tution may have kept the people of the town, directly inter-

ested, in ignorance of this provision of the bill, and thus pre-
vented any expression of apinion they might otherwise have
been disposed to communicate to the General assembly.

Second—The first and cardinal principle of Republican Gov-
ernment is, that every community shall be governed by
officers of its own selection, and. not by the Belection of bodies

who know nothing of their views or interests. The elective
franchise is one of the dearest rights of American freemen,
and will never be surrendered except by force of necessity.

The law incorporating the town of Salisbury defines the
powers of the Commissioners, and provides that they shall be
elected on the "first Monday of April, annually." The bill
now returned, provides that instead of complying with this
requirement of the Act of incorporation, the Town Commis-
sioners elected one year ago, and whose term of office will

expire by law within ten days from the present time, "shall
be continued, be, and remain in office until the first Monday
in April, eighteen hundred and seventy-two.

if the people of the town of Salisbury desire the present
Commissioners to administer the affairs of the town for the
next one or two years, they have, under the law, the oppor-
tunity to re-elect them on the first Monday of April next. If
they wish others, others will be elected. In any event, they
should be allowed a fair and free expression of their senti-
ments, and a majority should prevail.

I can imagine no necessity in the present, which would
justify such a departure from proper and established usage,
and foresee many evils likely to result in the future from the
establishment of such a precedent, even were there any strong
reason for it. If it is competent for the General Assembly to
extend for the period of two years longer, the term which is
about to expire of the Town Commissioners of Salisbury, it
might be equally competent under sec.. 9, Article 12, of the
Constitution, to extend for ten years or longer, the terms of
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. What important
interests might be affected, what serious responsibilities
assumed, and what grave results ensue from such a course ?

Expressing or entertaining no opinion as to the policy of
the measure for the extension of the corporate limits of the
town, I can imagine no more dangerous precedent than the
power assumed to continue in office by legislative enactment
for two years, after their term shall have expired, the Com-
missioners, even although I know them to be competent and.
representative men, and upright and honorable gentlemen.

The bill is herewith returned without my approval, for the
further action of the General Assembly.

ODEN BOWIE.
Which was read.