1860.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.           665

in securing the early action of Congress in the adoption of
proper and efficient measures to build a railroad, through the
territories intervening between the Atlantic and Pacific
States, and to afford such aid and facilities to those States
which shall build railroads connecting with the said territo-
rial trunk road, as to insure their construction at once, by in-
structing their respective Congressional delegations to pro-
cure the passage of a bill through Congress the next ensuing
session for this purpose.

A true copy, as passed in convention, California.

O. M. WOZENCRAFT.
Mr. Freaner submitted the following:

Resolved by the House of Delegates, That we regard the
building of a railroad to the Pacific coast as rapidly becoming
to be one of the great necessities of the country, and we pre-
sent the matter to our representatives in the Congress of the
United States an worthy of their attention and investiga-
tion.

Which was read the first time.
On motion of Mr. Freaner,

The rules were suspended, and the resolutions read the se-
cond time and passed.

Mr. Ford presented a petition from William Dwyer and
other patrons of the Franklin Academy, in Reisterstown,
Baltimore county, praying that the said academy may be ap-
propriated to the use of the public school board of Baltimore
county;

Referred to the Baltimore county delegation.

Mr. Dennis, of Somerset, presented a petition from James
W. Coston, and forty other citizens of Somerset county, pray-
ing the passage of a law for the better government of the free
negroes;

Referred to the committee on Colored Population.

Also, a petition from William Webster, and two hundred
other citizens of Somerset county, praying the passage of a
law regulating the catching of oysters;

Referred to the committee on Oysters and Fish.

Also, a petition of the citizens of Princess Ann, praying
the passage of a law to regulate the government of negroes
in said town;

Referred to the Somerset county delegation.