Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-02-08
Letter from Annapolis.
February 9Th. 1919.

Mr. Editor IL see your fellow-townsm
j. 2. Bays, has secured the appointment Of
assistant librarian here. ! see also that bis
place of business was robbed recently OF
considerable amount. He proposes to return
good for this evil BY giving 10 the State in
this very, very much needed Office the use Of
his valuable services fol SIS per day for ninety
days.
Mr.. Yellott has offered bill to repeal the
law of 1865 for the publication of the laws
in the county papers after the session. Yellott
If am not mistaken, 10 a disappointed ex-
pressman of the Towsontown Herald. He
undertook TO conduct the paper and had not
enough ability to make ii pay, therefore he
gave it up in disgust and takes advantage Of
this opportunity while in the House to deprive
The press Of the State of what little it now
gets from it,. The bill meets with no favor, it
being viewed in the light that it would rob
the people Of intelligence which the present
law requires them 10 possess at the small cost
OF not more than ten cents each biennially. -
A law might be enacted 10 despoil the stomach
Of food with as much business as to pass
law depriving the mind Of food in this en-
lightened age, made so by the various quality
and vast quantity of literary diet.
More flesh is being lost in laborious prating
over the oyster bill for the Eastern Shore than
all the oysters caught in a season could re-
place. II is all labor in vain, too, without
reaching any definite conclusion whatever 10
the interest of any body or anything.
The bill authorizing the G. 4 0. Canal Com
pany to issue repair bonds to the amount of
$500, 900 has been amended in the Finance
Committee so as TO provide that foreclosure
proceedings cannot be instituted until default
upon four payments OF interest upon the bouds
The intent Of this amendment is TO guard
the Company against the risk of sudden fore
closure in case the company should be forced
into temporary default through some unfore-
seen occurrence. The canal board wants the
State 10 waive its first lien on the canal so
that the bonds may find "A more ready sale.
memorial was presented from Judge Bouic
Of your county, by The Speaker, and referred
TO the Judiciary committee, recommending the
following:
"That law be passed requiring the clerks
of the circut courts TO report annually TO the
judges, in December, showing the gross and
entire income OF their offices and the specific
source of the items also the expenses and
specific items. That the clerks charge and
collect all fees they are authorized TO charge
for all duties, and return list thereof annual
ly 10 the comptroller of the treasury and be
charged Herewith, subject to such deductions
as they shall make appear cannot be collected
by exercise Of due diligence. At present the
clerks do not endeavor TO charge and collect
more than enough to pay themselves, and
large sums are thus lost TO the public treasu-
ry. The existing law is vague AS TO the pow
er Of the Circuit Courts TO appoint counsel on
behalf of persons charged with crime and who
have no money TO employ counsel and it is
not clear as 10 the right of counsel to claim
from the county commissioners
] advise that law be passed authorizing the
courts 10 appoint counsel in such cases, and
giving such counsel the same appearance fee
as is given to the States attorney, and such
additional compensation as the court may rec
in cases of special labor. Also the
repeal of so much of the law as requires the
clerk to the county commissioners to make out
and deliver to the Circuit Court an alphabet
cal tax list after every general election, rs
useless expense. Also recommending law
for Montgomery county regulating The pnr-
chase of fuel for the court and clerks offices
&C., which would be saving of half the
amount now paid for such supply.
The bell punch law has passed the through
the Senate and there is probability that it
will be passed by the House. 1t prescribes
three sorts of licenses, wholesale, where five
gallons or more are sold retail, where from
one 10 five gallons are sold, or the sales are
made in bottles or demij johns, and bar-room
licenses where the sales are Of drinks. In these
last the dealer is required to register every
drink by turning crank in the presence OF
the purchaser, and not to do so subjects him to
fine and Imprisonment. The tax for each
drink of half-a-pint, or less, is half-a cent for
malt liquors, and two cents per drink for spir-
its. And in this proportion, for a pint or
more of either TO be drunk on the premises
For each of these sorts of liquor dealers,
distinct license is required and the license fee
charged ranges from $50 to $3.50 according to
the population of the place and an addition
al 80 cents gallon for the semi-monthly sales
by retailers of spirits The effect of this bill
will be TO put large revenAe into the State
Treasury without stimulating ntemperance
Judge Pinkney's memorial for constitutional
amendments TO create corporations under
general law, and to take away entirely from
the counties and Baltimore city the power to
contract debts for internal improvements, was
reported 1avorably by Judge Blair from the
Judiciary committee, and adopted with leave
to report by bill or otherwise.
The select committee (Mr. Cox, of Charles
county, chairman) to which was referred the
subject of the reduction of Federal tax on to-
bacco, on Thursday of last week reported to
the House joint resolutions setting forth that
the present system of taxation on tobacco has
produced great depression in this very i'm.
portant branch of industry in our State, and
instructing our Senators and requesting our
Representatives to use their utmost endeavors
to secure the passage of bill reducing the
Federal tax on manufactured tobacco from "a
to II cents per pound, proper rebate allowed
the manufacturers for the stock on hand.
Mr.. Osborn, of Prince Georges, proposed
a constitutional amendment TO remodel the
Judiciary Of the State. lie wants an indie
penden, Court of Appeals TO be composed of
five instead of eight judges, each county in
the Stale TO be made judicial district with
one judge on the bench, who shall be chief
judge of the Orphans court for each county.
The salaries of the Circuit Court judges hall
be 81 $780, that of judges of Court of Appeals
So 600.
The measures OF this bill nearly conform 10
those OF Democratic bill which has been
framed, pertaining to the same matter.
Judge Dobbin, Of the Superior Court of
Baltimore, has had his time extended TO serve
on the bench.
About oue-third Of the legislative session
has passed, aad between eighty and hundred
general and local laws have been passed
The slver question is being quietly smo,h-
cred.
A hew registration law is peiitioned for.
OCCASIONAL.
An illicit distillery in the North Mountain,
near the Pennsylvania line, and about twenty
five miles from Hagerstown, was broken up
on Tuesday by Colonel Il. NJ. Mobey, Deputy
Collector of Internal Revenue, assisted by
Jacob Late, W. e. Gumbert and W L. Byers
The distillers were Andrew Keefer and Jack
nah rl.al h. "a.