1861.] OF THE SENATE. 27

ed province, without any respect whatever to the relation which
she bears to the Union, or to the constitutional and legal rights
which that relation confers upon her citizens.

It is, therefore, the manifest duty of this Legislature to ascer-
tain, by direct enquiry, through intelligent and accredited agents,
the precise position which the General Government has determin-
ed to occupy towards the State, and to seek, by all means consis-
tent with official and personal self-respect, to modify the embar-
rassments and diminish the perils with which the existing state of
things is fraught.

The Committee would feign persuade themselves that such an
application will be received with the respectful consideration it
deserves, but, at all events, it will have placed the responsibilities
of the future where they belong. They, therefore, respectfully re-
quest the adoption of the following joint resolution.

S. T. WALLIS,
EDWARD LONG,
JAMES T. BRISCOE,
J. H. GORDON,
G. W. GOLDSBOROUGH.

Accompanied by the following resolution :

Resolved by the House of Delegates of Maryland, (the Senate
concurring,) That Otho Scott, R. M. McLane and William J.
Ross be, and they are hereby appointed Commissioners on the
part of the State of Maryland, to communicate immediately in
person with the President of the United States in regard to the
present and any proposed prospective military use or occupation
of the soil and property of the State by the General Government;
and they are directed to ascertain and report to the General As-
sembly forthwith, for its consideration, whether any becoming
arrangements with the General Government are practical in that
connection for the maintenance of the peace and honor of the
State and the security of its inhabitants.

Endorsed passed.

Which were severally read.

A message was received from the Executive, His Excellency,
Governor Hicks, through the hands of Grayson Eichelberger,
Esq.

Which was read and referred to the Committee on Militia.
Mr. Yellott submitted the following message:

BY THE SENATE,

May 2d, 1861.
Gentlemen of the House of Delegates :

We have received your message of this date, and the resolu-
tion accompanying the same, appointing Messrs. Scott, McLane