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And be it further resolved. That the committee named in
these resolutions shall be composed of the Hons. Senator
Applegarth, Senator Moses, Senator Dennis on the part of the
Senate, and the Hons. Delegate Grason, Delegate Dryden,
Delegate Onley, Delegate Goldsborough, Delegate Broening
on the part of the House of Delegates.
No. 7.,
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Names of
committee.
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WHEREAS, The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, extending
from Elk river, in Cecil county, Maryland, to Delaware City,
on the Delaware, connecting the waters of the Chesapeake
and Delaware bays, furnishes a direct route to sea for war
ships of the United States Navy and vessels trading at the
ports of Baltimore and the upper part of Chesapeake bay,
thereby shortening the distance from Baltimore to European
ports and New York and New England seabeard cities two
hundred and twenty-five miles, and avoiding the dangerous
and tedious route doubling Cape Charles ; and
WHEREAS, The speedy acquisition of said canal by the
Federal Government for the purpose of widening and enlarg-
ing it to accommodate war ships and seagoing vessels of the
largest size, can be accomplished by a very small expenditure
of the public funds compared to the paramount importance
of such waters to the large and increasing commerce of
Baltimore and the great agricultural sections of the South-
west, the West and the Northwest, all of which finds its
nearest and most natural outlet at Baltimore ; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Government has expended, and is
expending large sums of money to improve and extend the
Naval Academy grounds at Annapolis, and from year to year
is also increasing the size and importance of the National
Capital ; and
WHEREAS, The said canal enlarged and deepened would
afford the cheapest and most effectual means of defending
the cities of Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis on the
south side, and Philadelphia, Chester, Wilmington, New York
and the New England seaports on the north side, in case of
war, by enabling the naval forces of the United States freely
and speedily to pass from bay to bay, and enabling our navy
to pass up the Atlantic coast by an inland waterway for the
defense of said cities when threatened by hostile fleets, and
would also enable our merchants shipping to retreat from one
bay to the other in case of danger from a hostile fleet ; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Government is charged with the
public defense, and it is its duty to adopt the most complete
mode of rendering the Capitol and Annapolis and the great
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Preamble.
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