1867.] OF THE SENATE. 277

A bill entitled, an Act to amend the first section of the Act
passed at January Session, 1860, chapter 303, entitled, an
Act to carry into effect the eighth section of the Act entitled,
an Act for the promotion of internal improvements, passed at
December Session, 1835, chapter 395 ;

Which was read the first time and referred to the Commit-
tee on Judicial Proceedings.

Mr. Henkle, from the Committee on Internal Improve-
ments, submitted the following

REPORT:
To the Honorable,

the Senate of Maryland:

The Committee on Internal Improvements, to which was
referred the memorial of the President and Directors of the
Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, praying the Gene-
ral Assembly of Maryland to so amend the charter of the
Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road Company, as to prohibit
the construction of a lateral branch from the main stem of
said road to the line of the District of Columbia, with a view
to its connection with Washington city, and also the counter
memorial of the President of the Baltimore and Potomac road,
and various other petitions, memorials, and remonstrances
upon the same subject, beg leave respectfully to submit the
following Report:

The principal facts and arguments submitted by the me-
morial of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company in
support of the proposed modification of the charter of the
Baltimore and Potomac road, are;

That the original Act of Assembly, granting to the Balti-
more and Potomac Company, the right to build lateral
branches, was not understood nor intended either by the
original Corporators or by the Legislature to authorize ,the
building of such a lateral branch to the District of Colum-
bia.

That the interest of the State in the Washington branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road is so important, and the
revenue derived both from the stock dividends, and capita-
tion tax so large, that had such intention been expressed or
understood, the Act would never have received the sanction
of the General Assembly of the State.

That the parties now contracting to construct the Potomac
road are northern capitalist, who have been heretofore persist-
ent in their efforts before Congress to obtain authority to
build an air line road, connecting the city of Washington
with the great cities of the North, and failng in that, they