The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-04-10
sDENcE OF THE MOUNTAIN SENTINEL.

neig ighborhood of Johnstown.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MOUNTAIN SENTINEL" ;"
HARRISBURG, April l, 1851.
DEAR JACK-The first of April has
been ushered in with the most delightful
weather that can well be imagined.
Things in Harrisburg are getting very
| llively-and much interest is being felt by
both members and outsiders in all things
that transpire within the walls of the
capitol. In the House of Representatives
for the past few days the revenue bill has
been under discussion, and has taken pre-
cedence of all other bills. Ii is made the
special order of the day for each day,
Tuesdays excepted, until ii shall be passed.
This is right, because of the importance
of the bill, as well as the lateness of the
session.
Mr.. John S. Riley, of Armstrong coun-
ty, who is Chairman of the Committee o.
Ways and Means of the House of Rep
resentatives, has won golden opinions from
all quarters for his abilities as displayed
in his new and responsible position of
Chairman Of the most important Commit
tee in the Legislature.
No man is selected by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives TO fill this
post, who is not acknowledged to possess
qualifications of high order; and in this
instance the post of honor has fallen upon
a gentleman whose abilities rank him
among the most talented of the represent
atives in the Legislature.
His intelligence is both extensive and
varied; his forensic talents render him al
once prompt and powerful in debate,
whilst he is instructive and courteous in
his information 10 the
House. Mr.. Rhey, am proud TO say, is
destined to rise in political life 10 sphere
far above that which he moves in at pres
ent.
A man with his abilities cannot be kept
down in such a country as ours: where
talents and intelligence are the passports
to success.
His advocacy of the appropriation to
avoid the inclined planes on the Portage
Rail Road is creditable 10 him and the
Commonwealth, especially al this import
ant juncture in the history of the State,
when she is called upon TO fit herself to
the contest with rival, and powerful
one too, in the Central Rail Road, achOSe
supporters, IN and oa Of the Legislature,
are busity engaged in the praise,corthy
aoork Of fhrOecing obstacles IN the acay
Of the passage Of the appropriation for
the purpose of avoiding the planes on
the Portage Rail Road.
Every man who will uake the trouble
TO examine the subject foI a moment, will
be convinced of the fact that, the State OF
Pennsylvania must do one of two things,
and that speedily-namely the Legisla-
ture must authorize the construction of a
Road without inclined planes-in order to
compete successfully with the Central
Rail Road-or at once abandon the entire
line of public works Of the Common
wealth. Ii matters not that this project
will involve the expenditure of one or two
millions of dollars, because by doing this
the Legislature will be acting with fore
sight and sagacity that will result in both
blessings and benefits 10 the Common
wealth. If the inclined planes are not
avoided before the Central Rail Road is
finished TO Pittsburg, the Commonwealth
will have '.sinned away her day of grace
and the direful consequence of such a
state of things will only be felt when it is
forever too late to apply the remedy.
Another thing ought TO be done by the
Legislature, and that is, law ought TO be
passed imposing upon the Central Rail
Road tax on passengers, which would
yield an immense revenue TO the State
from that source alone. Such law will
undoubtedly be passed at the next session
of the Legislature, if not by the present
Legislature.
In the Senate to-day, the House bill,
which passed that body some weeks since,
to repeal the act erecting the county of
Montour, came up, and was advocated by
Mr.. Buckalew, Senator from Columbia