The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-08-08
rhs JudieiarH y. ths LsrI.latars.

are coming Is grief. Our readcrs are hmliar with
the summary disposition made nfthe ahqrtiye assess
compliments paid by that learned and impartial
tribunal to the Intelligence Of our law nlaker
an nct 10 deprive Inc circns Of Annapolis Of their
right 10 self government by the appointment q a
commission to regulate their municipal officers me
Republicans were IN the majority and elected q
Mayor and Council OF their own party This was a
rank and objectionable offence In the estimation OF
this simon pure Democratic collocation OF peerless
wisdom and they determined to remedy Il BY
violation Of the flrst fundamental principles OF our
government The appointing power was conferred
upon Democratic Governor, who executed u by
the selection Of exclusively Democratic Commission
ers. The Republicans unwilling TO surrender their
Constitutional rights resisted and appealed 70 the
Judges Miller, Hayden and Hammond all Democrats,
but all honest men and pure ncorrupthle Jurists'
tionalty OF the law, and the pct scheme Of little
minded aud little hearted politicians has ALLEN stu
born; The right ofself government has been yindl,
been signaly rehuked II WIN no doubt be crafty
ing our delegates In the House Messrs vanderford
voted TO dsfrAnchse the Republicans Of Annapolis
and 10 foist upon the people Of the Capital OF the
state an odions and Infamous political starchambef
commission, and TO learn how their pure and gencr-
ous, and manly acts are regarded AMI approximately
Judiciary not Influenced by low, and dlsrcputahe
motives while Il Is but simple justice TO record the
fair dealing scofned 10 use his position for base and
pitiabe ends and voted constantly against the out
and revise his forgotten acquired Constitu
tonAl law, so as better 10 prepare himself for an
dsS ya5 sb o. e ish h ana mus
quently fallen OF straning at gnats and swallowing
camels. The has any, experience with Legislatures
like the last-whch In kindness TO him We pray may
not be his mistortunehc will the great necessity
Of paying some little attention oimpoftRnt measures
and not exhaust his efforts and legal learning acts
Of comparatively trihing nature which have passed
nnchallenged The equal ability and scrutiny OF his
predecessors, but which he felt II his solemn duty To
veto.
The foregoing article is from the editorial
department of the Sentinel Of the LIST instant,
though il is not difficult TO trace its paternity
to very different source. The hand that
psnned It is believed to be that Of an attorney,
and the mind which conceived it familiar with
courts and judicial proceedings. II is pub.
lished entire, in preference to any garbled
extracts from it, in order TO show the animus
of the writer, his i'll temper, and worse man.
ners. have ever been averse to newspaper
controversy, and never engage in it except
under provocation, and think may be ex.
cused, in this instance, seeing that the article
is not only grossly personal, but made more
pointed by naming each of the delegates in
the late Legislature from this county. &C.
knowledge the right of every citizen to crit.
else the course OF a representative, but invoc.
tive is not criticism, and proves only that the
party using il has nothing better to resort to.
Who is this, that presumptuously assumes the
censorship Of the entire legislative body of
the State, characterizing its members as slit.
tie minded, ''little hearted using their no.
sition "for base and pitiable ends, reminding
them, with bitter irony, chow their pure.
generous and manly acts, are regarded and
appreciated by Judiciary not Influenced by
low and disreputable motives This is strong
language, coming as it does from one whose
political course, only short time since, was
on trial, not before the Judiciary, but before
the bar of public opinion, and which was most
signally rebuked and repudiated, here among
his neighbors and the citizens of his own
county, in a contest between himself and n non.
resident strangerl One would have thought
that lesson Of this kind would not have been
thrown away upon him,4-that it would have
taught him a becoming and muchneeded hu-
mility, and made him, for all time, duly reti
cent as to tho political shortcomings, real or
imaginary, Of others
As to the "summary disposition made of the
abortive Assessment Act by the Court of
Appeals, and the fafteying compliments paid
by that learned aud impartial tribunal to the
Intelligence Of our law Makers have but
this to say-that the Court could do no less
than set that act aside. In doing so they
were in the discharge ola high public duty, but
when they turned aside from that duty TO pay
their "fattering compliments TO the ''intellf
genee Of our law Makers their acts were
extrajndicial and did them no credit, and were
not calculated to heighten public appreciation
OF the appellate court, some Of whom, at least,
are not above sharp criticism, on the score Of
intelligence themselves There are men of
worth and excellence upon the appellate bench,
lgrant, but do not know that there is Townley
Chase, Buchanan, n Dorsey, a johnson or
Martin, among them. Let them confne
themselves, strictly, to the sphere of their Of
ticiai duties, reserying their Compliments"
for proper subjects, If they would not have
meted out TO them that measure OF dsrespect
which they seem in no way reluctant to nete
to others.
The blunder in the Assessment Act was
made by gentleman Of the legal profession
and at so late an hour of the session that Il
was not discovered. This is all there is in il,
To ascribe it to ignorance is simply to take a
narrow and illiberal view Of It. The Court of
Appeals, il is suspected, had something else,
besides this invalid act, to ''prick tho sides of
their intent in the choice Of terms in which
they were pleased TO couch their opinion. A
Governor had been elected, against the earn,
est remonslrances Of some of them, who, at a
previous session Of the Legislature, as Chair.
man OF the Committee on the Judiciary, had
reported against IN increase Of their salary.
This report may not have been calculated to
heighten their affection for him or the Lepis.
ture which elected him. And. if Il 40 han.
pened that they gave the Legislature kick.
at the first opportunity, il was no more than
might have been expected; for human nature
is much the same, whetherits frailty obtrudes
itself into the proceedings Of '1earned and
impartial tribunals, in the way of "compli.
ments, or manifests itself in ill.tempered ex
Judicial Trades from the editorial tripod.
1t only remains for ms TO show the grounds
on which the Legislature acted in undertaking
to pass this bill, which has been characterized
by this elusive and ebullient writer. a. an
"odious and Infamous Star Chamber commits.
sion,' and leave an impartial public to decide
whether the reasons urged for its passage
were such as should have controlled Iegisls.
tive action or not. II was urged, by those
who presented and sustained the bill. with
much apparent candor and truth, that the ex
listing police had been foisted upon the people
of Annapolis by undue influences, partly ex
ercised by the Naval Academy, whose at.
taehes, directly or indirectly, always interfere
in the Annapolis election, in conjunction
with mere hhnufui oil white citizens, allied
with large number of blacks, many Of whom
have in fact no bona file residence in the city,
although for political purposes they claim 10
be citizens and are fraudulently allowed 10
vote. II was also alleged that the police
frequented bar.rooms, were loungers. and
grossly neglectful Of their duties, and discrim.
mated in favor Of the blacks, who freqnented,
at night, certain noisy aud disreputable quar-
tiers, and slept upon the sidewalks, or kent
up their noisy orgies all night, to the great
annoyance Of peaceable citizens, who lodged
their complaints with the Mayor against The
nuisance, but were told by that fnnctionary
that he had very limited choice, and was
compelled to appoint such police as he did.
or to appoint blacks. These were some Of
the reasons urged for the passage Of the bill,
which was intended TO secure good police
force and to maintain order and good govern.
ment within the city; reasons sufficient. one
would think, to Justify the Legislature in tue
passage OF the bill, which has been character.
lied by this sentient virtuoso as an COURAGE y
and an ''act TO deprive the citizens Of Annapolis
Of the right to self government for which he
consgns the Legislature to the ignominy Of
painful history and ''prays,n very derouf
IN M dO,,bf sk.tt L.. -