366 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



held partly in the State-house, partly in the play-house. 

 The situation of the town has been determined as 39 

 25' latitude and 78 longitude west of London. There 

 is little or no trade, which is to be explained both by 

 the site and the character of the harbor. The roads 

 leading into the interior are crossed by divers streams, 

 and the inconvenience arising from so many passages 

 by ferry has brought it about that the people prefer to 

 bring their produce to Baltimore and fetch thence what 

 they need, which they can do by unbroken land-car- 

 riage. The harbor, into which fall no fresh streams of 

 any significance, is full of worms, which live only in 

 salt water, and these in a few months eat through the 

 ships' bottoms and render them useless. At this time 

 there was not one ship of consequence here, but merely 

 small craft ; and the merchants of the place themselves 

 get the most of their stocks from Baltimore. How- 

 ever, the harbor is spacious, and its mouth, (not over 

 4-500 yards wide), easy of defence. 



The form of government of the state of Maryland 

 is not essentially different from that of the other states, 

 having like them a House of Assembly, a Senate, a 

 Governor and his Council. The Assembly of the com- 

 mons possesses really the law-making power of the 

 state ; the members are annually newly elected in the 

 counties, and during the meeting of the House receive 

 15 shillings current a day, or two Spanish dollars. The 

 Senate cannot of itself make new laws, but can propose 

 them to the Commons, and also express its disapproval 

 of those brought forward by it ; for without the con- 

 currence of the Senate the resolutions of the Assembly 

 are without legal force. The members of the Senate 

 are elected only every five years, but they meet as often 



