Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-06-28
Retrospective Legislation.

Mr.. Editor AS the psople of this county,,
especially those along the line of the ca,
peake and Ohio canal, are greatly interested
| in the restoration OF that work. and IN ease il
| cannot he restored, in the construct III ol
u railway along its route, and MS two mern
berJ of the last House of Delegates the one
which body sundry propositions and pla's
for the disposition OF the canal were brought
forward, are again candidate for legislative
honors, il becomes Interesting to know what
their attitude was on this subject This eau
be hest understood by giving the Substance OF
the bill Introduced hy DR.. Wootion aud earn
estiy advocated aud supported hy the Other
members oi the delegations which is briefly
| as follows
II directed The Attorney General OF the
Stale 10 institute appropriate proceedings, in
the name of the State, in the supreme Court
of the District of Columbia and in one of the
Courts OF the State against all parties entitled
to be made defendants, TO procure decree
for sale Of the canal, its property, rights
aud franchises, on which decree there should
be stay of execution during the years 1888
and 1889, to determine whether the canal as
then organized could earn enough money TO
delray current expenses, make necessary re-
pairs and pay the interest on the repair bonds
OF 1873, aud il the canal should tail during
the year 1890 TO earn enough money for the
purposes aforesaid, the canal its property,
rights and franchises should be sold to any
purchaser guaranteeing TO keep il open AS
waterway from CumberlandIto Georgetown,
or to construct and operate railroad between
said points ON the line OF The canal, or To OPP
crate said line partly AS waterway and
partly rs II railroad, so that in the event of II
sale of the work II continuous line of trans
portation, either by canal or railroad, or by
both, should be maintained along the entire
length Of the canal from Cumberland To
Georgetown. The sale, with the conditions
aforesaid to be ratified by the courts author
izing the same and by the General Assembly
Of Mary land.
This bill was rejected by the Legislature.
IL it had passed, and il should be demon
strated that the canal cannot be restored as
at present organized, it could have been sold
on such terms, and subject to such conditions
as would have assured to our people either II
canal or railroad along the entire line of the
canal. No measure could have been devised
which would have more eiectually protected
our people; indeed, it provides about the
only means of protection, for il the canal
should prove not to be self-sustaining no
State aid under the Constitution can be ex-
tended TO it, and ii it should be sold without
making it condition of sale that the pur-
chaser should maintain either II waterway
or railroad throughout its entire length the
only portion OF it valuable TO our people
would inevitably be abandoned.
In fact, the opposition to this bill came from
those interested in securing the bed OF the
canal for railroad from Cumberland TO
Wiliamsport, and there connecting with the
Western Maryland Railroad, and in being re-
LEVIED from It's maintenance, in any form,
from that point 10 Georgetown. Had this
plan succeeded our people in the Western sec
ton OF the county would have been cut off
IRON all transportation facilities. This plan
was defeated by the delegates from this coun-
", and while they did not get all they con-
tended for in the interest of our people, they
defeated a scheme which woul Id have deprived
them ct all chance OF getting anything. AS
it is, il the canal should be sold, it is proba-
BILE that the terms and conditions prescribed
by the bill introduced by our delegates could
be imposed upon the purchaser, and the ad-
vantage of II railroad secured to the people OF
the Western section OF our county. II they ever
get such II railroad, or continue to enjoy the
blessings of the canal in restored condition,
ii will be d g 10 the efforts OF our delegates
in the last General Assembly. They are not
able TO construct such work themsel ves the
State is powerless ider the Constitution to
help them: and the only way in which they
can get relief is to impose upon capitalists COW
citing the work the obligation to keep il open
in some form throughout its entire length.
Our delegates, too, opposed all indirect aid
to this work on the part OF the Stale, for
when it was proposed that the State should
purchase the repair bonds of 1878 and put
them in the sinking fund, our delegates unani
mously and earnestly opposed the scheme as
an evasion Of the Constitution and an I'M
warranted appropriation of the peoples
money.
They sought 10 maintain line of trans
portation fora large portion OF our people by
m il n
of private capital to embark in the enterprise
without one cent OF cost to the Taxpayers
OF the State.
MoNTGoMERIAN