Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-12

!nay pest COnduce to the carving ont r
plans SO intimately connected with our cOmmo
| prosperity.
would recommend that steps be taken at once +
brlng the attention of our representatives in Con
sres during its present session, to the advantage
the harbor of Baltimore, in connection with our ma
va marine IN an economical point of view, and tn
STRONG claims OF our State, to aid from Congress i
recommending the work upon our ship channel Wit
| view to competent and unobStructed highway +
| the ocean, at the earliest practicable day Th
amount Of appropriation needed will be nominal com
| pared with its value and Importance to the Govern
| ment. ~
| 4. REORGANIZATION OF THE MILITIA
| Az your last session a report was submitted dc
| talhng plan for the reorganization of the Militi
f.. fn1 Stte COMPRISING many practical and usef
which the country was placed by the rebellion. =
Inc Legislature having failed to act upon the sub
!ect owing TO the multiplicity of important and ur
gent measures of domestic policy engaging the ot
| tcntlon OF your body at that time and the limited
@ your lapor:, tGe constrained to bring it again t.
| your attention The triumphant close of the war
uoes not release US from the necessity of adoptint
S%3he % Sutaoie plan Tor the protection f the State
While it is no part Of my policy to recommend. il
I'm tG oI peace any system which shall interfere Will
tle lhdustral pursuits of citizens or the impOs
| u"h "i any unreasonable tax upon the services n
tnose SUBJECT to militia duty, il must be admitted
onaI = government constituted as are, cannot bt
cPsdered perfect, without the presence at all time
OF IIvlng military organization subject to the cal
ol Iac Executive and Legislature iii times of extra.
orulhafy emergency. Taking the report heretofore
submitted aS basis, it has seemed to me that MA
may pc readily matured avoiding every Just grouud
/ II
safety against ordinary Disturbance II Can1o+ he e
heu mat the neglect of this duty in the mast has
ayoenqed with both loss and humiliation to our peo,
pie In times of profound peace we should not for.
get the contingencies to which the State IS always
exposed; and BY making timely provision for prob
| ap, or possible events, inspire confidence in the
ability Of the authorities to afford assistance Of al
times 20 those who have right TO look to them foi
protection, ~ "
| MANNED AND DISABLED SOLDIERS
Some provision. on the part of the State sooroS 70
pe demanded for the maintenance and support of the
manned and disabled soldiers. who have returned to
iher homes, from the bloody strife in which tbev
nave so bravely upheld the credit of their native
@ state p during the four years of this rebellion. From
Whlch TINS conflict has made memorable the blood Cf
thcSs gallant men has been poured out in defence If
TO Y &"o'earInment Wnlch they priced more than their
INes. maryland has Just cause to be proud of her
returned veterans They are the cherished records
OF conflict, which in the magnitude of lis propor
tlonS, STANDS without parallel in the worlds his
tory and which in the probabilities of the fntnrc
giving all due weight to the excuses of human mad
u.s. mgIss can M never be repeated in our own. At time
@ @Mnen tne perls OF war looked most portentous and
threatening-when the fate of tho Repubcan Gov
ernment trembed in the balance-amidst the sncers
ana 4lscouTagemen with profound sorrow be it said
OF large class OF citizens-tbese brave and
patrotlc men hocked to the standard of their conn
!Ty. a border State, with the Capital of the Union
identified with its destiny, Maryland had her sympa
hies SO lndlcated-could not have provoked the Ger
tam destruction of an encounter with twenty mil
mons OF Ireemen But nObler impulse governed her
action; She Lowell the Union, because of the connt
less blessings which it had conferred upon her
dS luc only successful check
the unbrdled march of despotic power. he
loved 1t as the home and centering point of that
prlncple OF universal freedom. which caused US TO
seek home on this Continent. When the old Gag
gitterng with the proud symbols Of nationality to
ThIch she was so indissolubly bound received the
first shock of the brooding storm the true sons Of
Mary land were rstwho to its rescue
ana these are the men for whom your sympathes are
invoked Without the ability to be any longer useful
" themselves or their country-shattered and dis
abled by the tolls and hardshps of war, they throw
tnemselges up0n the protecting arm Of their native
state. Inc reference of their claim to select com
nttee o your body. may lead to the maturing of
plans, which may do justice to the great services thev
nave rendered and show by your Hberality the an
prec!atlon In which they heId by grateful and
admlrlng people. ~
THE NAVAL ACADEMY-ITs REMOVAL FROM ANNAPOLIS.
