The committee on internal improvement, who were by an order passed the House of Delegates the 16th instant.

Ordered to inquire of the President, and if necessary, other officers of the internal improvement companies of this State

1. The name of all such individuals as have been employed, or authorised to be employed by the said companies, the amount of compensation paid to, allowed or claimed by such persons for services rendered during the past sessions of the General Assembly of this State, together with the services stipulated to be rendered by such persons during the past sessions.

2. Whether any of said companies have employed, or intend employing, any individuals to attend the present General Assembly, and if so, their names, the services stipulated for, and the amount of compensation offered or demanded.

3. What amount of free tickets have been authorised or issued by the president, directors or other officers of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company.

4. Whether the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company have not paid out in the State of Maryland, the money of other States at its par value, and afterwards refused to receive such monies for transportation of passengers, produce or minerals, except at a dis

count.

5. The names of all such persons as have been employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, as legal counsel, the services rendered, compensation charged by or allowed to such counsel.

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6. The names of the officers and agents in the employment of said companies, with the annual salary, and other compensation of said officers and agents, together with a particular statement of the amount of extra pay, or additional compensation, which has at any time been paid or given, or contracted to be paid or given, to any officer or agent of either of said companies, and the services for which such extra pay or additional compensation has been given or paid, or contracted so to be; and that said directors report before the 15th of February next.

Report to the House the accompanying answers of Louis McLane to the above recited order. J. S. OWENS, From the Committee on Internal Improvement.

OFFICE OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO R. R. Co.

To W. V. BUSKIRK, ESQ.

January 24th, 1843.

Chairman Committee of Internal Improvement, Ho. Del.

SIR, I received on the 20th your letter of the 19th inst., transmitting a copy of an order passed by the House of Delegates on the 16th inst., in the following words

"Ordered, that the committee on internal improvement inquire of the president, and if necesssary, other officers of said companies of this State.

1. "The name of all such individuals as have been employed, or authorised to be employed by the said companies, the amount of compensation paid to, allowed or claimed by such persons for services rendered during the past sessions of the General Assembly of this State, together with the services stipulated to be rendered by such persons during the past sessions.

2. "Whether any of the said companies have employed, or intend employing any individuals to attend the present General Assembly, and if so, their names, the services stipulated for, and the amount of compensation offered or demanded."

3. "What amount of free tickets have been authorised or issued by the president, directors or other officers of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company.

4. "Whether the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company have not paid out in the State of Maryland, the money of other States at its par value, and afterwards refused to receive such monies for transportation of passengers, produce or minerals, except at a dis

count.

5. "The names of all such persons as have been employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, as legal counsel, the services rendered, and compensation charged by or allowed to such counsel.

6. "The names of the officers and agents in the employment of said companies, with the annual salary, and other compensation of said officers and agents, together with a particular statement of the amount of extra pay, or additional compensation, which has at any time been paid or given, or contracted to be paid or given, to any officer or agent of either of said companies, and the services for which such extra pay or additional compensation has been given or paid, or contracted so to be, and that the said officers report before the 15th of February next."

So far as this order relates to this company, I submit the following answers

1st. Presuming that this question does not apply to such attention, as in the accustomed line of their duty may have been given by the president and directors, to the affairs of the company before the Legislature, without special compensation, I have to state, that the accompanying official statement from the secretary

of the company, marked A, and the documents thereto annexed, marked 1, 2 and 3, contain, all the names of all such individuals, so for as they can be ascertained from the records of the company, as have been employed or authorised to be employed, or claiming to be employed by this company, and also the amount of compensation paid to, allowed or claimed by such persons for services rendered during the past sessions of the Legislature of the General Assembly of this State, together with the services stipulated to be rendered by such persons during the said sessions.

In regard to the claims preferred by Mr. Joseph I. Merrick, I have to observe, that a majority of the present board of directors, not being satisfied from the records of the company of their authority to recognise it, the claim was disallowed; and a suit afterwards instituted by Mr. Merrick to recover the amount, has been subsequently stricken from the record.

I have to add, that in a single instance only since the year 1837, upon an occasion when it was supposed that it might become necessary to present to the Legislature some explanation of the legal rights of the company, John Nelson, Esq. of this city, was requested to attend at Annapolis as counsel, and to act in that emergency, should it arise; and for his attendance on that occasion, he demanded and was paid the sum of $200.

2nd. To the second question I have to state, that this company has not employed, and as far as I have any knowledge, does not intend to employ any individual or individuals to attend the present session of the General Assembly; but this answer is not to be understood as applying to the president or any director of the company, who may, if occasion should require it, attend at Annapolis without compensation, for the purpose of explaining the affairs of the company committed to their management.

3rd. The documents hereto annexed marked B, contains a full answer to this question.

4th. In reply to this part of the order I have to state, that previous to the 18th of May last, this company did not receive any money of other States for the transportation of passengers, produce, or minerals, which was at a depreciation, and not bankable in Baltimore, without being allowed the current discount. On the 18th of May, in order to accommodate the travellers and consignees of merchandize, as far as the interests of the company would possibly allow, the several agents were directed to receive at par, the notes of all banks paying specie in the cities of Boston, New York and Philadelphia, and of all the banks in Maryland, excepting the bank at Salisbury, and also to receive at par the notes of all other specie paying banks, which should not be at a greater discount in Baltimore than 2 or 3 per cent.

Anterior to, and since the 18th May, all money not taken at par under the order of that date, was received by the several receiving agents at the current rate of discount, by the same agent it was immediately exchanged for par paper, and his deposit and payment over to the company made daily in bankable money.

During the same period, the contractors on the line of the road engaged in the work of construction, having agreed, in consideration of being permitted to proceed with their work, to receive part of their monthly estimates in paper of Virginia Banks, the company, to relieve the city authorities, consented to receive from them in similar paper, the like amount in the payment of the monthly instalments of the city's subscription; and so receiving it at par, they paid it to the contractors at the same rate. These arrangements with the contractors and city authorities, however, were confined to their special transactions, and with a full knowledge of the company's uniform regulations, by which no uncurrent money could be received for transportation of passengers, produce or minerals,

I will add, that although by conforming to what is of daily occurence in almost every line of business, and paying at par to those willing to receive it, 'paper which may have been received from others at a discount, this company not only might have relieved their customers from considerable inconvenience, but have also augmented its revenue; it is believed no instance of the kind has ever occurred, the company uniformly preferring to conduct its operations upon the basis of the par value of all paper money, neither receiving nor paying below that standard; and in the whole series of this company's multifarious transactions, I have no knowledge, and do nor believe in the existence of the slightest pretence for the insinuation in this inquiry.

5th. The annexed statement marked C, compiled by the secretary from the records of the company, comprises the answer to the fifth question.

6th. In answer to this enquiry, I herewith transmit an official statement prepared by the secretary, marked D, which contains the names of the officers and agents in the employment of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, and also shews the annual salary or other compensation of the said officers and agents.

I have deemed it proper also, to annex the resolution and proceedings of the board on the 27th of December 1836, fixing the salary of the president, marked E. It was subsequent to the date of these proceedings, that the wishes of the company were for the first time made known to me, and that I was invited to remove from the city of New York, where I was engaged in a more lucrative employment, and become the president of this company. The terms of the resolution necessarily formed a material element in my decision, and, together with important public considerations -connected with the subject, induced my acceptance on the 28th of January following.

A copy of the letter of acceptance is herewith submitted, and with other information applicable to the present order, forms part of an answer from this company, dated the 31st of January 1840, to an order of the House of Delegates, passed the 20th of the same month.