Mr. JOHNSON. My friendfrom Ohio did not understand me correctly if he supposed that I disputed the validity of the charter of the Baltimore and Potomac Company. The State had, of course, the power to charter that company, and although she exacted from them an. to begin and complete the road within a certain time it was for her to say whether she would enforce that obligation. She has extended the time very properly; but that is not the difficulty as I understand. It is true that the charter gives, as I am told and as my friendfrom Ohio states, to the company the right to make lateral roads; but the opinion entertained in Maryland is, as I understand, that that was not intended to authorize the company to come to the DistCol so as to enable the company to construct a road nearly parallel with, and therefore antagonistic to the present road from the city of Baltimore to the city of Washington. Whether that is the construction of the charter, or whether it is what Maryland intended but has failed to provide for, I am not prepared to say. All that F.was that that impression prevailed and that the subject is now under consideration in the Legislature. But I will state to the honorable member from Ohio and to the Senate, what I think will induce him and the Senate to agree to post pone the bill, that my colleague [Mr. CRES well] is very anxious to be present when this bill is disposed of. He is not here now, but I have reason to believe that he will be here in a day or two; and I think it has always been and I am sure no one would be more likely than the honorable member to consider it as due as a courtesy to him if he was placed in that situation it has always been customary to postpone any measure that affects a particular State if the Senator or Senators from that State are absent and it is known that he or they desire to be heard upon the subject..My colleague went to his home upon professional business, the court being in session. I presume the court will close today, and he will be here on Monday or Tuesday. I submit, therefore, whether, looking to the courtesy which we observe toward each other, it is not better to let the matter stand until he shall be here. I certainly have no desire to make any objection to the passage of this bill for the simple purposes of delay.