492 



MARYLAND. 



mar' 1 (1835), "The Legal Rights of Women" 

 (1845), u The Life of General Winfield Scott " 

 (1846), "The History of the Mexican War" 

 (1848), "American Education" (1850), and 

 " The Memoirs of Daniel Drake " (1853). He 

 wrote many treatises on mathematics, politics, 

 education, and the early history of Ohio. His 

 most interesting production is a volume of 

 " Personal Memories," published in 1879. These 

 "Memories" extend to the year 1841, but it is 

 understood that a second volume was in prepa- 

 ration. He received his degree of doctor ot 

 laws from Marietta College, Ohio, in 1854. He 

 died at Morrow, Ohio, in the vicinity of Cin- 

 cinnati, on October 27th, in the eightieth year 

 of his age. 



MARYLAND. The regular biennial session 

 of the Legislature of Maryland began at Annap- 

 olis, on the 6th of January. On the 14th Wil- 

 liam T. Hamilton was inaugurated as Governor 

 of the State for a term of four years. In his 

 address on that occasion lie said : 



There will be upon the part of the Executive a most 

 cordial cooperation with other departments of the 

 government in promoting wise and unselfish legisla- 

 tion ; in assuring fair, pure, and peaceful elections ; 

 in enforcing a rigid economy in all branches of the 

 public service ; in reducing taxation to the lowest point 

 compatible with economical administration ; in cor- 

 recting all abuses, whether great or small, and wher- 

 ever existing ; in limiting official employment to the 

 absolute necessities of the State, and in maintaining 

 an elevated standard of official probity, capacity, and 

 application, to the end that we and our children after 

 us may continue to enjoy the blessings of free gov- 

 ernment; and, still further, that the just and well- 

 founded expectations of the people may be realized. 



A United States Senator was to be chosen, 

 to succeed W. Pinckney Whyte. The Demo- 

 cratic members agreed upon Arthur P. Gor- 

 man as their candidate, and the Republicans 

 decided to cast their votes for James A. Gary. 

 The ballot was taken in the two Houses on the 

 20th of January, and resulted in 18 votes for 

 Gorman, five for Gary, and one for S. Teackle 

 Wallis, in the Senate, and 63 for Gorman and 

 19 for Gary, in the House. The election of 

 Mr. Gorman was announced in joint session on 

 the following day. 



There appears to have been much interest 

 excited on the subject of " reform legislation," 

 and early in February the Governor submitted 

 several propositions in a special message. 

 Among these was the repeal of the laws re- 

 quiring inspection of tobacco, and the weighing 

 of bay and cattle, by public officers at desig- 

 nated places; the abolition of unnecessary offices, 

 including those of the Tax-Commissioner, Insur- 

 ance-Commissioner, and Commissioners of the 

 Land-Offices; the reduction of salaries, and a 

 general retrenchment of expenses. He also rec- 

 ommended an amendment of the Constitution 

 which would enable the Governor to veto sep- 

 arate items in bills appropriating money. Other 

 important propositions were a new registration 

 law; an act regulating primary elections, 

 strongly urged by the Governor in a special mes- 

 sage; reorganization of the judiciary; a careful 



revision of the tax laws, and a measure for the 

 suppression of gambling. Antagonism devel- 

 oped between the Governor, as a promoter of 

 "reform legislation," and some of the leaders 

 of the dominant party in the Legislature, and 

 the most important of the proposed measures 

 were defeated. Among these were the hills 

 providing for a registration of voters, regulat- 

 ing primary elections, abolishing public tobac- 

 co-inspection, reorganizing the judiciary, reor- 

 ganizing the Board of Education and making its 

 members elective, and several bills abolishing 

 public offices and reducing salaries. Little of the 

 legislation actually effected was of importance. 

 Among the acts passed were two relating to 

 taxation, one defining what property is sub- 

 ject to taxation and what is exempt, and the 

 other taxing corporations on their capital stock ; 

 an insolvency act, amendments to the insurance 

 law, providing for a tax on foreign companies; 

 one providing for the election of judges of the 

 courts in 1882; the anti-gambling bill ; incor- 

 poration of three companies for the construc- 

 tion of the Maryland and Delaware Ship-Canal; 

 and others providing for a new loan of $3,000,- 

 000, to redeem the Maryland Defense Loan ; re- 

 organizing State Board of Health; enlarging 

 the powers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 

 to enable it to purchase and lease other roads, 

 hold stock in dry-dock or other commercial and 

 manufacturing enterprises, and be represented 

 on the boards of directors; preventing the 

 spread of infectious diseases among cattle ; pre- 

 venting cruelty to animals throughout the State ; 

 and abolishing the compulsory weighing of 

 cattle. 



The insolvency act makes provision for the 

 settlement of bankrupt estates and the discharge 

 of the bankrupt from liability on an equitable 

 distribution of his assets. 



Certain charges were made at a public meet- 

 ing in Cumberland, in February, against Judge 

 George A. Pearre, of the Fourth Judicial Cir- 

 cuit, which were made the basis of a memorial 

 for his impeachment. The chief of these were 

 taking pecuniary fees for legal advice or ser- 

 vices, and sitting in judgment on cases in which 

 he was personally interested. He made an ex- 

 plicit explanation, in a letter addressed to the 

 people of the Fourth Circuit, and the special 

 legislative committee to which the memorial 

 for his impeachment was referred appears to 

 have found no ground for taking action. 



An investigation into the management of the 

 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, of which 

 Arthur P. Gorman was president, was begun 

 but not completed during the session. The 

 charges were : 



1. The canal has been managed as a political ma- 

 chine, not in the interests of thel)empcratic party, but 

 for the purpose of promoting the political and personal 

 ends of its managers. 



2. The funds of the canal company belonging to the 

 bondholders have been expended improperly and ille- 

 gally. 



3. The officers of the company have failed to obey 

 any of the orders of the stockholders that monthly 