In the annual report of the Secretary of the NAVY
objections are urged to the present location of the
Naval Academy at Annapolis, chiefly upon the ground
OF the Inconvenience arising from the limited space
@lt1n winch the operations ofthe School are now con-
Haed DO not lnter from the recommendation of the
able Secretary that it is his purpose or desire to re-
move this institution beyond the limits of the State
OF Maryland Against any such purpose we should
nave just cause to enter most earnest protest
NO DOUBT seems to be entertained as to the entire
sutabeness of the present location so far as harbnr
climate, and other essential fsatures excent;nG
space, are concerned. The subject of the enlarge7
ment OF the grounds to any reasonable extent re-
q1lred by the Government, has never been brought
olcally to the attention of either the authorities of
me state or the city OF Annapolis. have reason to
peleVG, from tull and careful examination into
hs Sube0t that every requirement of the Secretary
may be promptly met. and upon terms Quite as salts
a q DnI
saynothing of the heavy OUTLAY which 10
incurred by the Government S F as S al t eaSS peeh
Maryland may be able to contribute to this object by
grounds ad;acent stborat| az - ~nheloh, anu the
that the most liberal spirit would be manifested by
the General Assembly; and | am authorized by the
cordial NJ rti T,tG VI annapGs 70 pledge their
partment, to wh@:eyer extent may bo reasonably ey-
snbecf ' eA %Stt'''lVn upon lhls
The State of Maryland could not ask or expect that
mittnJ nnhin @ irs"fIet n the Nce OF an ad-
hone fbat Win oil nIt s;a uoGs lnd4lGe the
ihs SohnGI - - ~ S c lilcVl'ics opVlated,
Hon ~ 'J '1'' "'tello' Gu from us present loea-
An,t r A.
oIelI I are cohsl"e[ationS of historic interest yhich
M eiSS oeng equal should not be entirely disregard
~. Inc city OF annapolis was intimately associated
WIN Ihe most slrriAg events of the revolutionary
era was ine rendezvous Of tho great men of that
cNeAtul ePocn IL was mere that the first Convention
assembled which led to the adoption OF the Federal
constitution: and the memorable ceremonies at
Iendlng the resignation of his commission by the
Father OF his Country, must always invest it with
ton OF the Union. In perpetuat!ng and keeping
awe "reminiscences so inspiring to the American
heart their influence would not be lost upon the ris-
ing eneFaton-recelving their first instruction Mt
this school who will derive their most useful les
sons sons Of PATRIOTISM 9 and love OF country from the
teachings OF that early day. | you'd suggest the
appointment OF Joint select committee Of the two
Houses to treat with the Governor upon this subject
COMMISSIONERS TO REVISE THE LAWS RELATIVE rn
SLAVERY. LAW ~
The system of negro sIaverr ,s, boo
throughout the country, it becomes dnIv ibaf tba
status of the freedmen in Marylond should now he
distinctly and clearly defined under our laws From
the origin OF our State government slavery has baen
more or less interviewer with our whole domestic
economy%Ihe result has been, that our statnte hooks
are burheued with lawS-some long since nbsoIota
but unrepeaed-and mostly all calculated to CON f1Se
and lead to embarrassment in the action of 0nr
courts. The relations existing in tbe pest betveen
master and slave being dissolved the entire system
of laws relating to the colored popuaton shoHid he
carely revised bV \
such changes and notifications recommended as NAV
lead to the adoption OF a defined and uniform svs-
tem for their protection and guidance in thn Fn+nra
In procaiming freedom to the coored race the Safn
of Maryland designed to confer upon the negrc
something more than a mere nominal heneft sbo
intended freedom in all that relates to person and
property This would not be accomnlsbaG e aFt ttU
being made free by the provisions of yonr orgn
law the freedmen are left withont nroHer d;roo,;oo
under a system of lust and ennitable law m Sad
the fullest protection in their new relation Tbera
should be entire conformity between these laws and
the principles recognized and proclaimed in vour
free Constitution In connection with This recon-
at an early day. to confer upon the f. feedman the nr
viege of eStifying in our Courts-a right which has
already been conceded in some of our sister States of
the South, and which is urged by the strongest con-
slderatlonS OF justice and fair dealing.
would recommend that authority be given to ap-
point Commissioner whose duty it shall be TO revise
all laws relating to the former status of fhe nerro
body IN January next such notifications or additions
IN he present Code as may be suggested by the pro-
VISIONS OF tho new CONSUMPTION abolishlng slavery,
ana the changed relation in which we stand towards
the colored race,
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.