Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-03-04
tbs MINING JOURNAL
FRoSTDtRG, MD, MARCH 4. 1875.

TURE AND OF 9TH TfTSGt Ia THEIR Or
bER-Itis not evcrybody's privilege TO Wis
1t the MARYLAND Legislature. The chamber
accommodations for outsiders are wisely re-
stricted to r seating and standing capacity of
one hundred each. This arrangement was
probably not the result OF any special sagac-
ity; like the Aliegany survey a century ago
it was laid out without regard to future re-
quiremcnts. However, We got in several
times during last week, and witnessed d.
vers proceedings. In tie House we sat he.
hind the Allegany county delegation. On
vation Weheard spicy CT Ito luy between
MIR. Stewart of Baltimore and MIR. Nall Of
Frederick on the Louisiana business. from
whic,, both emerged triumphantly. Some
body had told us that each days session Of
the House costs the State $3.50; we then
calculated, from the time consumed, that
these two buncombe victories cost the peo-
PIE $3.50. But these occurrences happen
every day, and i'll Annapolis their cxpen-
siveness never occurs to those whose bla,
tant professions of economy are expressed
wherever legislative voice is heard
BY the way, the manner Of Maryland
legislator is peculiar. His office MS ser.
cant of the people is grotesqe one he is
the oracle-the hero and when you hear
from his own lips how he is going to fight
fight" is the word-his pet mc.sures
Through thick and thin"-thcn you may
look out for shearing of hogs for wool.
There is generally huge talk Of having been
elected on certain tissues" and on those
the Maryland legislator will never go
back-ncver, no, neverr' If he is chosen
to promote cattle-scales erection on the
eastern shore that's what lie is going to do
if he has to leap into the breach. 1t is his
binding duty to defeat everything, especial
ay local option, to get the cattle scales, but
if dog law delegate from some sheep
headed constituency wants his measure put
through with the aid of the cattle. Gales
Influence, then the two immutable princi-
pies involved II catt!cweighing and sheep
killing will be found to coalesce, the bills
probably pass and the State be saved from
the supreme foolishncss of enacting bills
which cost nothing.
In some such way the new county bill
was disposed Of Nobody felt bound to
support it because nobody was elected on
that issue" Yet these same men have
fought like tigers for bills they never before
heard Of The general testimony bore out
the fact that in the matter of fairness it is
an exceptional bill; is claims are such that on
no principle of ordinary justice could it be
opposed. Yet after having been twice re.
ported favorably, solely upon its merits, it
came up on Monday last for its third read
ing after much significant maneuvering on
the part of certain senators for some uncer-
tain position on the knotty que on. The
corpulent president impatiently jerked the
bill from the pile, calling 1t "No. 3d." and
accredited it to "the Senator from Alegany"
To this there was IN affirmative nod.
Somehow the innocent reading clerk got
ho'd of the elephant and reached as far as
mo. 3d. when his attention was arrested
and diverted from his wonted custom of
reading the titles of bills Mr.. German
arose; the smile of the executioner PLAYED
over his cadaverous countenance Willie he
moved that the bill be referred to the COM
mt!ee on finance" The President de.
clared the bill referred and several troubled
spirits settled to rest. In company with
the other pall-bearers we withdrew. Just
at that moment we regarded the bill slaugh-
tered, and as the full-moon face of Bannon
looked smilingly across the hall, we fancied
we could read something confirmatory in
the glitter of his upper teeth.
Mr.. Germans action was generally re-
;garded as designed to bury the bill out of
'sight-the only way to get rid of project
which the undercurrent of discussion as er-
ted as providing for "a Republican county,"
We are 10th to accept this theory it is not
crcditable to his reputed policy or smart
ness. If he is guided by considerations
which can thus afford to destroy measure
confessedly constitutional and fair he is
bound to trip up somewhere in his Nith-
erto) lucky career.
In our sad estimation the bill is moul-
dering in the tomb-rather in the senate
committee on finance. Invent down alone
and friendless. The voices of its friends (:)
were mute and tuneless; lips ercwhile SO
busy with measures supposed to be more
popular, suffered new county to 60 down
without even a sign of protest all the 9th
CT bills went to their appropriate com
mittecs, some Of them utterly worthless and
undeservIng-whileo ours. involving the first
and fundamental principle of republican
government, was sent to the committee on
finance. This was hard to bear; we could
have stood its reference to the committee
on public roa s. public buildings, oys-
ter navy-to anything but finance. There
is no consideration from the State stand
point of which it is so utterly void as f.
nahce. In this respect it was SO remarka-
bic that it struck the Annapolitan law ma
kers with as enlistment; they inquired
what manner of people are these who pro-
pose first to pay their debts and then their
own expenses to set up a government for
themselves They allowed the judiciary