The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-03-08
Proceedings of the Legislature.

MONDAY.
Several new bills were presented to the
Senate and thirty eight bills which had been
passed by the House were referred to appro-
pirate committees.
Two new sewer bills for Baltimore city,
making four in all, were presented in the
House, also bill chartering an electric rail
road from Ellicott City to Frederick, with
power to build branches not exceeding twenty
miles. Also billto transfer the charter of
the Drum Point r. r.. to other parties, who, it is
said, will construct the road by September
1st, next, and the government may construct
dry dock at Drum Point, the best harbor
near the Chesapeake bay and where the water
is deep, and also bill increasing the license
to sell paper wrapper cigarettes from $40 to
$50. Among the bills engrossed for third
reading were corrupt practices act, prohibit
ing docking tails of horses and the bill appro-
priating $500 annually to the Manchester High
School,
TUESDAY.
In the Senate Senator Beasman introduced
a bill authorizing Westminster to issue $25, 900
in bonds and with the proceeds of their sale
to purchase $25, 200 of the stock of the Wash
ington, Westminster and Gettysburg Railroad.
number of local bills were ordered engross-
ed for third reading and some were passed.
A primary election law was introduced by
Senator Robinson.
In the House the bill incorporating the
Union Bridge Banking and Trust Company
was passed, and many bills were introduced.
among the latter was one fixing price of gas
in Baltimore at 80 cents thousand feet, and
providing an increase in brilliancy.
WEDNESDAY.
The Senate held day and night sessions. A
bill was introduced to amend the general in
surance laws and the bill to forbid marriages
of females under Is years and males under Il
years was ordered engrossed. The Haman
oyster bill, providing for the leasing of the IN
productive bottoms of the Chesapeake bay
was the special order. and was discussed tor
over two hours at the night session. The fol-
lowing Senate bills, among others, were passed
the sewerage bill for Baltimore city and the
bill defining the crimes of forgery and coun-
terfeiting; also the House bill regulating the
duties of the Treasurer of Carroll county and
authorizing the county commissioners to fx
the salary, which shall not exceed 81, 500 per
annum.
Among the bills presented in the House was
one by Mr. Hofacker to require clerks OF
courts to keep separate records of bonds
and securities held by corporations, and one
by Mr. Matthias to ammend the testamentary
laws so that fees on small estates may be
omitted. The bill to prohibit the consolida-
ton of railroad companies having parallel
lines The Straus bill amending the election
law was ordered engrossed. The bill pro-
videS-
l. Directions for the voter over each group
of candidates for a given office as to the num-
Der of candidates to be voted for.
2. Uniformity in the form OF the ballot all
over the State.
g. Printing the ballot in large Roman cap
ital type, which is particularly designated.
4. The separation ofthe party designation
at least one inch from the name of the candi-
date and the printing of the initial letter of
the candidates names and of the party des-
ignation directly beneath each other in verti-
cal columns.
S. The limitation of the printing of the
party designation solely to the name OF the
party.
6. The provision that if the cross mark
extends beyond the sides of the square and III
the opinion of the judges such extension is by
error and not with the design of making
mark upon the ballot, the ballot
shall not thereby be invalided.
THURSDAY.
The Senate passed the bill dividing Balti-
more city into four legislative districts, in ac-
cordance with the recent amendments to the
Constitution, and passed to third reading the
Robinson primary election law. Carroll and
sixteen other counties were excepted from the
operations of of the bill. The bill creating
loan of 5000, 900 to improve State buildings,
the Fifth Regiment Armory and
build an annex to the House of Correction was
engrossed for third reading The State
treasury will take all the bonds for the sinking
fund and the loan will not increase the State
tax. The Senate bill to permit Westminster
to issue bonds to aid the Washington, West
minister and Gettysburg railroad was advanced
to third reading, and also the House bill in,
corpora ting the Union Bridge Banking and
requests of Louisa S. Dallas was passed.
The House had busy sessions, mostly on
local bills, and the bill amending the charter
of the Reisterstown Savings Bank was passed.