Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-02-27
Marylanh Etate affairs,
MARYLAND LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1S.-Leaves to
introduce bills were granted: To Mr..
Steiner, repeating the Act of 1870, re-
lating to the registration of voters in
this State, and substituting a new bill
BY Mr.. Tuck, to punish defendants in
attachments and executions who may
clandestinely remove or dispose Of
property levied on for debts by sher-
iffs or constables; also to provide Il
remedy at law for the recovery of debts
due from married women; also to "a
, mend section 43, article 81, Public
General Laws, relating to probate Of
accounts; also to amend section S5, ar
ticle rs, relating to the appearance of
defendants in suits at law after being
returned "summoned.
A message was adopted and sent to
the House concurring in their propo-
sal for the appointment of a select
committee of three on the part of the
House and two Of the Senate to COM
municate with the Governor of Vir-
ginia on the subject of the Potomac
fisheries, and naming Messrs. Earle
and Aydelotte on the gart of the Sen
ate. Also concurring in the House
proposal that the Committees on Pen
sions of the two Houses act as a joint
committee on the same subject.
The bill appropriating 100000 for
the support of colored schools in the
State was taken up at the request Of
Mr.. Billingley, on its second reading.
Mr.. Fields inquired from what COM
mittee the bill came, and where it O.
riginated? The endorsement on the
bill was read by the Secretary, ''re-
ported favorably from the committee
on Education." This Mr.. Fields said
was an unusual source for bill appro-
priating so large sum Of money. 1t
seems it had not been considered by
the committee on Finance, and he
moved to recommit the bill to that
committee.
Mr.. Billingsley advocated the bill
He said that ten years ago it was in
corporated in the fundamental law of
the State that slavery should no longer
exist in its limits. Whether this was
right or not, he would not stop here to
inquire. It was fact. Over eighty
odd thousand people had been cast
upon us in a state of ignorance. lg-
norance leads to crime, and it is the
duty of thA Stata- if prineipleS of right
and justice shall prevail, to educate
these people to proper standard, in
order that they may understand their
duties and obligations as citizens. The
Constitution of 1867 had reaffirmed
that of 1864 in regard to emancipation,
and had gone further: it gave the pri-
vilege Of testifying in courts Of justice
and voting. Is it not our duty now to
educate them up to proper under
standing and appreciation of these pri
vileges? If not, what will become of
those who were formerly slaves, and
what indeed will become of the whites:
Is it not fact that the further they are
moved from the whites the sooner they
relapse into ignorance. These people
are in worse condition now than for
merly, because they are removed from
the influence of their former protectors.
1t was a rare thing now to see the feel
ing that once existed between master
and slave. The small amount asked
for in this bill was required for the
purpose designated, the former appro-
priations having been totally made
quate to the desired end. He had
however, no objection to its reference
to the committee on Finance.
Mr.. Fields said the bill should first
have gone to that committee for con-
sideration, and report to the Senate.
Mr.. Steiner said that while the COM
mittee on Finance was the proper one,
from which bills appropriating money
should ordinarily proceed, yet there
were cases in which such matters
should be discussed in the Senate in
committee of the Whole, the grand
committee of Finance, and he was op-
posed to the reference Of this bill to a
subcommittee. This question was
not now, thank God, partisan one
All were in favor Of the education Of
this class Of our citizens. No one
doubted that they should be educated.
They took part in the election Of our of
ficers, our Judges (whose selection, he
would here say, by popular vote, he re-
garded as most unwise) and should be
educated to the extent to discharge
these duties. He did not favor all the
provisions of this bill, He would
much prefer one that would make no
distinction in regard to taxation,
Mr.. Steiner said he was in favor Of
separate schools for whites and colored.
The motion of Mr.. Fields was adopt
ed.
The rules being suspended, the un-
finished business of yesterday was
taken up, being the bill to exempt 500
of wages from attachment. The vote
upon the passage Of the bill resulted
A yeas II nays; so the bill passed, and
the announcement was greeted with
applause.
The vote was as follows:
Yeas.-Messrs. Hines, Bond, Cotton, Robin
son, Nutwell, Bird, Lancaster, Hawkins, Bu-
chanan. Merryman, Valiant, Sudler, Etchison,
Robey, Kemp, Pruitt, Dawson, 7. II. Hamilton,
Cooper, c. r. Hamilton, McWilians, Foster,
Stewart of Baltimore city, McAleese, Gill Hart,
Loane, Greenfield, McColgan, Haring, Joyce,