The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-12-31
THE LEGISLATURE.

The Legislature of this State will convene
at Annapolis, ON Wednesday of next week
Unanimously democratic, it is incumbent
upon this body to vindicae the professions
made by the party that elected thy enactmg
such laws as are for the general good alone.
We say the general good, for although as
above remarked, our Legislature is unani-
mously democratic, it is not, now that its
members are elected the representatives
alone of that majority through whose SUI
RACES they became the Servants OF the pco-
pie" but they are representatives OF all the
interests of al their constituents, and what
legislation is accomplished we are sure will
be upon higher grounds than partizan inter.
esls merely. The Fifteenth Amendment,
that most obnoxious of all propositions ever
made by the general government to the sep
alate States they will refuse " raify--and it
will be for the good of all classes of her citi-
zens that Maryland should put in her refusal
to this attempt upon her rights, in unqualified
terms.
But there are other measures of State poll
cy, about which differences of opinion exist rs
to their cxpedicncy, which can only be sue
cessfuly reconciled and rightly adjusted by
bringing to their consideration that cool and
collected judgement, and business tact and
capacity which ensures the proper settlement
of every question no matter how intricate
and apparently confused.
The militia law of this State we regard us
one of thee. Whilst the total abandonment Of
the system is scarcely regarded DIS desirableb by
any one, its present working under existing
laws is justly, we think, looked upon as en-
pcnsivc and oncrous. Its modification, we
believe is called for by the voice of the entire
people oft he State. But in this modification MS
much if moi more skill in legislation is rcqui-
site to attain the desired endas was required to
inaugulate the system, at the beginning. The
experience Of its working may have engen-
iered preudices against parts of it that stan
ding amid other surroundings, might have
met the cXigencics of the case. This, we
think, has been shown by the different ut =
tcmpts to perfect our public school system
NlT lHSlHuCt, WHICH ulllcllucti,
and we might say tnhe,Dd at, as it has been,
is even yet far short of giving general salts
faction in the different counties of the State.
This, too, may possibly be a subject for fur
ther consideration at the present session of
the legislature.
A reckless expenditure otthG public money
is n charge that we hope will not be brought
against this body with any color Of founda-
ton. AS far as the local interests of this
county are concerned, we believe we have
no pet schemes to lobby through, or special ia
yors to ask, as indeed we are not aware that
any such have been for many years past, at
least, solicited or granted. A charter from
that body to enable lis to build our railroad,
we of course expect TO obtain, as matter
of routine busincss-posstbly an act of incor-
poration for our county town-as we notice
some little effort making in that direction
and this so far as we are aware is about ALL
We have every confidence, in conclusion
that this session of our Legislature will be
one to which we may look for substantial re-
suits and not be disappointed.