Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-01-24
DULL SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
Both Houses Transact LaTgeAmount
of Business.


In the two hours session of the
Senate this morning large amount
of general business was transacted.
besides the reading of two long mes
ages from the Attorney General and
one equally lengthy from the Board
of Public Works.
The first of the communications
from sthe Attorney General was in
reply TO questions which have been
asked by two orders, the maximum
salary which the Constitution allows
the Legislature to pay for any Office
of its creating the Attorney General
stated TO be 5000; the State can pro-
hibit dredging for crabs or other form
of common fishery over privately
leased beds, and any subsequent Leg
islature can repeal any or all leasing
legislation which may be passed
Following this came his reply to
the questions asked with regard TO
what the State is doing to collect the
money due on its stock in the Wash
ington branch. The State is doing
nothing and in the opinion of the At
torney General will do we'll for the
present TO continue this policy, in
spite of the fact that be gives as his
opinion that the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad has no right whatever to place
any obligation in the way of mort
gage in front of the States stock
Nevertheless Mr.. Bryan thinks that it
would be "a wise business policy to
use this claim as a means of obtaining
higher bid for this stock and to refrain
from pushing litigation until il is
reasonably apparent that there is no
hope of receiving adequate prcei for
the stock, when suit should be press
ed. F." He closes by pointing out that
the entire situation is more a matter
of good business Judgment than of
law, and that while his advice is this
way, if the Senate takes the opposite
view he is entirely ready to go ahead
with the proceedings.
A squabble took place over a favor--
able report by the Finance Committee
on an order earlier introduced reserv-
ing the Senate retiring room to the
use of the Senators, and providing for
doorkeeper to enforce this. The
Senators all want the public excluded,
but very considerable number do
not want to provide another place on
the pay rolls Senator Linthicum
thought that the Senate doorkeeper by
staying outside instead of inside the
Senate might watch both doors. The
whole matter under debate hinged on
parliamentary point the first that the
report of committee must either be
accepted. rejected or returned to the
committee. Mr. Baker and others
could not understand that the order
itself was not before the house and
hence not open to amendment. The
report was adopted, the order brought
before the house, and amended to cut
out the payroll plan lost, and then the
original passed. 1t was "much ado
about nothing - the whole affair oc.
cupying fully twenty minutes of heavy
debate.
The resolution offered sby Mr.. Lam
iosle providing for a joint committee
to act with Virginia on the waters of
the Potomac river oyster beds, amend.
ed so as to limit the cost to $3.50, was
finally reported by che Finance Com
mittee and adopted. Messrs. Linthi-
cum, Kirwan and Lancaster, are the
committee on thep art of the Senate.
The report of the Board of Public
Works in reply to the order passed last
week asking for information concern
ing the sale of the States interest in
the O. q o. Canal, was a four page
typewritten affair supported by what
looked to be at least 100 pages of
vouchers. This brought out the fact,
already known, that the Board sold in
open contest, advertised according to
law the requisite number of days in
advance, the States interest to the
highest bidder. All three reports
were ordered spread upon the jorunal
and extra copies ordered of the first
two.
NJ T;utb;o,,,,, of poItf,,oro ofkx,
introduced his So, 600, 600 paving loan
bill, after which the Senate went into
executive session and on motion of
Mr.. Clagett confirmed without refer
ence the only one and the first of the
appointments of the Executive yet
sent down, that of Hodges Carr TO be
notary public in Prince George
county.
At 2 O'Clock an adjournment was
taken until noon tomorrow.
The House transacted large amount
of routine business, passing the first
bill of the session to make September
18th legal holiday throughout the
state A large number of bills were
introduced, most of which were local
to Baltimore. CITY.
Delegate Shipley introduced a bill
to appropriate $50, 600 each year for
1906 and 1907 to build q hospital for
the University of Maryland in COM
memoration of the one hundredth an
niversary of that institution.
Delegate Duvall introduced a bill
to amend the law relating TO justices
of the peace in Anne Arundel county.
At o. m. the House adjourned 20
Thursday noon.