Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-01-11

charter to be renewed, until complete, a thor
ough examination of the affairs of the institution,
and full statement of its business, with satiis-
factory evidence of the bona jfde value of its as
sets, shall have convinced a committee appointed
10. that purpose of its entire solvency and abili-
ty to redeem all its liabilities. Such statements
duly authenticated, should be filed of record in
the state department for the inspection of all per-
sons interested.
The several laws in force to prevent the use
and circulation of notes of less denomination
than five dollars, do not appear to have produced
tae result intended. large portion of the cur
rency of the State consists of notes of lower
! denomination. many of them spurious and defac-
| ed, issued by foreign institutions, about whose
| solveDcy no knowledge can be possessed bv the
citizens. This circulation, while it inficts inu-
ry Oh the community, is in dcrect contravention
Oh the express terms of the law. As it is mani
fest t1e existing laws will not remedy the evil,
1t Is suggested, that an act preventing under sa-
were penalties, the banks and brokers dealing in
money, from recelv ng on deposit exchanging,
or paying the same from their counters, would
have beneficial effect in driving these notes
from circulation. Should the circulation of notes
of less denomination than FIVE dollars be desir-
able, it is infinitely to be preferred that they
should be issned by our own Stata banks, whose
solvency is known, rather than foster circula-
ton issued by institutions whose abilities to re-
deem them may be uncertain. With these slight
notifications OF our present system, taking care
that no unnecessary and unadvised increase of
banking capital be made, and in all cases. either
OF new nstHtons, or the renewal of those now
existing, that their entire solvencv should be ur-
doubted, and that no danger to the citizen will
arise from these grants of power | should deem
1t right to leave t1e present policy in relation to
these corporations, as it has been maintained in
former years.
During the last session of the Legislature, an
act was passed regulating the hours of labor in
Factories and specifying the age at which mi
norS shall be admitted therein. 1t is res lectfui-
ly submitted, whether this law does not require
amendment, so as to prevent special contracts to
labor more than the time fixed by the act. The
operation of the law as at present in force gives
to those violating It's spirit advantage over him
who faithfully carried it into effect, by permitting
the owner and operative to enter into such con-
tracts III relation to the extension of time as they
NAV deem proper If it be right to limit the hours
of labor in Factories, (and who that desire the
education and comfort of the citizen can doubt it)
the law should be 50 changed as to operate alike
in all such establishments Should the Legisla-
ture concur in this opinion it would be proper to
repeal the prov:so, allowing of special contracts
by parents and guardians for the labor of minors
above the age OF fourteen years. They should
not be left in condition of more hardship than
the adult. have brought this subject to the Bo-
tce Of the Leg stature, as well because of the s-
tee and propriety of the suggestion, as that iny
friendship for the measure was well known tofhe
people, and has been approved by them at The
late general election. ~
1t gives me unfeigned pleasure to announce
the fact, that the common school system is al
length adopted through the State. The friends 7
Of education must be deeply gratife1, that con-
sufnation so desirable, promising such advanta-
ges to the citizen and security to the State has
been attained 1t may well be considered as
conspicuous eboch in our history. The blessings
OF rat ona ard moral cultivation dispensed thro'-
ought the Commonwealth Will improve the con-
ditioa of the people, enlarge their sphere of use
fillnoss and give to the State character for in
telligence and virtue. The report of the Super I
intendent will furnish valuable information tothes
Legislature for the further Improvement Of the
system, and viii enable it to remedy existingde-
fActs.
The Adiutant Generals report on the subject /
OF the Militia contains many important sugges-
tons, we'll worthliy the considerationaof the Le-
gislature. 1t is the production Of practical MI
litary officer, who has bestowed m.pch thought on
the subject, and viii be found lntsresting and val
liable, particularly as pointing out a modeeby
which the vast expenditure OF tlie present system
may be saved to the Treasury
In the reports of the Auditor General and Sur
veyor General, you will find detailed account
of the finaccial operations Of Che year ending on
the lst OF December last To these reports |
would refer YOU for full statement of the con-
ditions of the affairs of the Commonwealth in
their several departments.
The acquisition of New Mexico and California
presents again in the National Congress the i'm
portant question of the extenpion non-exten-
S on Of slavery. At the adoption of the national
Constitution, the longer continuance of what was
then considered an evil, was strongly agitated,
and resulted in a compromise, permitting it In
Stats where at that time it existed. The Con-
stitution being submitted to the States was adop-
ted with others by Pennsylvania. and after the
apse of more than half century, it remains the 7
great fundamental law of the Union. To pre- I
serve and perpetuate ito acknowledge its su-
premacy to maintain and defend Its principles !
and to submit to its compromise-are duties to
which every citizen is pledged, whatever his OPT
lions in relation to questions arising under it.
This fundamental law recognizes the right to /
lold slaves in the State which were parties to
he compact but it makes no farther acknowl- u
sdgment. II bears on its plain and expressive II
,age no agreement, express or implied, for the
urther extension of human slavery That this }
atiOnal wrong has been extended with the pro- e
'ress of population, is not an argument in favor
its Justice, its constitutional right, or of the
autary effects it has produced in the territories G
yhere it has been admitted: Shall it be still far a.
Der extendedt To the Congress of the United >,
tafeS belonps tho authority tn settle th;S imnor. "