The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-07-20

bitrary methods in moving the Assem-
by to Anne Arundel county from its
original seat in st. Mary's. Ancient
enemies, Protestant and Catholic,
joined each other in protest against
this change. In vain did they petition
the Assembly, naming the great loss
of wealth and inconvenience the
change would incur. The reply was
that the reasons given adverse to the
proposed change were "hardly de-
serving any answer at ALL" Such a
step implied no little power with the
King, for a careful reading of history
will show that no matter whether or
not the change was expedient, it was
most unpopular at that time. But to
Anne Arundel Town the Assembly
went early in 1895, leaving the town
of the Calverts to crumble into decay
and finally to vanish.
Soon the name of Anne Arundel
Town was changed to Annapolis, and
contracts were made with Casper Au-
gust Hermann, third son Of Angus
tine Hermann, of Bohemia Manor, for
State House, parish church and
schoolhouse. The Governor himself
subscribed so pounds a year toward
the building of the school and 25
pounds, a year toward the mainte-
nance of the master during his Ex-
cellency's continuance in the govern
ment." Thus the Governor has been
credited with the beginning of free
education in Maryland. 1t was not,
however, until 1901, three years after
his departure for other fields, that the
first public school in Maryland was
started. A more definite and far
reaching good than his gesture to-
ward a free school was his system of
management for the fiscal affairs of
the colony. He laid the foundation for
a sound banking system, and did val
liable work in revising the colonial
laws.
The year following the arrival of
Governor Nicholson in Maryland saw
the establishment Of a public post,
the route extending from the Poto-
mac, by way of Annapolis, to Philadel-
phia. The postman was required to
traverse his route eight times year,
carrying all public messages and de-
livering letters and packages to the
inhabitants along the way. For this
service he received so pounds sterling
a year-for the three years during
which this rude system endured.
The kneeling figure on Hounslow
Heath became in Maryland the arch
prosecutor of Catholics. He was in
constant rows with the Assembly, and
though ne received from England a
Recommendation of moderation" he
later boasted that he could never have
governed Maryland if he had not
"hampered the people and kept them
under" One example of this policy
is found in the well-known case of
Philip Clark, whom Nicholson perse-
cuted to his very death. Though the
terror of his temper and his obsti-
macy was everywhere felt, he could,
when occasion demanded it, put on
the cloak of the lamb. An illustration
of his meek side is included in his re-
ply to the House after that body had
objected to a proposed tax for the
building of church in Annapolis. He
wrote:
His Excellency is pleased to signify
that he is not so dogmatic as to i'm
agine his own opinions to be infalli-
BILE, or endowed with elloquence
enough to persuade the House against
its own inclinations, or to force peo-
pies consciences.
William Penn, in 1896, wrote of the
violence and harsh carriage of Gov
ernor Nicholson, and Logan described