174 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Jan. 28,

FRIDAY, January 28, 1870.

The House met and was opened with prayer by the Rev.
Doctor Edwards.

Present at the call of the roll the following members :

Messrs. Latrobe, (Speaker,) Loker, Martin, Wilmer, Wells,
Owings, Duke, Mitchell, Chapman, Cameron, Shipley,
Gatch, Choate, Turner, Hardcastle, of Talbot, Brattan,
Lankford, Harrington, Woolford, Meekins, Touchstone,
Owens, Richards, Biddle, Marbury, Wootton, Thomas, ot
Queen Anne's, Brown, Purnell, Thomas, of Frederick,
Bowlus, McCreery, Ritter, White, Ady, Baldwin, of Har-
ford, Streett, Hopkins, Hardcastle, of Caroline, Garey, San-
ner, Hamilton, Cooper, Morse, Blake, Webb, Wiley, Mc-
Lane, Colton, Kirk, Collins, Ehlen, Gardner, Markland,
Marshall, Hoblitzell, Neill, Welty, Sword, Seibert, Hiltou,
Watkins, Kean, Wilson, of Allegany, Standish, Myers,
Percy, Shower, Jordan, Winters, Grouse, Merrick, Gorman,
Crawford, Gordy—75.

The Speaker laid before the House, from Hon. George
W. Dobbin and Henry F. Garey, the following

REPORT.
To the Honorable,

(he General Assembly of Mart/land :

The report of Geo. W. Dobbin and Henry F. Garey, two
of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore
city, respectfully represents to your Honorable Body,

That by the ninth section of the fourth Article of the Con-
stitution, it is made the duty of the Judges of the Courts of
Maryland, "from time to time, to investigate the expenses,
costs and charges of their respective Courts, with a view to
a change or reduction thereof, and report the result of such
investigation to the General Assembly for its action."

The interpretation which the undersigned give to this
clause of the Constitution, when viewed in connection with
the other clauses creating and defining the duties of the
Supreme Bench of Baltimore city, is that whatever duty is
imposed upon the Judges of the Circuit Courts of the coun-
ties, and is, in like manner, to be performed by the Judges
of Baltimore city, the same is to be performed by the Judges
of the Supreme Bench, as a body; and that consequently, the
investigation and report referred to in this section, are to be
made by the said Judges in their united capacity, as reprc-