Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-27
CareIessness of. the Law-maker..

CareIessnesS of the Law-makern.
The bill filed some years ago on the
equity side of the Circuit Court OF
this county on the part of the bond
holders of the Annapolis and Elkridge
Railroad Company, for the foreclosure
of the deed of trust or mortgage, exc
cuted by said company to secure the
due payment of the principal and
interest on the bonds issued by
it under the Act of 1872, chap
ter -, and for the sale of said
road and its franchises, has finally
been passed upon by the Appellate
Court of this State, resulting in a de-
cision in favor of the trustees (repre-
senting the bondholders, for the sale
of the road, which fact was heretofore
noticed in the columns ofthe CAPITAL.
Judge Bryan, delivering the unani-
nous opinion of the Court, holds that
by the passage of the Act of the Leg
islature above referred to, the State
of Maryland has expressly waived
her rights as prior lien creditor of
the road, and that the legal effect
thereof was to subordinate her rights
therein to those of the bondholders
AS q matter of course, therefore the
road will not only have to be sold
but the State of Maryland will never
receive, we predict, as much as one
silver from the proceeds of the sale
thereof In other words, the large
sum of money which the State had
invested in the railroad, will have van
ished and gone "where the woodbine
twineth." This condition of things
has been brought about by, and is the
legitimate sequence of, the careless
ness and shortsightedness of the law
makers who composed the majority
of the State Legislature of 1871
There is no doubt in our mind that,
when the Act of 1872, under which
these A. & Z. Railroad bonds were
issued, was passed, either one of two
significant facts existed, viz; That
the majority of the members of the
legislature, who voted for and passed
said Act, were set of nincompoops
and ignoramuses, or they lacked the
necessary knowledge and proper CON-
prehension of the force and effect of
the English vernacular, qualification
so essential in the makeup of wise
legislator. But it is too late now to
''cry over spilled milk, I" or to indulge
in lacrymose plaintiveness over a real,
existing, stubborn fact--the road
must gol
Nevertheless, the effect and result
of such negligent, objectionable and
slip shod legislation, expensive as it
udS pEON6u W uC III Iuic Auo0unSO w
the people of the State at large, it
should henceforward tend to serve as
O signal and monitor to the voters OF
every county in our State, so that
when in the future they shall be called
upon to select and elect representa-
tives to our State Legislature, they
will exercise prudence and vigilance
in their choice of men who shall, at
least, possess a.elear comprehension of
the use of English terms as well as
the English language.
There is equally no doubt in our
minds, that the person who drafted the
at in question and its paternal men,
tors who watched over its triumphant
journey and safe passage, fully and
exactly comprehended its every word,
context and legal import, and evil
IDENTIFY have, long ere this, reaped the
reward of their vigilance and shrewed-
ness in the proper use of the mother
tongue. The next news we expect
In hear will he after the decision