The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-04-15

IT, The Honorable the Gensrai AssemJly Of Nd:
The undersigned, citizens Of the State Of Mary
land, respectfully beg leave 10 represent that they
were appointed Examiners under Act Of iss0,
chapter li3, for the completion Of Edmonds0n
avenue, In Baltimore county. And as citizens Of
the State We now invoke the General Assembly by
way Of petition, mode guaranteed TO Us by the
Declaration Of Rights.
petitioners submit tina, they were subp@ned
and appeared before the Hons. Edwin ]. Farber,
wimot johnson and A. II. Greenfield, a commit
tee appointed by the House Of Delegates TO inyes.
tigatc the present condition Of Edmondson avenue,
In Baltimore county; that the Examiners appear
ed before the committee Mt it, first meeting, tho
3lst day Of January, iSs2; that tho committee
held It's last meeting for the purpose Of elosing the
testimony on the goth day Of February, and for
review, &C., on the "a day Of March, 1889; that
the Examiners asked ut the last meeting 10 be in
formed TO the proposed future action Of the CON-
mittec In the premises; that they received no in.
formation at that time nor at any time since M TO
the time Of the committees report to the iousc Of
Delegates, March 18th, 1852; shatthc time between
the closing Of testimony and Of making the report
was twenty-five days, and between the last meet
ing for review &C., and the time Of the report was
eleven days; that the time and duration Of the
meetings were entirely under the control Of tho
committee, aud the Examiners met promptly at
every one designated.
And We submit tina, II "the House Of Delegates.
which 10 the High Court Of Inquest for the State"
Of the proposed impeachment and removal Of tho
Examiners, and the Honorable the Senate Of Mary
land, which necessarily becomes a party TO the
proceeding. the proposed impeachment aud re-
movai 20 be contaminated by an Act Of the Gen
erai Assembly, should not be fully and convenient.
ly informed Of the proeeeiings testimony, &c., In
tho matter OF the investigation owing TO the fact
Of the same not being printed that the Exami.
ners, (who asked that the testimony should be
printcd,l are in no way responsible for the non
wtsaNw IL
We submit and deeply regret that the Honorable
Committee, in their judicial capacity, coul not
find n single sentence In the several papers pre-
scn,ed by the Examiners and Gcd by the commit.
tee as documents In the proceedings, or in any Of
the testimony given by the various witnesses tina;
could be referred to or quoted In behalf Of your
petitioners, or in miiiga Of any Of the many
wrongs and short eomings with which they appear
TO be charged. And your petitioners now in the
brief space Of time allowed them ask TO submit
facts in the case, whsh, in their opinion, will
show that the Examiners have not "disobcycd the
intention and terms Of the Act Of lsSO. chapter
ii3." and that they have not "in spite Of an oath
contained in the Act" failed to perform their
duties as prescribed by said Act, and that the
charges laid In the petition by Messrs. John Glenn,
Henry james, J. d. Brinkley, Ferdinand c. La
trobc, Charles j. Baker and orville llorwi;E are
not "well founded and substantially proved By the
sriienec but that they have performed their duties
in every particular, and under the circumstances
for the best interest and success Of the improve.
ment, and werespeetfully and earnestly ask care
full. full and impartial examination Of the whole
subject.
The documents referred 10 will speak for them.
selves. And In referring 10 the testimony Of any
witness We will not attempt 20 misconstruc his
language, but will quote rertaia refer 10 the
number Of the written testimony and the page az
as practicable tho paging of the written ties.
timOny In the keeping of the Chief Clerk Of the
House Of Delegates and the copy in the possession
Of the Examiners do not agree entirely in their
pagingl. And all papers and documents referred
90 are in the possession and keeping of said clerk.
At the FIRST meeting Of the committee, January
3ist, iss2, the Examiners presented a statement
which was hlel and marked by the committee.
Document c.
tcopy IF Document CT
Hon. Edwin J. farber, chairman; Hon. Wilm1,
Johnson, Hon. A. y. Greenfield, committee House
of Delegates Of Maryland.
