Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-05-09

payers, VINO were not aole W NC Pieseh', Ga
pressing their regrets at their inability to at
tend and giving assurance of their hearty CO
operation in the object of the meeting. Tn.
meeting was called to order by Richard H
Edelen, ESQ, upon whose motion Judge Geo
P. jenkins was unanimously elected President
and VIM. H. Gray, Esq, was appointed secre
tary Mr. Edelen then addressed the meeting
in few we'll timed remarks dwelling
upon the inefficency of the road work
as now carried on and commenting thu project
of appointing general superintendent to take
charge of the service. He then presented for
the adoption of the meeting and the signatures
of those present the petition, which, as finally
amended and adopted, is printed below. At
ter tie reading of the petition Mr.. Jas I. Davis
moved to substitute resolution that the road
service be abolished, the teams and equipments
sold and the money resulting to the county
treasury be applied to the payment OF the coun-
ty debt Mr. F NJ. Cox hoped that Mr.. Davis
substitute would not be considered, as there
was no prospect Of such revolutionary step
being accepted by the Board and hoped II
would not be pressed By Mr.. Davis. He hoped
the specific proposition contained in the petit
ton, which the county commissioners bad ex-
pressed willingness to accept, would be
favoraby considered aud adopted by the meet
ing Mr. Davis withdrew his resolution. Mr.
Adrian Posey, the attorney to the commission
ers said thar, from what he had learned from
the Board, the appointment Of Capt Page
would not be favorably considered by them
Mr.. Hugh Mitchell quired if Mr.. P sey was
authorized to speak for the commissioners, 10
which he responded in the negative. Mr.. L. A
Wilmer then took the floor and made an able
and earnest speech in favor of the proposition
to appoint general superintendent and paid
"A handsome tribute to the skill, integrity
and energy of Capt. Page, whom he considered
pre-eminently indicated as the man for IN.
place. He dwet upon the Importance of the
public road service to the county and said thai
it should be kept out Of politics. he proposed
to look at the question from a business stand
Pages hand it would be so conducted. Tie
knew, however, of one other civil engineer IN
the county Mr. Addison Marbury: and had
learned he would probably accept the trust
De thought that it would be better 10 give III.
commissioners the discretion of making the
election from the only TWO men competent foI
the trust in the county. Mr. Wilaer deprecat
u the idea OF spending more money TO employ
general supervisor of sinier gu titications &c
those NOW in rh rye OF the work. Mr.. Edelet
explained that the reason Mr.. Marhury's nam'
had not been included-in the petition was bal
il WAS known TO tho Who drew II that Mr.
Marbury is now permanently engaged IL
Central America at a salary of 81 900 pei
would accept place at one-fourih the com
pensatiou Dr. Lancaster then addressed ID,
meeting He said ne had teen criticised by III,
press for not having procured the passage OF ,
road law for the county at the late session o
the General Assembly, after promising 10 do so
He admitted that be had made such promises
but said Il nj, after thinking the matter over,
he r,fe cted that under the existing law III,
county commissioners are authorized to u AXE
any proper amendments IN the system, and
feeling sure that they would adopt any proper
amendments which thu tax pay ers Of the county
might rec, mend, be did not See the neceSsity
Of new law. DR.. Lancaster profsssed TO be
heartily in accord with the object of the meet,
ing, but be moved to amend the petition so as
10 make it recommend the appointmest Of Capt.
Page "or some other civil engineer" Dr..
Lancaster amendment was put TO a vote and
lost. Mr.. Wilmer asked if any one knew OF
any other civil engineers in The county be
sides Capt Page and Mr.. Marbury, and no on.
seemed TO know of any other. Mr.. A. ".
Neale then moved to amend the petition so as
to ask the appointment Of either Capt Page or
Mr. Addison Marbury as superintendent, and
Mr.. F. NJ. Cox NOV ed 10 amend the amendnen'
by providing thai in the event OF the deciina
lion OF the one first Psointed that the other be
appointed to the position, which was accepted
Was unanimously adopted by the meeting. Mr.
Wilmer then proposed some slight smendmen /.
in the phraseology Of the petition, all Of which
were unanimously adopted. Well timed
speeches favorable to the petition were alsC
made by Mr.. Samuel Cox, Jr., and DIR. p. W
Hawkins. The following is the full text oil
the petition as finally amended and adopted:
To the Ho,cratIe Board Of County Commissioners,
Of Charles County, Maryland
The undersigned Tax Payers of said county In
mass meeting assembled this 9th day OF May.
1881, for the purpose Of agreeing upon and form
uIatiug certain needed amendments in the sys-
lie IN OF repairing the public roads Of the county
and recommending the same to your honorable
Board for adoption, do hereby respectfully re-
present that ia the opinion of your petitioners,
the Public Road Sci vice OF the county aS II has
been conducted since CAPT. ii. Clagett Page
ceased to have charge of the roads has been inef
ficient and by 10 means productive of those good
results which should he expected from large
an outlay as our county has annually incurred
i'll this behalf.
inefficiency and failure To accomplish adequate
and satisfactory results has been due chieTiy Il
the lack OF skill and Judgment in the supervisor
who have been entrusted with the conduct ano
superintendent of this work, whereby the labor
done upon the roads has been so msdirected a
TO produce no permanent good results, and IL
consequence OF such lack OF skill and Judgment
In the supervisors much unnecessary work ha
been done and labor thrown away.
That, in the judgment of your petitioners
bra nch OF the public service Involving 80 large
| an annual outlay and of such vital Importance
to the well being and prosperity OF the commu
nifty ought TO be under the direction and super
intendence Of some one person possessing ski
as a civil engineer, good Judgment. and energ!
and pi obty of character, who should direct thu
work of the several corps skillfully and system
atically as to build up permanent and endur
| ing roads and at the same time receive and dis
burse the money devoted to this service.
That the former brief service of Capt. ii .Claget
Page in this caracity was productive of such
permanent and excellent RESULTS as to especial,
commend him to your petitioners as possessing
in an eminent degree that skill, energy, industr,
and Conscientious regal d for duty that pecuiarl.
fits him for the important work of taking chang
of this service at this time and conducting it II
such all economical and skillful manner as il
great importance and large expense demands
and believing this your petitioners are DESTROYS
that the work be entrusted To his charge or tn,
charge of Addison Marbury, Esq and are Willing
if necessary to submit to such additional taxa
ton shall be required to pay suitable salar.
for such services
We therefore respectfully and earnestly recon
mend to your honorable Board that the said II
Clagett Page Addison Marbury be appointet
general superintendent of the county road ser
vice to hold office for two years from date OF ap
pOintment, with power to regulate and direc
the work of all the several corps of the road ser
vice as now constituted, and;receive and disburs
all the money paid out for this service exceptin,
the salaries of he supervisors OF the corps, and