MARYLAND. 



467 



judicious to turn our lands to other and more 

 remunerative culture. This will require skilled 

 labor, in the production of fruits and garden- 

 stuff, for which our soil is specially adapted. 

 A similar colony of Swedes has been success- 

 fully established in the State of Maine, and, 

 considering the immense volume of English 

 immigration promised the coining spring, it 

 will be madness to lose the opportunity of 

 turning some of it to our doors. I earnestly 

 press this matter on your attention, and rec- 

 ommend that some aid be granted to the trus- 

 tees of the college in furthering their laudable 

 undertaking." 



The appropriation by the Legislature at its 

 last session of $50,000 for the establishment 

 of schools for colored children has resulted 

 beneficially in some quarters, but there is 

 reason to believe that in other sections it has 

 not been judiciously applied. An investigation 

 into this subject is deemed desirable by the 

 Executive. An important adjunct to the gen- 

 eral system of schools for colored children is 

 afforded by the colored normal school which 

 is progressing very satisfactorily. 



In 1873 the Maryland penitentiary, for the 

 first time in its history, became self-sustaining, 

 the earnings for the year ending November 3d 

 having exceeded the expenditures by $5,638. 

 The number of persons confined in the city 

 and county jails, supported at the public ex- 

 pense and contributing nothing by way of 

 labor in return, being in many instances idlers 

 who commit petty offenses for the very pur- 

 pose of securing lodgings and support in the 

 jails, has recently increased to such an extent 

 that the Governor suggests the propriety of 

 establishing a house of correction for such 

 prisoners, and also for the younger convicts 

 who are now sentenced to the penitentiary. 



During the last two years the death-penalty 

 has been carried into effect in seven instances, 

 and two prisoners at the end of the year were 

 under sentence awaiting execution. The Gov- 

 ernor urges that "some provision should be 

 made for the execution of felons which would 

 prevent the indecent and shocking scenes which 

 are so often attendant on these occasions." 



The receipts on account of the Oyster Fund 

 for the past fiscal year amounted to $65,490.- 

 55, and the expenditures to $24,770.75, show- 

 ing an excess of receipts of $40,719.80. The 

 tut.-il receipts during 1873 exceeded those of 

 1*72 by $14,708.28. The laws controlling this 

 interest do not seem to produce satisfactory 



results; hence the Governor commends the 

 entire subject to the prompt consideration of 

 the Legislature, "as the troubles arising be- 

 tween the clashing interests now engaged in 

 the oyster-business may culminate at some 

 time in serious difficulty." He says: " No in- 

 genuity can devise a law which will be ac- 

 ceptable to the diverse interests engaged in 

 the oyster-trade. Certain it is, however, that 

 no satisfaction, nor any approach to it, can be 

 attained until material changes are made in 

 the present 'Oyster law,' as it is commonly 

 termed. It would be better to repeal absolute- 

 ly the act of 1870, chapter 364, and remit the 

 whole subject to the counties, as prior to 

 1867, unless the boats of the police force are 

 increased in number. If the present system 

 of a general oyster police is continued, guard- 

 boats should be placed in every locality where 

 dredging is prohibited, and those places thus 

 practically closed." 



The importance of increasing the number of 

 fish in the bay and rivers of the State is gen- 

 erally admitted. Experienced pisciculturists 

 have designated Maryland as a " celestial land 

 for fishermen," and it is their opinion that 

 shad, herring, and rock, can be increased, by a 

 little effort, to unlimited quantities. 



The successful introduction of the black bass 

 into the Potomac is an incentive to prompt 

 and effective action toward the increase of this 

 food in other rivers of the State. 



The attention of the Legislature is earnestly 

 directed to what is regarded as one of the most 

 objectionable features of the present constitu- 

 tion, viz., the section of the article copied from 

 the constitution of 1864, relating to a uniform 

 registration of all the voters in the State. It is 

 the opinion of the State officers that such a sys- 

 tem tends to furnish the machinery for fraud 

 more perfectly than any which could be devised, 

 and that the purity of the ballot-box can be far 

 better preserved by the entire repeal of this 

 system, and by a division of the present elec- 

 tion districts and wards into a larger number 

 of voting-precincts, and by providing judges 

 and inspectors of election who could subject 

 the voter to full and close inquiry on the day 

 of election. 



The annual report of the President of the 

 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, dated October 1, 

 1873, shows the receipts, expenses, and net 

 earnings of that company and its various 

 branches for the preceding year to have been 

 as follows : 



Total I $15,695,64184 | $10,137,052 fi4 I $5.558,46890 



