admitted as a county, to receive an equal number
of delegates with each and all the other counties
of the State, although her population was small
Now her delegates had voted for one more from
their county than it was entitled to by population
Mr. SMITH returned his thanks, most sincerely
to the gentleman from Anne Arundel, for the
amendment he had offered him, as well as the
Convention in his facetious remarks about the
county of Allegany and its delegates, now in the
Convention, but very much regretted that his
tact as a judge had not prevented him from so
distinctly showing his cloven foot. The votes
given by the delegates from Allegany upon the
subject of representation, was evidently the great
cause of his tirade against them. Mr. S. voted
as he had before stated, most reluctantly, to give
Baltimore city mure than the largest county of
the State. He felt justified in the vote, from the
fact that the six western counties of the State
containing a population of about one hundred
and sixty-nine thousand souls, were entitled to
twenty-six delegates under that bill, while the
residue of the State, leaving out the city of Bal-
timore. containing a fraction over two hundred
thousand, having a conflicting interest, had thir-
ty-eight votes. The city of Baltimore, with a
population of one hundred and sixty-nine thou-
sand, was entitled to ten delegates. Thus, Mr.
President, you will perceive the slave holding
portion of the State is entirely protected, having
the controlling power in the popular branch of
the Legislature.
Fur this vote, Mr, S. and his colleagues meri-
ted the severe remarks of the gentleman from
Anne Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey.) This vote, Mr.
President, has been brought forward by the gen-
tleman, to show Allegany is not to be trusted
where her interests are concerned, and she ought
not, therefore, to be trusted with a director in the
canal board, or in the management of the pub-
lic works of the State, their judgements would be
biased by their interest as they were owners of
great mineral wealth.
Mr. S. said, he had not a large coal interests,
and he was sorry for it. He was gratified to in-
form the Convention, however, that there was
a vast coal field in Allegany, and that capitalists
were now turning their attention in that direc-
tion. Large investments had been recently made
in the coal property of that section, and now the
canal being finished, he hoped the State would
realize large profits. He was willing to give up
the office of director, as he had faithfully served
the State for four years, in that capacity, at a
sacrifice of time and money, more than he felt
justified in doing, but for his great anxiety to see
that great work completed. Now it was done,
and he had notified the agents he could not serve
longer unless he was paid for his time, and his
expenses defrayed. He would here take occa-
sion to say the agents representing the State,
were gentlemen of great integrity of character,
and were actuated solely by a regard to the inter-
est of the State, and nothing said by the gentle-
man from Anne Arundel, or any other gentleman
56 |
could detract from their character or integrity of
purpose.
Mr. S. hoped the gentleman's claims for Anne
Arundel would not be overlooked, after the com-
missioners were elected under this provision of
the Constitution, and as he might be no longer
wanted in his present capacity, he could rondel-
valuable services to the State as a director.
The gentleman did not consider the obligation
of an oath any guarantee, as their judgments
would be biased by their interests. The gentle-
man from Anne Arundel did not blame the
agents for putting in a director from Allegany,
Washington and Frederick until the work was
completed. Now, however, it was all wrong.
How kind and condescending it was in him. The
gentleman was willing we should be hewers of
wood and drawers of water until the work was
finished. Mr. S. remembered, the gentleman
from Anne Arundel violently opposed the pas-
sage of a canal bill, in 1843, when he was in the
Legislature, and he thought, at that time, his op-
position arose from his contiguity to Baltimore
city. He had hoped, however, now, when the
work was finished, the gentleman's violence
against Baltimore, as shown by his frequent as-
saults upon the city, that the canal would have
escaped. He congratulated his friends from Baltimore
on the recent change of that gentleman's
views, and he was willing he should pour out the
vials of his wrath, if need must be, upon the Al-
legany delegates. Mr. S. was willing the Con-
vention should judge of the gentleman's motives
for this unprovoked assault upon the agents and
directors of the Cumberland and Ohio canal com-
pany.
Mr. SCHLEY said that he had attentively listen-
ed to the arguments of the gentleman from Anne
Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey,) and they applied to a
board of public works of much wider scope than
was contemplated in the bill under consideration.
If the gentleman from Frederick, (Mr, Thomas,)
had contemplated such enlarged duties, he cer-
tainly would not have suggested a salary of one
hundred dollars.
Mr. S. proceeded to recapitulate his argument
of yesterday. In illustration, he had referred us
the examinations of a sub-committee upon the
subject of the effect of reducing the price of toll
upon coal, and the length of time employed by
them in investigation, because of the intricacy of
the subject. The gentleman from Anne Arun-
del had said that the agents were controlled by
that sub-committee. As well might he say that
the judges of the Court of Appeals were govern-
ed by the lawyers who brought before them the
facts upon which their decision would be based.
The sub-committee collected the facts and laid
them before the board, and the board and agents
having examined those facts thus carefully collected
and collated, would decide upon their own
judgment of them.
From an official intercourse of some years
with the State's agents, it gave him pleasure in
bear testimony to the fidelity and promptitude
with which they had discharged their public, du-
ties. Their investigation of the affairs of the |
