Year: 1860

the seller, and grain of the same quality, not in
spected, invariably demands higher price. The
tax of cent per bushel for inspection is
in the extreme. and well calculated to make the in
spectiOn law dead letter, and those who were
formerly its warmest advocates, now decided Y
opposed to it. The report favors the opinion that
the existence of Board of Measurers, composed of
reliable and competent men, who should see that
the bulk of grain is equal to the samples offered,
and who should see to the weighing of the grain,
giving certificates of the same to both buyer and
seller, woul6 meet the necessities of the case and
give greater satisfaction to the trade The report
of the treasurer is referred to and the Association
congratulated upon the able and careful manner in
which its financial affairs have been taken Of.
There were S2,3l4.6l in the treasury on January
1st, 1860.


The report then refers to the new Corn Exchange
Building. The present site was purchased at a cost
of $4,000, and the building contracted for at S27,
900. The subscription of stock amounted to S37 >
900, and 6,000 were donated by the Corn Enchange
for the construction of the building $500 were
paid on the ground, and the remainder is subject
to ground rent, which leaves SIS, 900 for the COM
the building, "a description of which we
give above) 1t was expected to have the
building completed by the first of January, but the
sudden severity of the weather prevented. 1t is
now expected to have it ready for occupancy by
the first of April. The Exchange, when com
pleted will have rival in this country. So far
as lay within their power, the Board claim to have
faithfully and effectually redeemed the pledges
given DIV tnem 10 the SUBSCRIBERS upon tnelr eIec
ton to office. The report closes by recommending
the abolition of the present system of proxy voting
and points out the evils which result theretrom


Afterthe reading of the report, Mr.. James TysoI
moved that that portion of the report which referred
the inspection of -four, and which charges the de-
crease in the trade to the loose manner in which
the inspection laws were administered, should be
| stricken out. He did not think that the President
had found the current of the falling off in the
trade To his mind this portion othe report direct
ed public attention from the true cause, which was
| the policy of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad;
discrimination in favor of Northern Cities particu
larly New York, to the detrment and injury of the
interests of Baltimore He had the evidence in
his possession to prove that during the past year.
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad carried -four
from the city of Wheeling to the city of New ork
at cost of seventeen cents per barrel, the Balti
more and Ohio Railroad receiving 1874 cents for
| the transportation that road. 1t this ru-
inous discrimination which destroying the flour
trade of the city, and would continue to do so as
long as it was part of the policy OF the Baltimore
| and Ohio road.


| The argument of the President in regard to the
manner of appointing inspectors was also fall "a
cious. He asserted, without fear of contradiction
that those officers were not elected for partisan
vices. The present mode of selection was part of
the old Constitution. The law requires that they
shall be practical millers. The selection of these
men by means of a commission suggested, would
destroy their independence, as they would be de-
pendent upon of the trade for their situations.
Independence was the first requisite in an inspec-
tor. The entire tendency of this portion of the
port he considered an effort to direct public at
tenton from the real cause of the decrease, which
could be safely laid at the door of the Baltimore
and Ohio Road.


Mr.. Crichton by request, again read the por-
tion of the report under discussion.


Mr.. G. d. Kinks said it not his intention to
speak, but he could not remain silent when many
inaccuracies had been committed by the gentleman
who last spoke (Mr. Tyson) In saying that the
present system of appointing was part of the old
Constitution, he was mistaken. There was nothing
| in the old Constitution concerning the appointing
of inspectors. 1t was formerly done BY the Mavor
and City Council, and it only of late years that
the Governor, with the consent Of the Senate, had
made these appointments.


| Mr.. Tyson-I stand corrected sir.


Hr. Hinks-The gentleman is also mistaken in his
assertion that the distribution of the inspectorships
is not regulated by party influences. The law does
not, stated, require that the inspectors should
be practical millers 1t only requires that the ap-
pointees shall be capable of Judging of the quality
| flour. 1t was a fact that would dare to
dispute that the present inspectors We're incapable
to discharge their duties. They were not judges
of the quality of -four, and they had received the
appointments merely for partisan services. The
office of General Inspector as every member OF the
Exchange well knew, was created some years since
for no other purpose than to furnish position for
| personal friend of the then Governor. 1t had
been filled by the same class of men ever since, and
at present personal friend of the Governor the
occupant. The gentleman Mr.. Tyson) had said
that the first requisite in an inspector was ndepen
dence. He differed with him. He considered that
capacity was the first qualification. The assertion
that impartial men could not beselected by Board
of Commission was erroneous. There was no good
reason why seven gentleman, representing each
branch of the trade could not select competent and
! independent men Governor, who is controlled
in his appointments by the influence of his political
friends. 1t absurd to presume otherwise. The
-four trade of the city bad suffered from the man.
ner in which the inspections are made. The report
moi tba arta ta1
from the main issue.


