280 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 20,

States by one iron chain, and will then trace the line of the
Baltimore and Potomac road from Baltimore to its proposed
terminus on the Potomac River, they will see that by this
road Baltimore is placed in direct connection with this immense
system of improvements, as the natural and nearest market
for the Southern and South-western people.

It is a tradition in the State that Baltimore is to become a
great commercial city, because of her geographical position
in reference to the South and South-west, and her power to
command with proper facilities the trade of that whole coun-
try.

Heretofore the State and city have rested supinely depend-
ent upon the roads of other States to form the connections so
essential to the accomplisment of her future destiny.

If Senators will again look at the map, they will see that
the road, whose charter you are asked to repeal, will with the
Southern roads through Richmond, Lyncburg, Knoxville,
Chattanooga and Nashville, make Baltimore the nearest mar-
ket for all that region, and there by the Jackson and Missis-
sippi road be in almost an air line with New Orleans.

When Senators again look to the map and see the complete
net-work of railways connecting by means of roads through
Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and so with the
Baltimore and Potomac road when completed to the Potomac
River, when they reflect that this road will furnish not only
the shortest connection of Baltimore with all these points, but
the only one under Maryland control, they will realize the
wisdom of the proposed abandonment of all these advantages,
because the revenue of the State on the Washington branch
road will be lessened by diverting some travel from that
"road

The head and front of every effort made by the State to fos-
ter works of internal improvement, has been to promote thy
interests of Baltimore. But this fact must be noted, that-
none of the railroads or other works of internal improvement
which have been constructed to advance the commercial im-
portance of Baltimore city, bring to it the trade of the South
or South-west. The Baltimore and Ohio road connects the
city with the great West and North-west; the Northern Cen-
tral with the North-west; Pennsylvania Western New York
and the Canadas, and the Philadelphia and Wilmington
road with the seaboard cities and the several districts border-
ing on the Atlantic. The Washington branch road brings
some local trade to Baltimore, but affords no facilities in con-
sequence of its terminating at Washington, for the fostering
of that large trade from the South, which will naturally seek
Baltimore city, both from sympathy and interest, if the re-
quired link of communication is supplied.