the law against the first delinquents," In this
state of things others were encourged to follow
the example of the delinquents; "and now, instead
of three, we have seven counties, within whose
boundaries the tax laws are not all enforced."
"No one in the defaulting counties, it appears is
willing to encounter the odium of becoming the
collector of the tax levied to pay the interest on
our internal improvement debt."
Mr. J. said, these gloomy forebodings perva-
ded the whole message, and he retired from the
Chair of State, leaving to his successors a Trea-
sury embarrassed; the laws unexecuted; the cred-
it of the State prostrated at home and abroad.
He concludes his message as follows: "In the re-
tirement to which I go, I shall hail, with exulta-
tion, the evidence of wisdom and patriotism on
on the part of yourselves, and your successorss,
which will lift my native State into the rank
which she has a right to occupy among her sis-
ters of the Union."
Mr. J. said he would call the attention of the
House to the other aide of the picture. He had
successors whose "wisdom and patriotism," and
energy and zeal, did lift the State into the rank
which she had a right to occupy. These suc-
cessors were Governor Pratt, and Governor
Philip Francis Thomas, under whose administra-
tion that system of revenue was adopted, which
in the langauge of the latter Governor, will "pre-
vent the possibility of a relapse to her former
cheerless and degrading condition," and which
the distinguished gentleman from Frederick de-
sires now to disturb. How stood matters when
Governor Pratt's term, which immediately suc-
ceeded the one and preceded the other, expired.
Mr. J. said he would refer to the message of the
late Governor to the Legislature at December
session, 1847, in which he says: "the condition
of the finances as represented in the annual mes-
sage of the Governor, and the report of the Trea-
surer, is a subject of profound congratulation.
While it has been the privilege of my distinguished
predecessor, (Governor Pratt,) by his assidui-
ty, firmness, and ability to rescue Maryland from
the vortex of insolvency in which he found her
engulphed, and to elevate her to that proud position
before the world, which the character of her
people entitle her to occupy, it will be my more
humble aim to discharge the functions of the exe-
cutive office with fidelity as to ensure stability in
the revenues, inspire increased confidence in the
honor and integrity of the State, and to prevent
the possibility of a relapse to her former cheer-
less and degrading condition." This is the best
testimony, Mr. J. said, coining as it did from a
political opponent and his immediate successor,
that could be offered to the "wisdom and patriot-
ism" of Governor Pratt. Mr. J. said there was
one fact he took this opportunity to refer to. It
was his lot during the gloomy administration of
the gentleman from Frederick, to be on the other
side of the Atlantic. He, like every other Ameri-
can in Europe, deeply and sensibly felt the taunts
and denunciations which were unceasingly cast
upon the credit and honor of the States.
He felt for all, but most for his native State,
Maryland, and when the cheering message of
46

Governor Pratt, announcing that the credit of
Maryland was redeemed, first caught his view,
he then felt again as an American—as a Marylander
—without reproach. None, save those
who have experienced similar emotions, can ap-
preciate them. It was the absorbing question of
the day Maryland having taken the lead, the
other States would soon follow. To Governor
Pratt and those who co-operated with him, is the
credit due. What now is her condition? And to
what state of prosperity, under judicious legis-
lation, and administration, she may expect to
arrive, may be anticipated from the Treasurer's
report, and the last message of Governor Philip
Francis Thomas, who after reviewing the various
sources of revenue and the public debt, thus ex-
presses:
"It will then be seen that $375,500, at least,
may be safely apppropriated to the annual pay-
ment of the mail] debt, while a balance will al-
ways remain on hand, more than sufficient to
cover any unforeseen contingency. That amount,
together with the increasement of the sinking
fund, regularly invested, will extinguish the en-
tiro public debt, in thirteen years from the first
day of December, 1851." This estimate, how-
ever, proceeds upon the hypothesis that in the
mean time, no attempt will be successfully made
to disturb the existing system of taxation, and
that it will be left in all its integrity, to work out
the relief which it is so certain to afford.
" Allow the system to continue untouched for
at most fifteen years longer, and Maryland will
present the anomalous and unviable spectacle of
a commonwealth liberated from debt, supported
without taxation, and possessed of an annual sur-
plus revenue of from three to five hundred thou-
sand dollars."
Mr. J. said he would make no apology for
reading thus copiously from these messages. The
extracts showed the true financial condition of
the State at the respective periods referred to ;
and from the attention of the House, lie saw that
the facts were interesting to all,
The gentleman from Frederick has protested
against the messages of Governors, having an
effect upon the stock market, as producing an
unsound state of things.
Mr. J considered it the duty of the chief Ex-
ecutive officer of the State, to present the true
condition of the finances, and to recommend such
measures us he deemed best calculated to pro-
mote the great interests of the State.
The gentleman from Frederick, had in his
message expressed his opinions of the embarras-
sed condition of the revenue. They were of a
desponding character—the effect of which was
felt at home and abroad, and did produce depres-
sion in the State stocks and State credit. His
two immediate successors presented a different
state of things, Instead of repudiation, insol-
vency, rebellion against the laws, which were
then anticipated, they left her redeemed from
the stain which had rested upon her, rescued
from the "votex of insolvency in which they
found her engulphed." Was not this an appro-
priate topic for an Executive message? Is it not