The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-01-27
Legislature of Maryland.

business OF general interest TO-DAY, tue
Treasurer contest absorbing all minor
questions. Governor Bowie transferred
to each House an official copy of the
Fifteenth Constitutional Amendment
for their action, and referred them to
his message regarding his opiuious on
the subject.
January 19.-The great contest for
the Treasurership of Maryland was de-
eided today. The committe of the
two branches appointed to count the
second ballot taken on Tuesday, but
not then counted, reported that Mr..
Merryman had received 62 votes, Mr..
Fowler 33, Mr.. Yansaut l3, aud Mr..
Pannell 3. Mr., John Merryman, OF
Baltimore county, was thcreupon de.
clored duly elected State Treasurer OF
Maryland for two years, having received
a majority of all the votes cast. Both
houses, consisting jointly of III mem.
bers, were fully repre- scented, and the
entire vote was thrown in each. Much
other buiucss was transacted, principally
of local character
January 20.-In the Senate ..
day committee of five was appointed
tocxamine iuto the expenses of counties,
with view of making them more uni.
form throughout the State. The Com.
mittce On Printing reported in favor of
awarding the contract for Legislative
Printing to William Thompson. who
made proposals on behalf oil himself, S.
S. Mills and Luther j. Cotton, and the
Senate adopted the report The Senate
then adjourned until Monday.
In the House orders regarding the
examination ofcounty expenses, similar
to those passed by the Senate, were
adopted, the remarks OF members iul
eating that great abuses existed in this
connection, and that the amount OF
money spent was unnecessarily large.
The House also adopted the rccommen
dations Of the Committee on Printing.
giving the contract to VIM. Thompson
Soon after assembling the House invited
the Senate to proceed in Joint conven-
ton to the election Of Police Commis
sioncrs for Baltimore city The present
Commissioners were nominated By Mr..
lloblitzell, and on counting the vote, it
was found that the present Commits.
sioners had received majority Of the
votes cast, and were announced to have
been reelected Tor four years from the
9th Of March, 1871.
In the matter of the controversy be.
tween the State aud the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, Mr. Merrick
presented series Of resolutions, aud
said that as Chairman Of the Committee
on Ways and Means, he had report to
make OF the greatest Importance. 1t
involved the relations in which the
State of Maryland and the Baltimore
and Ohio Rlilroad stood towards each
other. 1t is matter of the greatest
Importance that these relations should
be defined and settled. lie would say
at the outset that this report was made
Ia no spirit of hostility to that great in
ternal improvement, which had been
the pioneer of the mighty march of
physical development on this continent
lie was not hostile to it, and the State
was not hostile to it. But the Bali
more and Ohio Railroad is the creature
and not the master Of the State. 1t has
assumed to reverse these necessary and
fundamental relations, and it must be
made to understand its legal aud mora |
obligations to the power by whose suf.
ierances it lives. 1t has placed itself
in an attitude Of defiance, and i, must
be made to feel the consequences of its
characterization. 1t calls in question
the Act Of the Legislature passed in
1907, Chapter 32S, } refuses to comply
with the provisions thereof, and takes
refuge in decision of the Supreme
Court OF the United States in the ease
OF Cranaall Us. Nevada. Mr.. Merriek
would venture to say (the eminent legal
opinion of distinguished lawyers, SO
industriously circulated by she press. 10
the contrary Notwithstanding, J that the
case Of Crandall rs. Nevada had No
bearing upon the case in point, and was
not similar to it in any one particular.
For the purpose Of testing the question
which the Baltimore and Ohio RAILROAD
had seen tic to raise, the Committee of
Ways aud Means presented these reso.
lutions, advising the House to take IN
the gauntlet which had been directly
thrown down, and to make direct issue
upon the point involved; such an issue
as would not be embarrassed with col.
lateral issues, having their origin in
matters entirely distinct aud separate
In order that this question may be sol.
emily decided BY the proper aud legally
constituted tribunals, the Committee Of
Ways aud Means has made the report
about to be read. Let the State at
least make the attempt to bring this
creature to the iootstool of its creator /;
let US see whether it will still defy its
master; whether we are still to have
this imPeriHm IN imperio. We have
assaults enough from without on the
little remnant OF State sovereignty that
We have left US, and it is ungrateful in
this corporation, nurtured into life and
power by the State, to turn and DEFY
her just when her authority should be
most zealously guarded.
IL upon fair, and calm, aud dispas.
sionate investigation before the proper
tribunals, the pretcnsions of this rail.
road appear to be right, then We will
ooediently submit. But let US try it
there, aud when we have our rights in
TINS regard, then let US examine into
these other claims which are now at.
tempted to be set nm hv wov or 81, ar