226 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 5

relief must be given by your Assembly if the regiment
is to continue in its present quarters.

In regard to the second measure asked from your
Assembly by the regiment, the City Council has
already passed an Ordinance consenting to the deed-
ing of the property to the State as soon as the State
shall signify its willingness to accept the same.

It will be seen that in asking for these measures,
the regiment is not asking for the bestowal of a sum
of money without a just return to the State; but it is
simply asking for a sum to pay a remaining indebted-
ness upon a building which has been specially con-
structed for an armory and upon which a large sum of
money has already been expended in the past from
the appropriations granted by your Assembly, and
Baltimore city.

The State of Maryland will receive a building upon
which over a hundred thousand dollars has been
spent in preparing it for its present purposes.

For the appropriation of that sum of thirty thousand
dollars to relieve us from the pressure of our remain-
ing obligations upon the Armory, we are returning to
the State the appropriations it has already granted to
us, in the form of an armory, beautifully and well
constructed, and over which the State will have full
control, and which will require but a small annual
outlay on the part of the State to maintain if in the
future.

Respectfully,

WILLIARD HOWARD,
Colonel, Commanding.

Which was read and referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means.

ORDERS.

On motion of Mr. Hearn, it was
Ordered, That Mr. Messick be excused from to-
day's session on account of important business.

Also,
Ordered, That Mr. Bennett be execused froth to-
day's session on account of important business.