sibility of injuring a portion of the citizens
of this State. On the one band no benefit is
to be derived; on the other band a real
injury will be done, or it is to be feared that
injury will be done.
Then is there not such a thing as the State
being benefitted by having a great public
highway, a turnpike read, an internal im-
provement, though it does not bring- one dol-
lar into the coffers of the State? There are
many States which expend thousands upon
thousands of dollars for public roads and
public highways. And I bold that there is no
more productive State investment, not be-
cause the State receives anything in return
directly from the investment itself, but be-
cause the body of the people are benefitted ;
and in benefitting them you increase the
taxes received by the State, and in that way
the State ia paid back, and the people ren-
dered more prosperous by having good high-
ways, and plenty of them.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is a high-
way, an avenue to market, for the richest
portion of the State of Maryland. In my
opinion that portion of the State is the rich-
est which contains the mineral resources of
the State. Besides that, it is a benefit to all
the people who live alongside the canal, for
they can go upon that canal all upon an
equal footing, without paying one dollar but
the tolls, and so with other canals, and so it
would be with a turnpike road, or with a
State railroad. These internal improvements
benefit the whole people of a State, and the
State receives its remuneration through the
increased taxes it receives from the people
who are thus benefitted.
What has been the practical effect of this
theory where it has been carried out? It was
carried out in Pennsylvania. A State road
which ran from Columbia to Philadelphia
was sold. The legislature was bought and
paid for; everybody knew that. What is the
result? Just as the gentleman from Balti-
more county (Mr. Ridgely) suggests. I ad-
mit that the road itself as a road ia a hun-
dred per cent. better managed than before.—
And I admit that if a company should buy
this canal, intending really to work it, and
not to fill it up,, they would make it a much
better canal as a canal. But would the peo-
ple of Maryland be benefitted by the change?
How is it in Pennsylvania? That great high-
way is probably more remunerative now -than
any other one in the country. But who is
benefited by it? To my certain knowledge
the people along the line of the road have
been incalculably injured. I know many of
them who have lost nearly all they were worth,
from the fact that the company would not
even purchase their cars, to say nothing
about letting them run along the line of the
road. The people at once and everywhere,
were shut right out; their cars were not
taken by the company, but were run off one |
side and there left. No company upon the
face of the earth will buy a work of that
kind unless they can have the absolute con-
trol of it. Of course to the company it is a
great benefit, but to the people themselves
it is a great injury.
Now although it might not happen that
this state of things would be the result of
this policy in the State of Maryland, yet there
is a possibility of it. There are some of the
citizens of the State of Maryland who fear it,
And for the reason that they do fear it, that
there is even the shadow of a possibility of
such a result, for that reason I am op-
posed to running the risk of our constitution,
in my opinion, our glorious constitution, for
any such a cause. If the people want those
works sold, they are still in the State; they
are still living, and can elect a legislature
for that purpose. While there is not a man
here who can stand up and s»y he was elected
upon any such platform. I have not heard a
member say be was expected to be called
upon to act at all in regard to this matter.
When the people desire to have it acted upon,
then let them send their representatives here
for that purpose,
That is my only reason for voting against
this policy, for, as I have already said, I am
personally in favor of selling all those public
works. But I shall all the time vote against
putting anything of this sort into the consti-
tution, which shall in the least, degree tend to
jeopard its adoption by the people.
Mr. SYKES moved to strike out section
thirty-nine of the legislative report.
The PRESIDENT. That question will come
up properly after the matter now before the
house has been acted upon. The question is
now upon the amendment to the amendment.
The PRESIDENT will take this occasion to
say that while be shall feel no delicacy in
voting upon the various amendments for the
purpose of perfecting this section, still; upon
the section itself he will wish to be excused
from voting, as he is somewhat personally
involved in the question under consideration.
The question was upon the proposition of
Mr. STIRLING to amend the proposition of Mr.
CLARKE, by striking out all except the words
"provided further," and inserting the fol-
lowing:
"That the State's interest in the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal, and the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal, and the Susquehanna and
Tide Water Canal Companies be exempted
from said sale."
Mr, BRISCOE called for a division of the
question, which was ordered.
The question was first upon agreeing to
that portion which exempted from sale the
State's interest in the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal.
Upon this question Mr. HEBB called for the
yeas and nays, which were ordered.
The question was then taken, by yeas and |
