OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
 

329
 

This was not the only injury that the jealousy
and hostility of the canal inflicted on the Balti¬
more and Ohio Company. While the construc¬
tion of the Branch road to Washington was pro¬
gressing, application was made to Congress for
aid to build the line within the District of Colum¬
bia with the intention of terminating it at or near
the General Postoffice. The Senate passed a bill
appropriating $350,000 for this purpose but it
failed in the House mainly through the unre¬
lenting hostility of the canal interests.*

The admirable "Water power of the Potomac
and the excellent facilities for transportation by
rail to Baltimore, and by canal to Georgetown
suggested to the enterprizing Casper W. Wever,
the incorporation of the Wevertou Manufacturing
Company, which was done by Chapter 144 of the
Acts of 1834 and amended in 1836.

In 1835 the people of Hagerstown had be¬
come weary of the insufficient power of the town
officers, and meetings were held to devise means
for the better government of the town and for
authority to enforce the ordinances of the Mayor
and Council which were violated with impunity.
Many of the people too began to see the mistake
they had made in a former year in voting against
free schools. The first move to retrieve this false
step w-as a meeting held in Boonsboro in January
1835, over which David Brookhart presided. Res¬
olutions were passed and a County Convention
to be held in Hagerstown on the 3rd of February
was suggested.

The contest for Congress in 1835, was between
William Schley the Whig candidate and Frank
Thomas the Democrat. The latter was elected
carrying Washington County by a majority of 148.
The Dfemocratic candidates for the assembly,
Messrs. Wharton, Newcomer, Brookhart and Fiery
were elected over the Whig ticket, Jos. Weast,
Ehas Baker, John Horine and Isaac Nesbitt. In
this campaign a discussion for the reform of the
State Constitution took place; meetings were held
and resolutions passed having that object in
view, and out of that movement grew one of the
most exciting episodes in the history of the State.

The Maryland Senate consisted of fifteen
members elected by forty electors who were chosen
by the people. Twenty-four of these had to be
in attendance in order to execute their duties. Of
the  forty, twenty-one were  "Whigs  and nineteen
 

were Democrats—neither party having a quorum.
In Washington County the Van Buren or Dem¬
ocratic party had elected their electors Robert
Wason and Charles Macgill over Andrew Kersli-
ned and Peter Seibert by a vote of 1,826 to 1,661.
The nineteen Van Buren electors held a meeting
and determined that as they represented the coun¬
ties containing the great majority of the people of
the State, it was unjust and oppressive to deprive
them and their constituents of all representation
in the Senate. They made overtures to the ma¬
jority who had met at Annapolis and declared that
"they would not qualify unless they were permitted
to name eight of the fifteen Senators.

The Whigs "would not treat with them and
the Democrats determined to absent themselves
and block the wheels of Government until their
terms were agreed to. This determination filled
men's minds with grave forebodings. Without a
Senate" there could be no Legislature, \yitliout
a Legislature there could be no Governor or
Council. Without a Governor and Council and
Legislature there could be no State Government—
no appointment of Justices of the Peace—no
County Commissioners or Judges of the Orphans'
Court, no one to collect taxes or provide the ma¬
chinery of the Courts of Justice. In short it
was believed that anarchy would result from the
action of the nineteen recusants. For some years
there had been a persistent effort going on to re¬
form the constitution and make the Governor,
Senate and other offices eligible by the people, but
the smaller counties had been able to foil the
wishes of the more populous. So the nineteen let
it be inferred that they would come to terms if a
Senate would be elected favorable to this great
reform. An address to the people of Washington
C'ounty was issued setting forth the dangers which
were thought to be impending—the dangers to
property and person, to the pteace and happiness of
society, to individual prosperity and public credit
and to the magnificent works of improvement.
"Who," it was asked, "is to stay the hand of rapine
and violence; who is to receive our portion of the
surplus revenue now ready for distribution?" In
view of the lowering front of impending disaster
the people v-ere urged to assemble at the Court
House on the 8th of October and take appropriate
action. This address was signed by many promi¬
nent citizens of the  C'ount3-, William Price, Eli
 

*The Great Railway Celebration of 1857 by "Wm.
-Prescott Smith.