them under the provisions of the act of 1844,
which required that no contract should be made
for the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal without the assent and concurrence of the
State agents.
The State's agents elected the President and
Directors of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
company; but from the time of their elec-
tion, these officers were vested under the charter
with the entire control of the work.
The gentleman from Frederick, (Mr. Thomas,)
had said that this was a tremendous power to be
wielded by this company—a greater power than
the Governor of the State wielded. But how
could the Convention remedy it? Would the
election of the State's agents by the people re-
medy it? The moment the agents elected by the
people had cast their votes for President and Directors,
these officers would be vested with all
the power now held by them.
They could admit claims against the company
—increase the pay and numbers of their officers
and thus they could indirectly impose, if you
please, very considerable taxation upon the peo-
ple, because by increasing their debts and ex-
penses, they would partially exhaust the revenue
and thus according to the argument, increase
taxation.
There was, however, a safeguard that this im-
mense power would not be used to the injury of
the State, in the control which the State every
year could exercise over the appointment of
these officers. They were required to report an-
nually to the legislature of Maryland, and to set
forth a detailed statement of the proceedings of
the whole year. If these officers proved unfaith-
ful to their trust, to be agents of the State, at
the next election would appoint others in their
places. The election of the agents by the people
could have but the same connection with this re-
sult—the only remedy now in the power of the
State.
But the board of public works were expected
to exercise supervision over the public works.—
If one of them should attempt upon the line of
the canal to give a single order, it. would be dis-
obeyed; or if not, that employee of the company
who would obey his order, when inconsistent
with the orders of the president and directors,
ought to he and would be discharged. It was
necessary that the whole should be under one
control, as an entirety, and managed with refer-
ence to the various causes operating in different
portions of the work, to increase or deciease the
trade—and to promute and establish the safety
of the work.
A greater calamity could scarcely be imagined
than the adoption of a system by which, by any
possibility, the city of Baltimore could have a
controlling influence over the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal. It had been the steady and stern
enemy of that work from its commencement.
One-half the difficulties it had encountered had
been from that quarter Very few gentlemen
had any conception of the capacity of the canal.
With its present single locks, it could bring down
two and a half millions of tons of coal. If Balti- |
more city could obtain the control of the canal, it
would be easy to raise the tolls upon it, and plaus-
ible reasons might be assigned.
It would appear to many that a toll of a dollar
or two for coal would be better than fifty cents.
And yet the experience of other canals demon-
strated that the lower the tolls were reduced,
within certain remunerating limits, the larger
would be the revenue. Baltimore city would in-
crease the toll, and thus throw the trade upon
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, to the great in-
convenience of western Maryland, and the great
injury of the canal.
As an illustration of the principle that reduc-
tion of toll was followed by increase of revenue,
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal had determined
to transport to the agricultural portions of the
State the fertilisers of the soil, at almost a nomi-
nal toll, under the conviction that they would
thus increase the amount of agricultural products
to be carried over the canal.
The result had been that to the town of Hancock,
persons came ten, fifteen, and even twenty
miles, to purchase their plaster, and not wishing
to go there with an empty wagon, they would
take their wheat and flour to the canal, so that in
that town a considerable trade had already been
built up. A few years ago 15,000 bushels of
wheat was the extreme amount which could be
purchased at the market price in that place,—
whereas it had now gone up to 30,000, and it
was believed that the next year it would amount
to 60,000. He mentioned this to show that it
required a minute acquaintance with the region
of country, the business and experience of canals,
to decide justly upon the amount of toll to be
charged.
Now why should the agents who elect the
Directors, be elected by the people? Were their
reports made to the people? Were the necessa-
ry statistics accessible to the people generally?
All these reports were made to the Legislature,
and not even published in the newspapers where
the people could see them. The Legislature had
the information which would enable them to act
understandingly; and it was in their power to
decide whether the policy of the President and
and Directors had been beneficial or injurious.—
The people had not the means to form a judg-
ment upon it, and therefore could not act advis-
edly.
The gentleman from Frederick, [Mr. Thomas,]
had said that he did not propose to increase the
salary. He, [Mr. S.,] would submit to the Con-
vention whether gentlemen would consent to be
brought before the people to be nominated by
the two parties, and to become a party to elec-
tioneering schemes for such an office, with a sala-
ry of one hundred dollars. He would say un-
hesitatingly, that no suitable man could be per-
suaded to accept such a nomination. Politicians
would be selected, and especially such as would
desire the place with the hope of being able to
influence, by their position, the political charac-
ter of the western portion of the State. The ca-
nal was an extensive work, employing very ma-
ny men, and perhaps a sufficient number to |
