The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-12-25

Poor Baltimore county Certainly she is
menaced with difficulties and disintegrations
alarming in the extreme. First, we have the |
removal of the court house advocated; then,
Baltimore city modestly demands two miles Of
our territory around the city, and from com
munication in the Howard County Record Of
Saturday last we take the following:
PROPOSED ANNEXATION. A
ELLIcorr CITY, Baltimore County,
Dec, 10TH 1869.
Among the many questions to be submitted to the
consideration of TIE Legislature none more in
tmately affect the interests of Howard and Baltimore
counties than the proposed annexation to the jurisdc
tion Of the former of certain territory now included in
the boundaries of the latter county. For some years
past this question has seriously engossed the attention
of large portion of the citizens of this section Bai
more county; bit successive Legislatures have been
allowed to assemble and AL without any action
being taken to ascertain the of the people directly
interested in regard to the Under the provisions
of our present Constitution NIII Sec. l. the duty
of the Legislative Department regard to the creation
of new counties and changing the boundary lines ofad-
joining counties is clearly fined, and it only requires
action the part of those Immediately concerned to
have this question brought to the attention of our
Representatives. The opposition heretofore manifested
the part the 1st End and 18th Districts of Balti
county to the proposed change Of the boundary
line between the two counties we feel confident has
materially diminished within the past two years, and
we know of many who were most determined in this
opposition who freely admit the many advantages
boundaries of the above named Districts Ellicott City,
with the limits of its municipal jurisdiction partly in
one ana partly IN Would tne
county Justice after the manner of the institution of
England's earliest and greatest lawgiver, would be
brought home to the door of every man. and people
would not be subjected to the inconvenience of travelling
from fifteen to twenty miles, over almost impossible
roads, in obedience to the behess ofbusness constantly
calling them to the county seat. e
In appeals from Justices of the Peace frequently in
volvng most trivial amounts in suits instituted in the
county court in all arising in the administration
of criminal justice, in the multifarious matters CON
nected with the settlement of estates arising in the
Orphans court in the constant applications and petit
tions made to the Board of county commissioners, in
the almost daily rendering it necessary to
visit the Clerks Office ofour couny-sutors, witnesses
and the people generally of those Districts subjected
to the expense and delay of visiting Towsontown, al
though residing within sight of the Court House of
Howard county If the contemplated change Of
boundaries should be effected the of Howard
county would be nearly two-fold augmented, and it
cannot be doubted that even under the present
ment the taxes would be lower than the present in
our own county, while Baltimore would still remain
of tho weahest and popuous counties in the
State We would respectfully suggest that the friends
OF this movement at once issue call for the voters of
the Districts of Baltimore county concerned and for the
voters of Howard county to assemble in
Election District to select ten delegates from each Dis
trict to meet in convention at Eicott City at early
day. and that the members of the next gslaure from
the two counties be invited give the and
the people their views in regard to the proposed change
In this m2pner the longed talked of movement will as
sumo shape a0a form, the whole question be fully
and precisely designated and memorial to the Legsla
ture prepared embodying the sentiments of the people
PATAPsCo
The views here expressed are said to be those
entertained by Judge Merrick, a member elect
to the Legislature from Howard, and we may
therefore suppose that that able gentleman
will bring the subject to the attention of the
House of Delegates.
4 hat o;x
why the proposed change should be made, but
the gist of the matter lies in the expression
that with two or three districts of our county
taken off and given to Howard "Ellcott city
"would become the central capitol town OF
-" fiourishing and growing county" That ia
nous lefty" is situated just on the edge of
Howard, in fact, portion of it lies in Balti-
more county, and its residents would doubtless
like very much to have a slice of our territory
added to theirs, so that their county seat may
lay some claims to being in the geographical
centre of the county. The people of Ellicotts
decidedly object to the removal of the court
house to any other location in the county, and
lest the people of the county might demand
this, this effort is made to get from us a valua
BILE portion of our territory, in order that Eli
colts may be nearer the centre Of the county |
The proposition is cool one, to say the least
of it.
But we do rot think that the people of the
first, second and thirteenth districts, the ones
instanced in "Patapscos" communication, will
willingly consent to the transfer. We believe
they are satisfied with their position as a part
and parcel of the largest and most populous
county in the State, and that they will object
to being connected with any other, merely to
aid city in its ambition to be great. We
trust, however, to hear from the citizens the
most deeply interested on the subject.