Mr. FTHOMAS. Mr. Speaker, being the immediate representative of the community most interestet in this improvement I ask m colleague to yield to me to res 0nd to the in ui ries made by the gentleman 'rom Ohio. the road proposed is intended to be a art of a great northwest line from the seat 0 Government by the way of the town of Cumberland. It is made in accordance with the act of the General Assembly of Maryland clothing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company with the full and ample power to accomlish the undertaking. It will intersect the altimore and Ohio railroad at the Point of Rocks, with which gentlemen of the West are familiar. It is a proposition that the travel and transportation from the West shall pass on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad by the town of Cumberland. A few days since, with a view of comleting the connection between Washington an Pitts burg, Congress passeda billof somewhat ecu liar and novel character, unlike any law ever remember to have seen on the statute book. The State of Maryland a very few years ago gave to a company a right to construct a railroad from the town of Cumberland to the Pennsylvanialinein the direction of Pittsburg. The State of Pennsylvania gave the right to make a road from the city of Pittsburg to the Pennsyl vania line in the direction of Cumberland; the 2 roads making a complete communication between Cumberland and Pittsburg. Through influences of which I need not speak, the Pennsylvania Legislature have been induced to repeal that charter. That repealing law was passed after Maryland, as one of the stockholers of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, a corporation duly authorized by the laws of Maryland, had expended on the construction of a railroad between Pittsburg and Cumberland $2, 500,000. At the present session a bill has passed this Congress, introduced by the Gentfrom Pennsylvania, [ Mr. Srnvsxs, intended to revive in effect that charter which the State of Pennsylvania had repealed. The bill proceeds under the theory that that declaration upon the face of the Constitution of the U.S., which denies to a.State the right to impair the obligation of a contract, is not to be considered by Congress as a dead letter, but when ever a State undertakes to impair the obligation of a contract it is the duty of the Government of the U.S. to interpose and a ply a remedy against the proposed wrong. ence the law of Congress, while extending no not of incorporation to make a thorough fare, simply declared the law of Pennsylvania a nullity, leaving the expenditure made on that branch of this road inside of the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania to be availed of by the authority holding that charter. The‘law of congress not only declares that the law of Pennsylvania is a nullity, but itafiixes penalties to the attempton the part of any person inside the jnris iction of Pennsylvania to exercise any authority which the law of Pennsylvania had conferred upon her own population. The completion of this road from here to the Point of Rocks, if the law to which I have referred is ruled to be constitutional, is an essential work with a view to that line of communication between the seat of Government and the Northwest at Pittsburg. It is to be made in conformity with the laws of Maryland, and therefore no question arises under this bill as to the constitutional competenc of congress to create apower in a State, in cpendent of and in defiance of a State, to make works of internal improvement. Representing, as I do, that section of Maryland which is very much interested in this work, I am very anxious to see it completed. It will lessen the distance from the Point of Rocks to the seat of Government by 43 or 44 miles, by avoiding the presento elbow of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. And when the" junction in Pennsylvania is completed it will lessen the distance between Washington and Pittsburg to all parties coming from the Northwest on the great line to which I have referred, by, I think, at least 74 miles. uner these circumstances I do not see that there is any grave objection to be urged against this bill. Certainly I do not think the gentle.incn from the Northwest will be desirous of interposing obstacles in the way. This is amere law authorizing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company to exercise within the jurisdiction of the General Government powers analo gous to those which the same corporation are authorized to exercise within the jurisdiction of Maryland.