Gentlemen The undersigned. appointed Ex.
aminers by an Act Of the General Assembly Of
Maryland. passed January session. lsso, chapter
ii3, &C., having been served by the SeF;eant-ai-
Arms Of the House Of Delegates with q sHJuuad,
dHees ieeas. TO appear before you, &c., at Annap-
oils. Nd, on the Sis, day Of January, lsS2. at $50
o'clock A. NJ.
Respectfully beg leave TO represent that VIC were
appointed Examiners under said Act without any
solicitation upon our part, bu, We accepted the
situation in good faith, took the oath required,
and entered upon the discharge Of our duties on
the 2ist day Of April, lss0. and have, according
10 our information and judgment, complied with
the requirements Of the Law in every particular.
After the statement, plat profile and proceedings
in the matter were finally ratified and confirmed
by the Circuit Court for Baltimore county, and by
the County Commissioners Of said county, We on
the 9th day Of October, 1850, filed our respective
bonds In the sum Of S29, 500 each with the County
Commissioners Of Baltimore county, and the bonds
were approved by said Commissioners. We then
uParaesia1 In tha n tho Of
Its. The assessments for benefits TO be collected
amounted TO so, 3s322, and Of that amount SII,-
4s3.l7 has been collected and deposited in bank,
leaving balance Of .s99.05 still due and TO be
collected.
The collections have not progressed as rapidly
as We desired and as We anticipated, for when We
entered upon our duties. we fully anticipated that
the avenue would have been completed before this
time. But during the progress Of the collection.
the matter Of grade, in connection with the
ing Of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad be.
came question. The grades in Baltimore coun-
~ had been established 20 as to cross the railroad
By bridge, and the City Commissioner Of Balii
more city subsequently, established the grade In
the city which ncecssitated the crossing of the rail-
road at grade, and as thus established the differ.
ent grades would not meet And upon these
grounds some parties objected 90 paying any more
assessments until the question Of grade set.
tied. Parties interested in having the railroad
crossed by bridge, proposed to take such action
rs might 90 necessary 10 nave tue grldes IN the
city 80 changed rs 10 meet the county grade, and
weare Informed they en- gcj in the matter.
The matter OF grades Ia connection with the
crossing Of the railroad. The tardiness Of some Of
the original friends Of the avenue who have here.
tofore paid large sums towards its construction.
and the undue and unnecessary action Of some
persons who have not been assessed n single cent,
aud have not 10 our knowledge contributed any
thing towards Its construction. has done much 10
embarass and resard the progress Of the improve.
ment, and tended to add materially to the expense
Of the same.
There are at present thirty -four assessments
open. for which benefits are due in whole or in
part, bills have been delivered, all the notices re.
quired have been given, and deiinqucnts have been
solicited personally and by letter to pay up. and
there is nothing len on the part Of the Examiners
TO be done but TO proceed TO sell the properties upon
which assessments are due, provided for by Sec.
8 Of the Act.
Pending the question Of grade We have not
deamed Il hsst far the interest and Of .he
avenue, TO proceed by eoercive measures, and We
are assured that there presidents 10 the matter
Of collection Of assessessmcnts for benefits which
will warrant our action in the premises.
We are informed that II has been alleged that
the Law lEdmondson Avenue Actl. conferred ex-
traordinavy powers on the Examiners, with obli-
cations however 10 admit Of the most vague and
general character. That there Is no power given
by the Ac, TO compel the Examiners to do their
duty, that they tthc pettioncrsl. can get no salts
factory statement Of the mode in which the sums
already collected have been expended or the
sons for not collecting the remaining assessments
from favored Few.
We submit that the Act for the completion Of
Edmondson avenue Is in many Of lis features al.
most identicaiiy the same the Act for the com.
pletion Of Wiiken's avenue, passed January Ses-
sion, 1870, chap. l0i, &c., in fact the Eimonison
avenue Act was based upon the wilken's avenue
Act, aud the decision Of the Court Of Appeals upon
said Act, delivered October term, 1878. Hence u
extraordinary powers have been granted, they are
not entirely new, and In our opinion the obiiga-