Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-02-17
Correspondence Of TIE Public Ledger
FROM HARRISBURG.
HARRIspuRG. +, b. tC

HARRISBURG. r. u. ~. 1919.
| DEAN SIRs We have had a singular ses
sion this day: Not much was done, bnt
great deal said much, indeed that had bet
ter have been left unsaid. The bill 10 re-
peal the Ohio and and E~ie Railroad, was
the topic of the day, and Phiadellhi and
| Erie shivered lances against each other in a
most furious tilt. Immediately after the
reading of The Journal, Mr.. Swarizweldcr, of
Piilsburg, moved 10 suspend he orders of the
day for the purpose of taking up the bill to
repeal the charter of the Erie and Ohio Rail
road The yeas and nays were called upon
this, and resulled--6s yeas 70 lS nays.
Mr.. Ball, of Erie then took the floor, and
in most deliberate, empha c, and solemn
manner, entered his protest against the re-
peal. He warned the House of the probable
consequences. He declared, that lei the ac-
ton of the Legislature be what it might, The
Railroad would nevertheless be made. The
people of Erie county had pledged them
selves to each other, to stand shoulder 10
| shoulder and purse TO purse, and complete
this improvement. They conceived they had
the right, and they would exercise the right
to make the road: on their own soil and with
their own money, and not all the power of
the Legislature nor of the State could prevent
it. They were ready TO abide all the conse-
quenees-ready to resist, if needs be, any
effort to compel them to desist from carrying
into effect the law now about to be in such
hot haste repealed. 1t might be that citizens
of the Commonwealth, from other sections,
would be sent among them to force compli-
ance with this mandate of Philadelphia and
the Central Railroad. But the people of Erie
county had made their determination, and
would be ready TO meet the issue in any
shape il might be presented. They were "A
quiet sober, law-abiding communicated
was their known character-and deep would
be the responsibility of those who forced
them to assume any other character, by thus
,fampling upon their rights, and sacrificing
hem, not 10 the preservation of the interests
of the State but to local, sectional, and rival
prosperity,
Mr.. McCalmont followed on the same side.
He deprecated the manner in which the bill
was being hurried through the House; be-
fore it was even printed, and members had
an opportunity of examining it, or the bill it
proposed 10 repeal He spoke of the inter-
ess of the Northwestern section of The Stale
as having continually met the opposition of
Philadelphia, and alluded with alarm TO the
growing influence of the Central Railroad
Corporation, for the benefit of which NAM
moth monopoly there was danger that the
interests of every section of the State would
be successively sacrificed.
Mr.. SwartZwelder said that in making his
motion he bad not expected to start so violent
| a discussion.
Mr.. Smith, went into a recapitulalion of
the arguments in favor of the repeal but as
they have already been so often given in the
Philadelphia press during the discussion in
the Senate, | shall not repeat them.
MIR. McCamonl made some further obser-
va'ions in opposition TO the repeal; and was
then followed by Mr. Ball in speech
"against time" occupying over an horr and
half, in opposition to The repeal Ii wasan
odd medley, and varied most tluly "from
grave 10 gay, hom lively 10 severe" He
said great many good things and some very
dull ones. He was very severe on Phiadel-
phia, and especially npon Philadelphia borers,
one of whom he characterized as "he spec
tacles of the Central Railroad.n He dipped
into the Bible talked about The Indian wars,
excoraed Mr., Tyson for saying that "Erie
was the gate of the Lakes, and the gate must
be kept closed" said that Philadelphia
thought Erie the chimney top Of Pennsylva-
MIA "a kind Of devils play ground, &c.
Mr. BAH talked until the hour Of one arri-
we'd, when the Committee of the Whole rose,
and on the question, "shall the con- miiee
have leave 10 SIT again !'' the yeas were 80,
the nays is. tt...
The friends Of repeal voted yss, and those
opposed voted nay. This is too close for
comfort. Five votes OF change would de-
fea, the repeal.
The friends OF the North Branch have no
disposition 10 abandon tbs original biil'for i.s