Mr. Tyson-Then why didn't it refer to the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroads discrimination?


Mr.. Kinks thought that as the Board had re
ferred to the subject last year, there neces
| sity for a reference to it now. He was perfectly
free to coincide that in his belief the opening of the
railroad to the Ohio had not brought more bar
rel of -four to the city.


| Mr.. Tyson-Why does not the report st ate that
fact?


Mr. Kinks said that the proper place to remedy
that evil was with the Legislature, and if gentle
men would turn their attention that way, the evils
could be removed. He had ne desire to lead the
public attention from this system of discrimination
but desired the Association properly to understand
the suggestions of the report relative to the ap
pointment Of inspectors.


Mr. George Worthington asked for an explana
ton of the manner in which the Commission pro
posed was to be appointed. He thought Mr.. Tyson
was too fast in moving to strike out The report
should first be adopted, and then resolution could
.
on the question.


Mr. Crichton explained that the Commission was
to be selected by the Board of Trade and the Corn
| Exchange Association. He thought with Mr. WOr-
| thington that the proper mode of proceeding was
to adopt the report first, and then offer the resolu
tiou adverse to the suggestions.


| Mr. Worthington said that, on reflection, he had
changed his mind, and considered that Mr.. Tyson's
proposition to strike out was the proper mode OF
| action.


Mr.. Tyson said that his object in moving to
strike out was that he did not want the report to
60 forth stating that it owing to the loose man
ner in which the inspection laws were administer
ed, that the -four trade had fallen Off 1t in
correct The real cause the policy of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad, and he desired the fact
to go forth


The President then put the question to strike
| out, and the response of yeas and nays about
equal, and the President could not decide The
question again put, and the yeas came out full
and strong. When the nays were called the res
ponse was rather weak, and the question was de-
| cided in favor of striking out.


Peter G. Sauerwein asked if the motion just
ried included the striking out of the expression
that the cause of the decline of the trade the
loose manner in which the inspection laws were
ecuted or did it only refer to the change suggest
ed in the manner of appointing inspectors? He
was in favor of the Association speaking out on
this matter and not evading the issue by ignoring
the question.


Mr. Crichton said both were stricken out.


Mr.. Kinks said that he offered the following res
oution, and the evil which it proposed to remedy
was so apparent, that it was not necessary to dis
cuss it:


i Resolved, That the Board of Directors who may
be elected to-day be and they hereby instruct
| ed to procure, soon possible, such alteration
or amendment to the charter of the Corn and Flour
Exchange, as shall preclude, henceforward, all vot
ing of its members by proxy.


MIR. Crichton seconded the motion, and said that
the trainers Of the charter, looking to the time
when it would be necessary to issue stock for the
erection of Corn Exchange building, had intro
duced the clause permitting voting by proxy al
elections. When the Association concluded tC
build, it was discovered that the charter was i'm
perfect, and would not admit of the issuing stock
Hence it was necessary to obtain a new charter in
order to proceed with the building. This com.
pany was, to all intents and purposes the same a:
the old. There was, therefore, now no necessity
for continuation of the clause in the charter
Proxy voting had on previous occasions controlled
the elections. He then referred to the issues which
have presented themselves heretofore at the annua
elections. At the present there were no issues
except the single one which writer in daily
paper had stated with some degree of candor, say
ing "that the issue was now-and it use
longer to disguise the tact-simply for the Pres
dency." This issue, if such it be called, was
the truth; and be was pleased to say thus much for
"North street" 1t was not his custom to notice
anonymous newspaper articles, but he would say
that the assertion that he had usurped the duties
of the Executive Committee untrue the
The article is full of emptiness and sound, like the
gong which "North street" so much abhors, and
the tablet-the marble tablet-will do to hand down
to "North Streets" "posterity-the evidence of his
vivid ina gination inscribed with the usual eptaph
beginning, "Here lies" &c.