1861.] OF THE SENATE. 25

THURSDAY, May 2d, 1861.

The Clerk of the House of Delegates delivered the following
message:

BY THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES,

May 2d, 1861.

Gentleman of the Senate :

We respectfully submit to your consideration the enclosed
Report of the Committee on Federal Relations, with accompany-
ing Resolution, and ask your concurrence therein.

By order,

MILTON Y. KIDD,

Chief Clerk.
Which was read.
Also the following

REPORT.
To the Honorable,

the Speaker of the House of Delegates of Maryland:

The Committee on Federal Relations ask leave respectfully to
report, That they have duly and carefully considered the commu-
nication from his Honor, the Mayor of Baltimore, which was refer-
red to them, enclosing a copy of a joint resolution of the two
Branches of the City Council of said city, in the following words:

"Resolved by both branches of the City Council of Baltimore,
That the Mayor be and he is hereby requested to communicate
with the General Assembly of Maryland, now in session, for the
purpose of procuring such action of that body as may in their
judgment be most advisable to bring about as early a restoration
of the communications by the different railroads and other means
between the city of Baltimore and other parts of the country, as
may be entirely consistent with the safety and welfare of the city
and State."

It is impossible to overrate the importance of the subject to
which the attention of the General Assembly is thus directed. The
almost total interruption of direct communication between Balti-
more and the North, by the destruction of the bridges upon the
Northern Central and Philadelphia, Wilmington and Delaware
Railroads, is an evil of a very aggravated character, not only in
itself, but in its manifold bearings upon the prosperity of the State

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