon speedy repetition of it. Our code,
wisely as we think, imposes very heavy penal
ties the refusal of our incorporated Banks
to redeem their obligations in coin; but if
the fact that they failed to do so a few years
ago, and went scathless, authorizes the pre-
sumption that similar impunity will be ex-
tended TO them now, VIC may as well under
stand that they are entirely beyond the reach
of the law, and can suspend whenever they
piVtSS. Nc nut WIS ~ nc at Ms OD-
jecting to the course which the Banks have
just taken; but we cannot conceal from our
selves that there was less necessity for the
present suspension than that of 1857, and that
they have resorted to the measure with much
less hesitation, and perhaps with greater una
nimity now, than at that time. A course
justified in the first instance by absolute ne
cessity, nextcomes to be defended on grounds
Of expcdiency, and may by and by be con
tinued on simple grounds of convenience and
profit. We happen to know that serious ex-
ception hats been taken to the present suspen-
sion, by some of our best and most substan-
tial citizens, and whatever may be thought
by others, we cannot disguise our opinion
that, without immediate legislation, relieving
them from the penalties already incurred, and
fixing very early day for resumption the
position Of cur Banks is full of danger"
fSipce the above Was in type, we have seen
published, in the Baltimore papers, letter
from Gov. Hicks, addressed to certain parties
who recently laid before him memorial urg-
ing him to convene a special session of the
Legislature to consider the present national
crisis. The Governor declines, at present. TO
comply with the request of the memorialists,
for reasons which we shall notice hereafter