1916] OF THE SENATE. T

scribed by metes and bounds, part of which is our tight little
State, saying that it was partly inhabited by savages having
no knowledge of the Divine Being, the same to be called
"Maryland"; and by his charter declared "the said province
and the freeholders or inhabitants of the said colony or
country shall not henceforth be held or reputed a member or
part of the land of Virginia or of any other colony already
transported or hereafter to be transported or to be depended
on the same, but subject alone to the laws of Great Britain
and Ireland. "

I am not making apologies for the proceedings of previous
sessions in which I participated, nor do I call a blame or
point with pride. I simply restate a fact when I say that the
State of Maryland is ill. It is known to all men that the reve-
nues do not meet the expenditures, and, unless new sources
are discovered, we shall be called upon as business men often
are to curtail our appropriations, to limit our legislative ex-
penses to the very last cent, and treat the tax dollar as it
should be treated, as evidence of a sacred trust. The clouds
of war are hanging low over the entire world. The rich are
not spending extravagantly, the poor are suffering, and the in-
habitants of those countries actually engaged in the struggle
are subsisting on the barest necessaries of life. We may at
any moment be called upon to take sides, so let us put our
house in order and prepare.

If this is to be a war assembly (and we all pray that God
in his mercy will decree it otherwise), then we shall meet it
as men, inheritors of freedom responsible for our trust, for
we are trustees whether we will or not. As soon as we take
our oath of office we subscribe to Article 6 of the Declaration
of Rights, "that all persons invested with legislative or execu-
tive powers of government are trustees of the public, and, as
such, accountable for their conduct. " The last clause of this
article is couched in strong language and has a meaning all its
own—"the doctrine of non-resistance against arbitrary power
and oppression is absurd, slavish and destructive of the good
and happiness of mankind. "

Article 13. "That every man hath a right to petition the
legislature for the redress of grievances in a peaceful and or-
derly manner. " Take all the articles of the Declaration of
Rights from 9 to 15 as amended, inclusive, and this No. 13 to me
is the most important. "Every man" means that every man,
woman and child in the whole State who has a grievance or
an idea for amending, strengthening or preserving the laws is
entitled by right to frame a petition, send it by mail or mes-