Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-01-16

compnvely trihing sum would finish this wo'k'
but the funds Of the company exhausted ana 'ne
Commonwealth is annually called upon Tor the a
noun, of her guaranty and her subscription is Who'll
iy unproductivc. II is a ve'y valuable tributary to
the state Canal, terminating IN one oil the richest
mipcra, regions in this perhaps any other coun-
,ry, Every article coming out of il pays toll on
our S,atc Canal for SO miles to Columbia. !,
therefore submit 10 the better judgement Of the Leg
sIature, whether sound economy does not dictate
the further subscription of sufficient to finish
it; believing that its produciiveness will then be
amply sufficient to relieve the Commonwealth from
any further payment of her guaranty.
There are at present many public Improvements
in course Of construction in our State by means Of
private companies, most Of which cannot but think
ATE 10 benefit Pennsylvania in a very high degree.
Among tie latter may particularze the Williams
port aud Elmira rail road, as tending with certainty
10 Produce THIS rcsuls. This road will connect the
Grand Erie Canal of New York by The Seneca
Lake, with the West Branch Canal at Williams
port; and also nersect, at Elmira, the grca, South
arn fail road now being constructed fro the Hud-
son river to Lake Erie at Duukirk. The alvan-
tlge likely TO result to ourselves from the construc
ton of this road, will be, that the great amount Of
tonnage and travel wich now annually fluids its way
from the Lakes through the State of New York TO
the Atlantic, will thus be brought directly through
our own public improvements TO Philadelphia the
distance from EImira to the latter city, by this rout,
being a MI shorter than Gom E'mra TO The city
bvo nj, oil iu,pr M nj in
that State. Other improvements of similar char
acter o"' no-h"rs nf cdual Importance, might be
,,,iced.
Every man is presumed TO be present IN tue iIeg-
islature by his representative, and to know what
public laws are enacted and is therefore held to be
b und by them flom the time of th' ir enactment.
This rotice, however, is but constructive one. 1
would respectfully suggest, whether some provision
for the immediate publication of all laws Of public
paure is no, necessary, to give to the people actual
''--... .'';"h 'hnp may bo eoriously
affected.
The Report of the Superintendent of the Public
Schools, which will shortly be laid before you, viii
shcw The progress which the cause of educ l,inn is
making in public opinion, and the state and condi-
ton of The Colleges, Academies and Schools,
throughout the Commonwealth.
Though the active operation of the Geological
Survey not yet entirely completed, much great.
er extent Of country has been explored during the
pas, season, than in any former one. Tie State
Geologist, and his corps were laboriously occupied
in the field, their researches extended into various
districts both eas, an west Of the Allegheny noun
rbo ~ Ju, Sof
the survey, into the more minute features of our
Geology, and the true position of our various min
eral deposits, has served greatly to increase the
cuacy and value of the large body of iacs now col
lscted. Throughout several extensive sections Of
the State, where hitherto, no accurate clue had been
discovered by which particular bells of those useful
substances, iron ore, COAL marble aud limestone,
could be traced, much of the obscurity has been
moved. Several districts, however, of greater or
less extent, yet remain TO. be explored Though
some of these have been already faithfully examin-
cd, one year more will he necessary for unr,vclng
the intrcacies of their structure, and enabling the
Geoogist TO srrvc at a satisfactory knowledge Of
their resources. For this purpose an appropriation
will become necessary. The amount however, will
he les than the sum hitherto annually expended
The Typographical maps now in a course of con-
s,ruclion, essential basis for the Goograhi-
cal map called for by the law. In the chemical de-
partment of the survey, an extensive series of ocs
Goals, cement fuxes, &c, have been anyz d, re-
sul,ing in species of knowledge now becoming
every day more important to the growing manuiac-
turing and mining interests of Pennsylvania.
1t is an undoubted fact, that the few last years
have been period Of pecuniary embarrassment, in
the business community. 1t has been consulng,
however TO reflect, that during a portion of that
time, our husbandmen have bren reaping a full re-
ward for their labor in abundant crops for which,
until recently, they have found ready mark is, at
fair prices. They had moi generally been affected
with that mad spirit of speculation which at one
time seemed TO have seized so large part of other
portions Of ciizers, and induced them engage
IN almost every visionary scheme in their " haste to
get rich.'
The causes Of This emharrss ment have teen va
rlcusly explained, as suited the the views of these
who undertook the tosk. My own views upon this
subjcc, have been fully aud freely expressed in my
Communicaiines to the preceding Legislature. No
0ne however, can doubt that, when our country is
importing large amounts of the luyuries and super'
tuiiies OF life from foreign countries, and no,
porting suiiielency of our own products 20 pay for
lhem' there must be cOn,tanl drain of the precious
metals, and hence scarcity cf money to supply the
wants Of our community a, home. A reTenchment
among our citizens, of whom plain republican
simplicity has been distinguishing h,rac,e,-