The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-03-25
DOINGS At ANNAPOLIS.

DOINGS At ANNAPOLIS.
Mr.. Orrick, chairman of the special com
mittee appointed to ascertain whether or not
certain turnpike companies in an adjacent to
Baltimore county have not violated their
charters by charging excessive tolls over bad
ly kept roadways, reported last Friday that
there was good cause for the complaints. The
roads were found to be in dangerous condi-
tion, and unless the defects are corrected the
committee recommend the repeal of the char
tiers of the four road companies-the Falls,
the Hartford, the Philadelphia and the Reister-
town. The report was adopted and the com
mittee continued.
Mr.. Brashcars' bill to allow voters of any
county or city where the sale of liquor is not
prohibited to decide by vote whether liquor
shall be sold or not was killed, last Friday, by
a motion of Mr. Carter to strike out the en-
acting clause. The motion prevailed by 46 to
~.
Yesterday, March 9th, was the last day
upon which new bills can be introduced in the
General Assembly The session will end on
Monday, April 4th.
The Senate, last Monday, passed the House
bill to regulate fishing with hook and line in
Back river, Seneca creek, Saltpetre and Middle
rivers.
&x*
A petition was received i'll the House, last
Monday from John A. Russell and other citi-
zens asking for the passage of law to pro-
hibit the digging of brick moulding sand
within the city of IIavrc dc Grace.
i.
Mr.. Laird, with eye to business, offered
al order, on Monday, which was adopted,
limiting speeches to five minutes. Generally
a member of the Legislature can say all that
need be said on almost any subject i'll that
time.
The bill to protect wild fowl in Hartford
county passed the House on Monday likewise
the bill authorizing the commissioners of liar
ford county to levy sum of money for the
relief of Adelia A. Crawley.
SO
The assessment bill is still the chief topic OF
discussion at Annapolis The bill of the
Ways and Means Committee, after having
been amended in many important particulars,
passed the House and went over to the Senate.
That body, however, having different views,
amended the House bill by inserting Senator
Hayes bill in lieu thereof and returned it to
the House. Mr.. Hayes bill provides for an
annual listing of property by each taxpayer,
compelling him to disclose and put on record
his cash possessions in short, as 1t has been
said, makes him turn his pockets out for pub
lie inspection. Speaker Vandiver, is reported
to have said that he would never vote for such
an inquisitorial bill, and in this determination
he will be sustained by his constituents. 1t is
more than likely that conference will adjust
matters so.that reasonably fair bill can be
passed by both Houses
SO
Governor Brown has approved the following
bills relating to Hartford county:
Incorporating the town of Aberdeen.
Authorizing an additional Justice of the
Peace in Hartford county.
Regulating the terms of Office of the Har-
ford county commissioners.
SO
The proposition to lease the Eastern bay for
the cultivation of oysters was defeated in the
House, on Tuesday.
%x@
The House bill providing for the extension
of the Australian ballot law so as to include
the nine excepted counties passed the House
Tuesday night. After a vigorous fight by
Speaker Vandiver he succeeded in having Har-
ford county exempted from its provisions.
There was an evident disposition in the
House, says the San, to make the law uniform.
1t was argued that the State convention has
declared that the Australian law should in
clude the whole State The point also
| made that some members of the Court of APP
peals had said that the law was unconstitu-
tional because its provisions were not uniform.
This. it was urged, might cause trouble in
| federal elections. The Speaker said his
county was Democratic always, and they did
not want to vote whole newspapers. lie hop
ed the amendment would be adopted. The
House sustained him and excepted Hartford
An amendment to except Baltimore county
| was defeated, as the delegation were divided
| on the question.
Mr.. Pearre's bill to create a commission to
investigate the inequalities In the distribution
| Of the State school fund passed the Senate
| Tuesday night. Under the present law this
| fund is distributed to the counties in proper
ton to their respective populations between
| the ages OF five and twenty-one years. Many
| counties with large populations but small at
| tendance upon the public schools receive more
| money than other counties which have much
larger school attendance.
| *.x
| A bill passed the House, Tuesday night,
| providing for the protection of fish and wild
fowl in Rumney creek, Hartford county.
The Hayes assessment bill was read in the
| House on Wednesday, but nothing more was
| then done with it. The House will doubtless
refuse to accept it and committee of confer
ence will be appointed. Speaker Vandiver
will probably appoint, on the part of the
| House, three men why are opposed to the list
ing system, while the Senate will appoint three
men equally pronounced in its favor. A
deadlock will therefore ensue, which may
cause the defeat of the bill
| lHC StHdic Dlll lOT lHc TtlnONdl
of the county seat of Charles county from
| Port Tobacco to La Plata, was reported favor
| ably by a select committee in the House on
Wednesday.
| The bill for the relief of the bondsmen of
| eX-Treasurer Stevenson Archer, having passed
| the House. was favorably reported in the Sen
ate ON Monday and on Wednesday passed that
| body by vote of 16 to ). The three Republi-
can Senators who were present voted for the
bill. Senator Coffin, Republican, in voting
| said he did so because he thought the bonds
men were entitled to equitable relief The de-
! fault of Archer was due, he said to the failure
| of higher State officers to do their constitu-
| tional duty.
| The Morning Herald says: 'sSpeaker Van
| diver, who was one of the bondsmen. was the
| subject of many congratulations. Had the
| Legislature not granted this relief the bonds
men, in order to raise the cash, would have
| had to foreclose mortgages held by them on
hundred small farmers. The latter would
| have been driven out of house and home.'
The total amount to be paid by the bonds
men under this bill is S32, 600, which includes
the counsel fees and court costs.
| Col John Walter Smiths free schOol-book
| bill, which had already passed the Senate, was
favorably reported to the House on Tuesday
\ and was passed on Wednesday without dis
senting voice. 1t appropriates 100000 to
| furnish the public school children of the State
with free books.
81 would rather" said q veteran legislator,
| ''be the parent of that bill than any measure
that has been presented to the Legislature
Senator Smith also offered q supplementary
bill, which will prevent all possibilities Of
of jobbery In connection with the purchase of
| school books. 1t prescribes that each county
| school board shall make its own purchases
from the lowest responsible bidder. 1t was
| also passed.
These bills now go to the Governor for his
signature, which will doubtless not be with
held.
-
The Lady Commissioners from Maryland
and West Virginia and number of prominent
| citizens of the State made so strong an appeal
| to the Legislature, on Wednesday, that the
House appropriated $50, 600 for a representa-
| ton of the State at the Chicago Exposition.