St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-02-28

THURSDAY MOANING. FEB -. 1851



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a Suggestion.
Il Will be recvli-ct-d. thst , resolution
Was passed BY Public Meeting 4 oar eis-
issus, assembled in msss caa~estion Ut
Leonard Town. on the 22nd Of Jssssry,
sltin,o. recommending the Commissioners
Court Of our county 70 levy on the assessa-
be property Of the county the sum Of
$1,000 or lesa to purchase arms. smuni-
sion. &C.. for the defence and protection Of
the lives and property Of our people. The
Commissioners Court. with characteristic
patriotism. promptly signi6ed their readi-
ness to make the proposed levy. provided
they could oe assures. that il would meet
the approval Of th. ltax-payers Of the eoun-
~. To this end. at Subsequent meeting.
committees we're appointed for the several
districts Of the county whose duty il was
msde 70, ascersir shsi views Of tax, payers
in rsfsrr"cs 10 the lew Sth instruc=
tons to repcr: the result Biz Ixbors %
the Commissioners Court sarly day.
We learn with regret that thIs duty thus
far has been very iudiferen.ly performed.
q, leas. in several Of the districts. and
moreover that the levy itself has iuet with
considerable epposis;ea, because The reao-
luton which rsqu-sts it to be made does
not indicate to whom the arms, when pur-
chased. shall be delivered or upon what
conditions. The apprehension il. that uu-
Tess the arsns shalt be delivered TO the Or
g.nissj military b"iics in the eounsy. they
will be comparatively useless in cases Of
emergency aud art likely to be injured or
lost BY .beiug disposed of in different
manner II the arms shall be purchased,
the Commissioners Court. we would state.
will have entire Control over their disposal
and can give thcm to whom they think
proper and annex such conditions to their
delivery a. they may See 1t. We have no
doubt that the Honorable Commissioners
Court viii take every preeaution to ensure
the county against loss. and We are conf
dent they will see che wisdom Of giving the
arms to those who arc educating themselves
- uss them with effect and who are likely
r. take care of them. or If they fail 20 DO
this. who will be responsible for them
There are now SIX companies in our couu-
v.--enc IL each district. fully Offered
aud in on advanced state Of military discip-
line. but only two Of these have arms aud
noss Of them have ammunition. except What
they may have purchased themselves. Our
Suggestion is. that only arms sufficient to
equip the faur companies in the county
which are without arms shall be purchased,
aad that they shalt be given 20 those conf
panies, upon the Captain Of each executing
q bond TO the county similar in provision
TO The oss now required 70 be given 10 the
State in like cases. But the Commission.
ers Court viii certainly not make any levy.
unless the views Of the taxpayers are first
obtained in reference to it. 1t IL not likely
that the asvsral committees appointed to Oh
tain these views will trouble themselves
further about the matter. We propose.
therefore. that eash Of the military e"upa-
mics in the county shall appoint commit
tee TO wait upon the taxpayers in the
several election districts and obtain their
views at as early u day as possible in re-
ference TO the plan whicL ~s propose and
forward the same ~ the Commissioners
Court a. ssoa as practicable.