The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-03-14
Correspondence of the Mountain Sentinel
STATE CAPITOL.
HARRISBURG, March 4, 1850.
Dear Gipen:
Dear Gipen:

| he most important matter
which has transpired in the Legislature
the past week, was the majority and mi
nority reports from the Comittee op Fed.
eral relations, which was raised few
weeks ago at the instance of Mr.. Bean
mont Of Luzerne county. Mr.: Bcaumo,.
the chairman of the Committee, made n,
majority report, whilst Messrs. Alliso,
and Bowen made the report of the minor.
ity. Both papers are well written. Mr
Beaumont takes high ground on the oues.
ton of slavery, and goes for noninteryeD-
ton from first to last on part of the free
or northern states, whilst the report or
Messrs. Allison and Bowen takes ground
equally strong and equally ultra. But the
reports are both before the country and Of
course you will publish them, so that
your readers will have opportunity OF see
ing and reading them for themselves. |
will let them both pass for what they are
worth, without word of censure @.
praise.
A large number of private bills have
been disposed of by the Legislature during
the past week, but as yet, not thing has
been done with either the apportionmen.
bill, or revenue bill-both Of which mea-
sures are of the first importance, particu-
larly the latter. The Committee of Ways
and Means have not as yet reported bill
and yet there is little more than a months
time to pass before the Legislature will
most undoubtedly adjourn.
But it is an old adage that ''large bodies
move Slow and hence the reason so little
hPs been done by the Legislature that is
at all interesting TO the people at large
On the tenth of April the one hundred
days will be up, after which, if the session
last, the members will draw from the
Treasury but one dollar and fifty cents
per diem fer their services, which will
make them feel very uneasy l opine. H.
deed no body looks for the session of The
Legislature to last more than one hundred
days, in consequence of the short allow
ance of pay after the expiration of tina!
period. | do not blame the members for
this, for well know that no man can live
here on the paltry sum of one dollar and
fifty cents per day. In fact there is no:
one in every ten of the members who can
live on three dollars per day, and the END
of each session witnesses many member
leaving Harrisburg with goodly number
of uncancelled scores against him-some
of which are paid-and many of which
the creditors have to whistle for.
The amendment TO the Constitution is
still suspended in the House of Represen-
tatives, and when il will be disposed of, it
is hard to tell. MIR. Laird's Bank bill, has
finally passed the House, and gone to the
Senate, where it will be subjected to the
most searching scrutiny. 1t was consider.
ably altered and amended by the House
before it finally passed, and will no douot,
have to undergo the process of alteration
and amendment in the Senate. If 1t ever
does pass the Senat e, and reappears
in the House again, it will be IN such
questionable shape, that its original god
father will not be able to recognize his
own bantling.
Many bank director and nervous
stockholder, are looking anxiously for the
result of the action of the Legislature on
Mr.. Laird's bill.
The old Pittsburg Bank, the Lebanon
Bank, the York Bank, and a host of 9TH
ers, are all represented here by some anx-
ious inquirer after the truth as to what
course the Legislature will take in the
matter of granting charters, or renewing
old charters. We have entirely TOO many
banks iii Pennsylvania, and consequently
too much worthless trash afoat, in the
shape of bank paper; and l do hope
that the Legislature will adopt some strin-
gent regulations, which will more effectu-
ally guard the unsuspecting and credulous
public against stockholders and shavers.
No bank ought to receive a license from
the Legislature, such as an act of incorpo-
ration generally gives them, to discount
notes, and issue their paper promises to
pay money, without first compelling the
payment of the entire capital stock, ard
making each stakeholder individually re-
sponsible for the amount OF stock he or