Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-06-11

shall also at the same time pay into tn
Treasury of this Commonwealth tax G
:, duty on all tonnage, of whatsoever kind
description, EXCEPT the ordinary baggag
of passengers that may have passed owe
r the entire extent of said road during th
preceding six months at such rates as tn
Legislature may hereafter direct, not ea
ceeding twenty y-fTe cents on every to-
thereof; and also, pay into the Treasur..
aforesaid, at the same time, tax or dut,
on all passengers that may have passe'
over the entire distance of said road, be
tween the aforesaid points, during the las
preceding six months, at such rates as th'
Legislature may hereafter direct, not er
ccediag fifty cents for each passenger.
! Mr.. Speaker, this then is the provisio,
in the charter Of the York q Cumberland
railroad, which gives to the Legislature
The right Of to.ration. Senators will OBJ
serve that it does not impose a tax o
twenty-five cents on every ton of freight
and fifteen cents on each passenger, but
merely gives to the Legislature tie riyh
Of tariny, at its discretion, not exceeding
those amounts These sums are fixed a.
the maximum rates beyond which thc
Legislature may not go, leaving to the ex
ercisc of sound discretion whether any
and, if any, what amount of tax should be
levied. 1t is left to the Legislature als(
to say when the interests Of the Common
wealth would be promoted by imposing
even the slightest amount of taxation. The
railroad has but just been completed, and
before it has fairly gone into operation, il
is proposed to tax it to the full extent. Is
this the time, sir, when the Legislature
should exercise the power of taxing reser-
we'd to them by the act of incorporation,
and, ifso, is the maximum the proper sum
to be levied? These are the questions
left open by those who have gone before
us, for grave and candid deliberation, and
they are here for our action this day.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, was the provision
under consideration inserted in the original
charter? As was truthfully remarked by
the Senator from Franklin, (Mr. Carson
from his seat, it was because there was
then such a jealousy on the part Of some
members of the Legislature, of any projec-
ted improvement designed to lead towards
the city of Baltimore, many of whom were
unwilling to permit any avenue to be
opened tending in that direction, without
reserving the right to tax even to prohibi-
tion. Unfair, ungeuerous, aye, Mr.. Spea-
ker, and unwise as was the motive which
governed the enemies of this road, in desi-
ring to defeat the project, by the reserva-
ton of the right to infict onerous taxation,
such was the confidence cf its supporters
in the propriety of the measure, in every
point of view, and such was their conf
dence in the wisdom and justice of future
Legislation, that they agreed to the propo-
sition, and accepted of the charter, on terms
which their enemies hoped were ruinous.
Sir, they not only accepted their charter
but they have completed their road-ask-
ing no advantages of this Commonwealth,
and fearing no improper taxation; believing
then, as now, that the state would at all
times find it her interest to protect and not
to destroy this important link in the chain
of her Improvements that they were
right in This conclusion is what now pro-
pose to show.
The York & Cumberland railroad con-
meets the state improvements and the
Central railroad, at Harrisburg, with the
Baltimore g. Susquchanna railroad at
York, thus opening direct communica-
ton between the valley of the Susquehan-
na and the city of Baltimore, and conse-
luently between Baltimore and Pittsburg.
It will also form part of the great line Of
-ailroad improvements, extending north
md south, by the same valley, from the
,reat lakes on our northern frontier, to the
,ity of Washington, and thence to New
orleans, of which the Williamsport and
Elmira road forms a part. In this latter
my own immediate constitu
,nts are deeply interested. Hence, Mr..
Speaker, you see the question before us
involves interests in the north, as we'll as
n the east and in the west. This improve
nent, repeat, connects the public works
If Pennsylvania with the city of Baltimore
~ the most direct route that can opened.
LeI tHdl ldcb Uc COuCcutu Will ill luC
orce the Senator from the city Mr.. Crabb)
ould desire; for l have no wish to con-
cal it. Sir, it is not the first improve
nent leading toward the city of Baltimore
hat has met with the special opposition of
MEMBERS representing the city Of Philadel-
hia. They were equally vehement in
heir opposition to the incorporation Of the
ide Water canal company. Look at
heir course year after year, when that
uestion was before the Legislature, and
ou will find them, sir, with up-lifted
ands, protesting against the passage of
hat bill-Whenever and wherever the
uestion was presented Philadelphia un-
1terruptedly and pertinaciously voted No.
lo!. Ruin to the prospects of Philadel-
hia was to be the inevitable result Of the
obstruction Of that canal Well, the
all was finally passed the canal was
lade has now been many years in ope-
alton, and what has been the conse-
uence? Why, Mr.. Speaker, there is a
ontinuous stream of boats passing from
ne public improvements Of Pennsylvania
own that canal to tide water at Havre de
trace And, Notwithstanding the ex- {
essiye tolls charged by the Chesapeake &