Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-03-11

~h@ fnA1hS Va Nts~AkTrs "IuGAS9&%f &0u
Seth. OF Talbot. and Fitzgerald. Penn
and Thorn, Of the city. Il is seldom
that countryman is brought to praise
a city member Of the Legislature and
the excuse Of your correspondent for
departing from the general rule is that
the mentioned members 50 richly de-
serve praise that it is impossible to
avoid giving it.
The bill TO increase the Police
Force Of Baltimore city by fifty addi.
tional men will soon be introduced
and passed. TIE new oyster Law has
been drafted and will soon be put
nPon its passage. The bill was pre-
pared By subcommittee consisting
Of Senators Hodscn and Brewer and
Delegates Norris, Smith and Fitzger-
aid. The following are the principal
changes from old bill
/. The carrying tax Ia abolished.
,. The season is for tongers from
Sept. lst TO April 18th instead of 18th
as now provided-for dredgers from
Oct. 18th 70 April lst.
,. Tao dredging license is reduced
from e. TO 3 per ton.
4. The proposed amendment to
open the PAtuxent River to citizens Of
Charles, Calvert and st. Mays Coun-
ties was rejected.
5. One CT the Steam vessels il de.
tailed to suFerintend the waters OF
the Patuxent and Potomac River and
their Tributaries
T. Regulations in regard % locating
private beds and FOR providing better
regulation for measurment are reserved
. for separate bill.
!. The right to take oysters for pri-
vate use from private beds is permit
ted during the close season.
The provision to open the Patuxent
River was almost unanimously rejected
in the Committee. For which favor
your people are greatly indebted to
yonr representatives, especially Mr..
n.
In the House, since my last letter,
Mr.. Norris has obtained leave to in
troduce bills to provide for a monu-
ment TO Leonard Calvert, to empower
and direct the Attorney General to
institute proceedings for the recovery
Of taxes due the State.
On Tuesday. Mr.. King presented
tie following petition from his Honor,
Judge Frederick Stone
To The Honorable, the General As
srnLH Of MuyInsd:-The petition
Of Frederick Stone respectfully shows
That he was elected Chief Judge in
the Seventh Judicial Circuit Of this
State IN the fall Of 1881. That in
the year 1882, he participated with
his Associates in his circuit in the APP
pointment Of School Commissioners,
as is now provided for by law.
Iour petitioner states further that
his interest in the primary schools OF
this State is second 10. that OF no one,
and hat he would cheeriully do all
in his power compatible with his Judi
cial duties to advance the interest OF
such schools.
But your petitioner has become sat-
SIZED 10y tie experi, nee he his
acquired IN tie appointment Of School
Commissioners, that the making Of
such appointments. is to say the least
very inappropriate for a Judge, and
that such duty lessons the respect due
10, and has strong tendency to i'm
pair the usefulness Of, the Bench
That these appointments are much
sought after, aad in some cases they
have even largely influenced tie u.
! licial election.
After their election, the Judges are
often importuned and every ccnceiy-
able Influence brought to bear on
them to iniuee the appointment OF
particular Commissioners That al
OF this ~ injurious 10 the Judiciary
itself Is almost self evident.
That whether the Judiciary can be
constitu;ionally required to perform
duties not judicial, | 10 not now pro-
pose TO discuss, excep: TO say, that !
think there is high authority that they
cannot.
All | now wish is to ask this Hon
orable Body to examine into this sub
iect, and ii the Legislature is satisfied
that / am not in error, that they will
relieve the judges from what is to
me, at least, most disagreeable and
inappropriate duty, imposed by the
Act Of Assembly. / have no susges.
tons whatever TO make to your Hon.
orable Body, a. into whose hands these
appointments should be placed. lam
satisfied that this trust could be bet
ter discharged BY other agencies than
the Judiciary, and that the exercise
OF this patronage, il I may go term it,
strongly tends to impair the useful.
ness Of every Judge who exercises it,
and should be at once changed.
Very respectfully,
F. STONE,
| Chief Judge 7ih Judicial District.
The petition was read and ordered
spread upon the Journal and on Wed.