Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-04-14
The Governor *ad the Tobacco Bill

view of ascertaining the history of the to
bacco inspcc ion legislation before the
late General Assembly. The greater portion
of the interview we give below as likely
t, interest our readers:
Reporter ~ hat were YOUR reasons frf
taking such an active part in the passage Of ibs
tobacco bill now before the Governor?
Mr.. Gill.-Atter | had been elected to The
Senate WAS approached by Messrs Lchr Won
Lingen and Lefiwich, and gentlemen interested
in the tobacco trade, and asked if would aid
them IN securing Reforms in the tobacco system,
and the abolition Of the compulsory feature,
upon the grounds that the present system was
rotten to the core, and that the war, houses
were used as mere political machines, and tina
the inspections were so imperfect THAI not onl +,
were they diScredited throughout The Who'll,
world. but they were the cause of yearly loss I,
be shippers, and m actual decline in value Il
the whole planting interest OF The State.
told them would make II thurongh eXAmina
ton, and if found the facts rs stated correct
would aid them to the best Of my ability. Upor
examination | found them mach worse thar
they had been stated to me to be-
Reporter.-Can you give me history o
the passage of the tobacco bill through III,
'ui anu It's ~ w lOS nA changes iron
the present lawF
Nj. Gill.-The 6rst bill that was introduced
was by Senator Bond, which made some
changes, but did notrepeal the compulsory Tea
ture, tending the discussion of this bill Senator
Bond and my sell met IL numter Of the commits
sion merchants Al Mr.. Robt. Lehr's house il
baltimore, and after considerable discussion
agreed 10 all the provisions of the bill rs now
before the Governor except As to the mode o
appointment of inspectors. That bin provided
they should be appointed by the board Of pub
he works. The first provision OF the till now
before the. Governor puts the inspections on ,
business basis, and takes il out OF patli.ar
politics, as suggested hy tie Governor in hi.
message 10 the Legislature, page 40. 1t pro
vldeS tor the abolition of salaries and ALLOW
the inspectors 10 receive as their pay only
what they can make over and above the ey
penseS OF running the warehouses. and 1T tie
same time providing that fifteen cents On each
hogshead should be paid to the State. You
VIII see on page IS OF the Governors message
that the cost TO the State for running these
warehouses has been S, 95S, 50, as follows:
For the fiscal year ended the 30'h
of September, lSSO. the receipts
from the five warehouses So GI2 o.
Total disbursement. except tor sal
arise 81 inspectors and Insurance
and ground rent...................... =. GSS 81
Net earnings s. ga l.
But as against these earnings the sam O.
Sl3, COS OF was paid IS the treasury TO the il.
Spectors for their salaries and for iu>uranc,
and ground rent, leaving deficiency o. s.
645 81 as charge upon the treasury
For the fiscal year ended 3oth Sep
TENDER, 1881, the receipts were So. $50 C.
Disbursements, except for salaries
OF inspectors, &c..................... - 81 %
Net earning for fiscal year, l>sl.... SIC. So /.
But as against these earning. the sum @
$40. SOS 4 was paid ~ the treasury to the in
Spectors for their salaries and for iuSurt nee sue
ground rent, leaving deficiency of S&l2 =
IS charge upon the treasury, shosiuE how
ever, in this respec! considerable Improve
ment over preceding years
/ Under The new Nv tn, State viii ~crcive
cents per hog>hcad. II there are 10 Goa hogs
heads inspected the State will receive - 0so
As shown above, it bed 10 pay : aIs 3
which viii now he saved, and which. aate! {,
the s. 600 vii! give Sl4,a5s -. heju. IL,
amount the State viii save in the mex, tao
years TIE next provisions creates board %
arbitration. with power 10 Se't,- all ilfFi-u.,is
( between the huyer, seller aud Inspector ri
[ false or fraudu cut INSPECTIONS. saj makes th,
inspector : bond Liable for e}l smouuis tia.
NAV he made by the board Of arbitration. tn,
next provision Is IN accordance With the Cover
nor view expressed on page 20 % his mess ~
and saws the inspector NAV. In his discretion.
take duplicate samples This prevents lt- g rcra
ton OF The sample after Il ,etvrs tie hands o.
the Inspector, VS. 'c,qHeDtlr done IN ihg
ptsi and rcaks ~ the corrupt use Of n, in.
{.
in. The n-Nt provisions maArsa tobacco re
ceipt negotiable N the same u.a0ner a. d
grain rcreipt~w negotiable. aud the fur
and most important PROVISION = the total tuH
entire abolition of ali the compulsory feature.
that have heretofore sI'-ts1. and upon ths,
point desire 10 cal 'uav attention 20 Tie re-.
ommrn4alIun Of the GoterH9r. II Hieb IS IS o.,
lows.
Il earnestly recommend 'ha, the sal icr; ts
well considered. and would ,sus; respectfully,
suggest that upon general economic prsaclpsr-
the people can attend better IN their own r-i-
yaie business concerns ,han ,A- State can f.-
them aud at all event. thew should hsye n,
liberty TO do so, and recommend that the com.
pulSory fraiucs Of the present system he -aai-
ishtd - II u hardly necessary Tor me 10 add
anything 10 what The Governor hss All III
favor Of this proposition lntegd the whole
sor the appointing power, has teen drawn 10
meet the views Of the Governor, and was - hen
read to the Governor by Mr. Lehr and ,hosr
With him, approved OF in every particular save
as 10 Who should make these pYot utmcuts And
~ tie last conference committee. OF which there
were two. the Governor was inserted '.hy aud
with the advice and consent OF the S,uate " a,
required hy the constitution. in place Of tn
board Of public works, especially to meet h,s
objections 10 this part OF the till The lit.
was submitted to the Governor ei1her on Fri
day or Saturday, aud on Monday Nessrs Lcsr
and Won Liugea, Senators Cooper Bian. aud
yselt called on him 10 ascertain, ii possible.
whether there was any difficulty in the way OF
his approving the bill, and, if there was any, 10
see " nat could be done to remove it, lie stated
that be had not read the I'M. although the nIll
Is the same II every respect, except As to the
appointing power as y ben il vas submitted
to him by Mr. Lehr and Others. but that he
bad read 10. far as section -four; that " her,
he reached that section, which is as follows
That each OF the five inspectors Of tobacco
for the Warehouses aforesaid, Who were al
pointed by the Governor. hy and with the
advice and consent OF the Senate, during the
Ses ion Of the General Assembly of MARYLAND
he'd in Annapolis in the year 1880. shall hold
his office and execute the duties thereof and
thereof, until his successor is appointed, BY
and with the advice and consent Of the Senate
hereinbefore in this act provided he Stop
ped and SAID that WAS lar enough for bin that
the Senate was endeavorlng TO uSurp the rights
and prerogatives OF the executive, and wanted
this bill signed to keep in the old inspectors
| stated 10 him that had prepared that part
Of the bill, and there was no such Infection
expressed or implied to usurp his percga-
lives. The section was drawn in conformity
with the language of the constitution, section
10 of article =. Furthermore | said to him
and my colleagues assentea, that the Senate
would certainly confirm four Of the names of
tobacco inspectors which were then before the
Senate, and that, while did not know who had
been nominated for the fifth place, | thought.
though | could not speak SO positively in that
case as in Others, that they would not reject
The Senate, although the Governor had not
signed the bill, did confirm four Of the inspec-
tors, and would have confirmed them had the
bill been signed. The Governor further said
that he would give Dir, Lehr and Mr.. Won