Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-06-02

ing, ruin staring themselves and 1amllleS IN Inc
face, the disgrace of insolvency tainting their
character, and the debtors prison waiting to
receive them. The counties of Erie, of Craw-
ford of Beaver, of Dauphin, Huntingdon, Cen
tre Lycoming, of Mercer, of Columbia, Nor
thumberland, Luzerne, of Bradford and Sus-
quehanna, are filled with sufferers like these.
We have listened and listed with pity to their
story of suffering and though great diversity of
opinion exists as TO the policy of further ex-
penditure on the unfinished lines, none of us are
insensible 10 the States obligations to pay her
just debts. 1t is the Executive alone, who
without authority of law, persists in his refusal
to pay them.
10 give relief and do Justice to those crsdi-
tors the Legislature has labored long and anx-
iously and in the hope of giving this relief, was
the measure to which they have referred In a
great measure matured.
The debts due fer repairs alone, amount to
two hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars,
due generally TO poor men who have contribu-
ted their labor to keep the public works in such
condition that they may render revenue to the
Commonwealth. Cases of individual hardship
have been brought 10 our view, at which any
heart would sicken, except the callous hearts
of those who elevated above the sympathies Of
ordinary humanity can use the benefit of labor,
and yet deny TO 1t It's just reward 1t was TO
pay those debts too that the undersigned have
anxiously labored
To other public creditors, TO those by whose
pecuniary contributions the Internal Improve
ment system has been constructed, there was
due at least an effort on the part of the State
to discharge its obligations. Relying too con-
fidently on the professions of the Executive,
that by no act of his should the State credit be
impaired or the public faith violated, we as
sumed the hazardous responsibility of exaciing
from the people new contributions to the COM
mon cause. The ruinous and disgraceful sys-
TEN of borrowing to pay interest, the under
signed thought and still think ought to be ar
rested. They have endeavored TO do so, and
if they have failed the responsibility is not
theirs. The state credit must and ought at all
hazards and at any cost to be sustained. The
State is the aggregate of every mans promise,
and if dishonor rest on the individual who vio-
lates his word, far deeper and fouler is that
dishonor which will pursue the community
which wantonly and causelessly disregards its
obligations and taking contributions from the
hand of generons confidence, now entrenches
itself within its constitutional immunity and re-
fuses to provide for the payment of its unques-
toned debts. There is but one mode of sus-
tanning credit, and to that the Legislature re-
sorted. Its failure is not attributable to us.
The measure matured finally passed the Le-
gislature on the 30th of April and on the first
of May 1t was returned to US with the Execu-
tive objections. To that measure and to those
objections we ask your best attention. They
are in all respects worthy of it, 1t was
measure which will at once relieve the pres
sure of immediate liability on the Common
wealth, pay its domestic creditors, afford relief
to the people by moderate and well regulated
amount OF small note currency, save large
amount of interest on the public debt, and give
TO the banks such relief as for the sake of the
community 1t was proper to afford to them
but 1t did more, and 20 this we invite especial
attention. 1t provided for reduction of the
expenses of the governmental expressly pro-
hlbited the ENHANCEMENT of the Commonwealth
In new contracts, the burthen of which would
ultimately fall on the people themselves; and
above all 1t specially appropriated the money
to be raised TO certain objects and made it an
offence against the law, for its officers to the
appropriations. There was TO be no transfer
of money from this fund 10 that fund---no draw
ing from one pocket to pay another---no con-
ceallng deficiencies or defalcations by ingen.
lous iransiers---no puzzing the public mind by
intricate account, but every cent of revenue
raised had Its appropriate object indicated, and
neither the Executive nor his agents, could
without detection misapply it. This constitu-
tional coercion we thought we had right 10
apply, and yet it is of this restraint which the
constitution itself enjoins, and which we were
bound to prescribe that the Executive complains
as dangerous encroachment on his preroga-
tive. From this complaint we again appeal TO
the popular judgment TO sanction a measure
which would deserve approval, if contained no
other provision than this We trust that no I.e-
glslature will ever be dissuaded or deferred from
Imposing this wholesome restraint on the power
OF the Executive on the treasury.
So far as the Relief Bill affected the bank
ing institutions of the State, to the great sur
prise of the undersigned they found the views
oil the Governor on one Doint had suddenly, he