The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-04-03
Col. Woolford and the Legislature.

Under resolution of the last General AS
scmbly, revenue bill was prepared, short
time ago, by Col. Levin Woolford, Comp,
troller Of the Treasury, and submitted for the
action of the present Legislature 1t met will,
opposition, on the part Of some Of the mem
bers who were ignorant of the necessity fol-
its passage, which was, simply, that certain
certain corporations, now exempt from taxa.
ton, should be made to bear their fair share
of the burden, and thus equalze it. More
over, appropriations were made by the Leg
lature in excess of the estimated receipts, and
if the Comptroller had failed to call the at
tention of the Legislature to the matter, seri
Gus embarrassment might have been caused
in running the machine of State The bill
alluded to was virtually defeated, through
the influence brought to bear against it by
certain interested corporations.
The committee on ways and means, having
in their appropriation bill allowed Col. Woo
ford So 500 for his time and services in per-
fccting the bill, he was, on this account, sub.
jected to some unfriendly criticism, at the
hands of few of the members. In view of
the imputation of self-seeking thus cast upon
him, Col Wooford on Monday sent to the
House of Delegates the following letter, ask
ing them to strike from the appropriation
bill the amount allowed him for his services
"Gentlemen AS objections have been
made to the item in the general appropria-
ton bill, reported by the committee of ways
and means, to pay me for my labor and ex-
pense in revising and systematising the reve-
nue. laws of the State under the joint resou-
ton of the last General Assembly, | re-
spectfully ask your honorable body to amend
the bill so as to strike out said item. | very
much prefer to wait until time and events can
demonstrate the value of my services in re-
gard to that measure. Thanking the House
of Delegates for their kindness in sustaining
the appropriation, yet believing that the
course now indicated by me is the proper one
under the circumstances, | am &c,
LEVIN WooLFoRD.'
This is only what might have been expec-
ted from high-minded, honorable man, like
CO.. Woolford, than whom the State Of
Maryland never had more able, upright and
efficient guardian of her public funds. 1t
gives us pleasure to reproduce, in this connec.
ton, the remarks of the Baltimore Gazette
upon the subject. 1t says:
AS some members of the Senate as we'll as
the House of Delegates have shown dispo.
sition to object to the appropriation to Colo
mel WoolfOrd for his labor and expenses in
getting up the Revenue bills he sent yester-
day communication to the House of Dele
ocl.i tp bn IN ~
amend il so as to strike out that item. AS a
Il Ugh toned gentleman he was unwilling that
N Fe clamor against such an appropriation, on
he part of the Republican press and of the
newspapers in the interest of exempt corpora
Ations, should embarrass the adoption of the
revenue measures proposed by him. That
livery great opposition should be arrayed
against him and the measures he has sugges-
ted, by the interested corporations, is very
natural but we had hoped that the structures
of newspapers intent only on injuring the
Democratic party, or in favor of the institu-
tons heretofore exempted from taxation
would not weigh to defeat salutary legisla-
ton. If the effect of urging the appropria,
ton to him for special service would be to
cndanger the passage of this too long deferred
legislation, the course taken by Col. Wool
ford, in asking that it be stricken out, is in
the services he has rendered will meet the
approval of the people of the State, we can,
| not doubt. We feel assured that no one
8questions his sincerity and earnestncss in en-
deavoring TO equalize the burdens of taxa,
ton by subjecting all the proftably employ.
ed capital of the State to the payment Of its
proper share of the public burdens. The
Democratic party of Maryland may be con
graduated on having selected an officer de-
termAed to do his duty in this regard, de
spite the powerful influence of the interested
corporations, and there can be no question as
to the verdict of the people upon the issue
1t is a matter ofregret that the measure wa:
not sooner passed upon by the House of Del
egates, but as the bill had been printed for ;
long time we cannot see any great difficulty
the Chairman of the Committee on Finance
could have had in arriving AT a proper con
clusion on its merits.