The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-25
Mr. Constable on the Canal Ring.

Nh. Germans TIL for the coercion of
witnesses WIS taken MP in the House. on
Friday night Of last week, by special order.
The hi! empowers the President of the
Senate, she speaker of the House. a Chair
man of the Countries of the Whole, or
OF any committee, or any member OF the
Senate or House. temporarily acting as
such Chairman, - administer oaIhs to
witnesses, and provides thai every person
who, having been summoned as a witness
to give testimony, or to produce papers
npon any matter of inquiry before either
body of the General Assembly. Nillully
/ makes default. or who having appeared,
refuses to answer any question pertinent
TO the question under inquiry, shall he
deemed guilty OF a misdemeanor, punish
able 10y a fine Of not more than 81 ,0G0 nor
: less than 800. and by imprisonment for
not less than one month nor more than
! twelve months.
The bill being upon It's sscond reading,
/ DIR. GoldSboroUgh, of Caroline county,
moved 10 strike out the enacting clause.
/ Mr.. Constable. OF Cecil, supported the
motion il n speech Of nearly two hours
+ length-pelhaps the most logical, incisive
and eloquent that has been delivered this
i session, 1t is we'll known that AIr. Con-
stable has cordial antipathy for the ring,
and Mr.. Gormans bill gave him an oppor-
/ tunity of asSaiing it from Democratic
/ standpoint, of which he Splendidly awaited
I himself. lie held the attention OF the
/ House during its entire delivery; the lob
! bies were crowded with auditors and that
! stiffness which is the best possible proof
/ that an extraordinarily good speech is
! being made, prevailed III the hall.
/ Mir. Constable said that as a member Of
! the Judiciary Committee he had agreed to
report the bill without advice. and did 50
! because it had passed the Senate with only
two votes against it. 1t was the most
/ dangerous bill ever introduced into the
! Legislature, and proposes to bcstow pow
ers which were unconstitutional. He then
read The bill and argued, fnltifHing his
/ positions with citations from authorities,
/ that the powers bestowed by the bill were
such rs no court in the United States Dos
/ sesses or SHOULD possess
| Mr. Constable, after LAYING down the
general principles Of right aud justice
/ which had application in the case, then
went on tn consider the special circum-
stances under which these extraordinary
powers We're demanded, and
INVENT FOR THE RING"
in splendid style. He claimed that the
I motive for the Introduction of the bill was
t t" limit the freedom OF the press of the
! STATE, and to give a particular committee
| Of the Senate power to enforce certain
| editors to give them information. That
! committee had been asked for, to make an
investigation which the House ought to
! have been called on to make, and when it
! found It's power insufficient 10 coerce wit
! nesSes, II came to This body for power to be
/ given 1t 10y law greater than even the House
/ Itself possessed, or any court in the land.
/ 1t wanted power to strike down the liberty
/ of the press and violate all the private
rights of the citizeu-power. ne said which
if granted by LIS will brand US with dis
honor. 1t is an attack upon the freedom
/ of the press, and what is its object? Ger
! tain editors had refused to answer ques-
| tons which were not material to the issue
| before the committee. These wero as to
who had written certain editorial. what
/ director had given certain information and
! they Eow ask for power which the courts
/ do not possess, to compel answers to any
/ question which caprice or malice may sug-
gest. The Democratic party has enough
/ to labor under in this State without taking
this burden on its back--an attack upon
! the freedom OF the press aud upon the
3 security OF private papers. The canal in
vcstigation was not being made in the
! interest of the people, but against the PEG
| pie. 1t was to hunt certain editors to the
/ death. We should guard the security CT
| the press and of every civi! and political
right When 1t inquiries into and criticises
the act. o: officials aud of those who seem
/ to be reigning as uncrowned kings in Mary
/ land it should be protected. What had
these editors done that they should be pro
ceeded against by special legislation >
hpy hsll ptllX ,.,T-
officials, and these criticisms were in the
/ interest of the people Of the State. This
bill was intended to strike terror into West
ern Maryland 1t was c;ain' I'd that it was
only to brand slandercrs. Why not brand
/ them i'll the Courts and by trial before
Judge and jury? Why should Star
Chamber be improvised to protect official
regulations or the canal?
Mr. Constable showed that the civil and
criminal responsibility Of the press was
/ peculiarly complete and ample. He spoke
with keen and penetrating sarcasm of the
righteousness Of certain officials, which
! even exceeded that of the Apostle Paul,
and who, when their slanderers would not
testify against them, wanted power to
compel them to do So and clamored for
the inquisition of Romish despotsm. lie
claimed that to grant the powsI asked for
3 III luC Ulll Nptiti iilouoHUG Tie democratic
party and break it up IN the State. and
referred to the fact that the only Senators
who had voted against it were Messrs.
! Steiner and Lawrence, Republicans. lie
then referred tc Ike national conflict in
which the Democratic party was engaged
with the Republican party, and urged the
members not to lay m additional burden
on the already overIaden back of the Dem
ocratic party by the passage of this bill.
Certain men, rather thar hot succeed in
their Vi!!dioti,e schemes, would invite the
democratic party to dishonor itself.
During the course of Mr.. Constable's
speech he was several times appiauded.
MEMS Buckle and Lace i'low Shoes,
warranted whole stock; and Job lot Of
Shoes-AIen's and Boys at 81 90 per pair
CARHART & Co.