The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-21

| ana yet they afterwards surrender them into his
hands as free gift, though they had been offered
| $4,000 by other capitalists for the monopoly
they had so honestly acquired. These are some
of the discrepancies that our belief is taxed to
reconcile. The evidence of Mr. Brock staggers
human credulity. He gave GARDNER 81, 500. He
first says twas for assisting in getting the assign.
'ment and securing the passage of the TRAvERs'
"bill;" but he afterwards admits that the ''diff-
equity in getting the assignment was ''only
''about trifing matter which was amicably ad-
| 'Justed, J" and the grantees have assured us that
BROCK had no connection with the ordinance
while 1t was before the Council. What then was
the nature of GARDNER's services? When pressed
upon this nexplicable point, Brock can only. re-
iterate che assisted HE, 81 gave him the S., 500
because thought he had made a good thing of
''it for me, and I could afford to be liberal" He
dld not make any terms with GARDNER, did not
consider him as his agent, and does not know
whether he or GARDNER suggested the amount
which the latter should receive. Do business men
suffer seven thousand dollars to slip through their
fingers so easily? 1t is impossible, within any
reasonable limits to refer to the manifest prevar-
cations and irreconcileabe contradictions in this
testimony. There are multitude of nsuperable
difficulties which beset us at every turn when we
| endeavor to regard the dealings of the grantees
and assignees rs honest. The utter ignorance
which they profess, of all the material facts con-
corning the past and present history of the grant
is in itself astounding. Five partners obtain it
they scarcely know how, and although their I'M
dor 81, ~.
do not ask the of the capitalists who are to
aid them. The Philadelphia specuator is in Bal
timore, and is consulted by members of the Coun-
Gil about the four cent amendment, even while
these legislators are providing that books shall be
opened, and our citizens permitted TO take the
stock. He procures, without any preconcerted
arrangement, an assignment of the rights Of the
grantees, and, as he departs, he drops $500
into the pockets of each of these estma-
BILE citizens, who, although the gratuity
was wholly unexpected, acceptit and ask no ques-
tons. Nor are the positions of the disinterested
Councilmen who passed the bill unworthy of a
moments notice. One of them nominated three
of the five original grantees, and he and two fell
low members, together with the grantees, are
directors of the road, and, we presume, may vote
themselves abundant compensation. Three others
were engaged in the remunerative occupation of
building the road, two were employed upon the
Company's stables, and another furnished the lum-
Der for a third of the road We have not adverted
to one-tenth Of the suspicious circumstances which
confirm the allegations that have been made against
this Company. From the time when the grantees,
standing in a false attitude before the Council,
obtained what they knew would not be granted
to Philadelphia association, down to the moment
when Mr.. Brooks memory so signaly failed him
in Annapolis, nothing has transpired concerning
their affairs that was calculated to check the grow
ing disgust and indignation of our citizens Be-
side the issues now involved, the questions touch
ing the relative rates of fare at which a railway
can be worked are comparatively unimportant,
and the merits of rival companies, provided they
are composed of honest men, are scarcely worth
consideration. These matters ere in no way con-
nected with the application of Mr. BROCK for
charter. He bases his claim upon the ordinance
of the City Council, which, he says, was fairly OBJ
tanned and fairly assigned to him. We are will
ling that his case shall be heard and judged upon
this single allegation, and if any jury in Christen-
dom can be brought to believe that the evidence
taken by the Legislative Committee contains 'ithe
'trMh, the achole truth, and nothing but the trmh,"
we will advocate his petition for a charter