The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-08-21

iHto--to tic olilCe VI OoftEHoI. lou WI
observe tha; this triennial report is to be
made not TO the Legislature where such re.
ports appropriately belong, but TO the Gouer.
nor; that up 10 the time of such report the
debt paid off is considered unpaid and draws
interest that upon receiving the report the
Governor is 10 order the cancellation or des-
tluclion OF the the certificates Of debt, so
that the actual exlinguishment of debt shall
appear as his act; and that thereupon, just
sir ,recks before the election, he shall issue a
flaming proclamation 10 the people announ-
cling the payment of so much OF the public
debt! And then We are TO be told that Gov.
have done the whole business! And that the
financial abilities of the Executive are at
least equal 10 those of Alexander Hamilton
and Wm. Pitt. Do you not perceive that in
pursuance Of the intention in view the Gov
ernor struck the key note Of the music i'll
his speech at Lancaster and has been follow
ed by his file leaders all over the State in
paean of praise TO the Sinking Furd? 1t
was desirable to direct the public mind be-
forehand in such manner as 10 give full
and salutary effect TO the September pro-
clamatIon! That wonderful document, gen.
;lemen, is soon coming, in all the beauty of
large type and under the great Seal Of The
Commonwealth. 1t will become us to
peruse it with thankfulness and gratitude,
hot 10 ha of n
sublime parsonage who has borrowed pro-
ject from his competitor and prepared it for
eectioneerng purposes.
The fifth and ninth sections OF the act,
are clearly inconsistent and contradictory;
the one providing that the Legislature may
reduce the taxes payable into the Sinking
Fund, and the other pledging the faith of
the State that the revenues payable into that
fund shall inviolably remain TO it until the
whole of the state debt is paid. There
seems to have been SO much attention be.
slowed upon the fourth section, to render ii
perfec, for electioneering purposes, that the
character and consistency of the remain
der Of the act was not particularly re-
garded The sixth section of the act
gravely provides that if any terson
chooses to give his property to The state he
can do so, and upon report 10 the Legislature
his name is 10 be entered upon the journals.
Nobody has yet been found willing TO give
his property TO the state upon those terms!
have POW gone over all the material pro-
visions iof the act OF 1919, except those
regulating the COLLECTION or uert~;s- xas;
ard the general conclusion in relation to il
must be that the purpose in adopting it was
10 delude the people and affect the present
election. In ls49 Johnston had virtual
control of the Legislature one half the
House and decided majority of the Senate
being Whig The act have been explain
ing was the contrivahce then got up TO Sc
cure his reelection; and it is reasonable to
believe ,ha, that was The great re ason why
il was .hen enacted.
II may be worth while 10 inquire from
what sources and under what particular acts,
the principal revenues of the State are de-
rived. Too little information Of this char
acter is circulated among the people; and
from this circumstance it is possible for suoh
unscrupulous men as Johnston 10 attain un-
due credit, by statements which are really
both arrogant and false. 1t may be useful
for all 10 know that nearly The whole of the
public revenue is raised under acts existing
before 1919; that the greater part even of
the monies absorbed by the Sinking Fund
arise Under an act passed in 1916; that the
amounts received at the treasury from the
general taxes on really are no greater since
1s4s than before; and that the most marked
improvement in the sources of revenue in
recent years hai been IN regard TO the public
Improvements controlled and managed by a
Democratic board of Canal Commissioners
B. the act of 7th April, 1926, the Collateral
Inheritance tax (Which is now paid into the
Sinking FUND.- was fixed at % per cent.
By the act OF 22d April 1916, Sec, Ia, it was
raised to Eve per cent. and has remained at
that rate ever since. The latter act-the
Bigler and Buuell bil-is justly enti-
ttCu All oSt W Piofioo iot thO
of the public debt" and beside the collateral
inheritance tax imposes tax upon stages
and other vehicles, aunuiiies, trust property
real or personal, monies at interest, public
or corporate stocks and corporate loans and
upon vendors of merchandise the product
and m mlnufaciure of the United States. The
previous act of 2sth April, 1914 which
bears in its title the description of can act to
reduce the state debit" is the most important
act now in force on the subject of taxation
1t imposes the general three mill tax upon
property-subjects all real and personal es-
tate not particularly exempt TO taxation and
taxes bank and corporation dividends, loans
and stock, carriages, watches, salaries,
trades, occupations and Professionalism
due upon mortgages, judgments, no;es, bills
bonds, agreements and accounts, and estab-
fishes the Board of Revenue Commissioners
to meet every third year for the adjustment
and equalization of the taxes upon and
among the counties of the Commonwealth
As the state recovered gradually from the
crash that came upon her shortly after the
close OF the Ritner administration, i, became
the duty as it was the desire, Of her public
men, TO husband her existing resources, te