The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-06-01
THE NEW ROAD LAW.

E'itor # tic Prince Georges Enquirer:
Mr.. EDIToR:-The editor of the
Norlboro' Times has made, no doubt, in
lis own mind. and in tie minds of the
three very wise and learned opponents
Of constitutional law, who voted to
ignore Tie new road law, some very
wonderful discoveries as to incunsist
encies il tie law. The first great point
Is that the first section "rcpeals all
vestige OF law which gives the County
Commissioners power over or control
over the pubic roads and bridges ofrhe
county and absolutely abolishes the
functions OF the principals whose agents
they undertake to make them
Now, in the first place, we take it
he knows the County Commissioners
had control for all purposes of roads
prioi to this act, and | think he ought
to know that when an act provides that
prior act shall be repealed, 50 far as
inconsistent with the latter act. that it
does not work "a repeal of every YES
tige of the former law" as he says it
does, but only operates as repeal SO
far as the two acts are absolutely in
consistent and cannot stand together.
and | feel sorry for man who cannot
understand that the County Commits
sioners are still in existence, haze some
control over the public roads, but that
the direction of the work on the roads
is, by this act, placed in the hands Of
the Road Commissioners, which Road
Commissioners are their agents
Again, whoeFer heard that when part
of the Functions" or duties of Il prin-
cipal was given to an agent that it alb
solutcly abolished the functions of the
principally \ principal carries on his
functions, or his acts, by himself
through an agent, and the acts of the
agent are the acts of the principal
when the agent is appointed by the
principal AMI authorized, and tile very
fact that the recent law recognizes that
the Road Commissioners are agents of
the County Commissioners, must make
detailed reports to them and make s
them the aycnts Of the Commits -ioncrs
negatives any idea Of the intention 20
abolish the Commissioners; and it is
sheer nonsense to say that whcle Il law
gives a portion Of the duties. thereto
fore performed by the County Commits
sioners. 10 % hers and makes the others
the agents of the County Commission
ers it abpliShcs the County Commits
alouerS. lie next speaks Of an error
ct tn, Clerk i'll copying Tie law where
the words ''one Of whom shall reside
were accidentally left out in The copy
in the Commissioners office. though in
the original bill, when no man OF any
sense who reads it ought to TAIL to see
hat such was the case. and any court
in constituting it would in lis mind in
corporate the worrls Is the whole con-
text OF the act shows plainly enough
to any average intellect that it means
ono is to come from the upper group
Of districts, one from the centre dis
tIicts and one from the lower group;
but To him This is absolutely '.inco-
hcrcnt and incomprchcn7iIir" Why
to some people the multiplication table
is absolutely ''incohcrcnt and incom-
prehensilie" while to others it is as
plain as tiic alphabet.
The next point is, he is afraid they
cannot levy for any new roads.
really do not care to diSprovc this, for
| believe if the present system Of keep
ing mp every road which ever was in