The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-04-10
Speech Of Mr.. Buckalew on the Mon
tour bill.
Correspondence of the Pennsylvania.


The bill for the re. annexation of the conn.
" Of Montour to the county of Columbia
came up in order this morning and the ques.
lion being on its final passage, Mr.. Bucka
lew said 10 the Senate that the bill was pure
iy and entirely a bill Of local character, and
That there W as no state or public interes
whatever involved in it. That it was neithcl
a measure 10 Introduce a new state of things
in that portion of the State interested, bu
merely 10 restore the old that the bill wa.
in IFS nature emphatically a consolidation
bill, and nothing more that the county O
Montour was a county only a few weeks
old, that when the bill before the Senate was
introduced into the other branch of the LIE.
sislature this county had been organized on.
ly nine weeks, and that now only a few
weeks later, ii was certain that no grea,
amount of business had been done tina,
would be disturbed by the passage of the
bill. He thought that in the case of an old
county where the business properly belong.
ing 10 county authorities had accumulated,
when the long established habits of the PEG.
pie had been accustomed to desire their pub.
lie business 10 be transacted, it might appear
hard, unreasonable, ard perhaps unjust TO
take the action proposed in tins bill, but that
no disturbance OF business transactions nor
any injustice TO anybody could result from
annexation in this case. He said that the
people of Montour and Columbia had sent
members TO the Legislature for the purpose
of having the law of last session repe aled,
and the County of Columbia restored TO her
original position and boundary. He thought,
inasmuch as the large majority of the peo-
pie in the district concerned were plainly and
decidedly in favor of this measure, and had
sent their representatives here expressly TO
have ii effected, without any party distinc.
tons or considerations, and as it was a local
measure which concerned them alone, that
their desires and their interests ought to be
needed and regarded. He asked the Sena-
tors from the other portions Of the State, if
they would override and override them in
their wishes, which were SO plainly and
pointedly expressed, and made known in
their elections and public meetings, which
were impelled by a spirit of indignation,
Immediately after the bill erecting Montour
County, sundering and sadly mutilating the
County of Columbia 2--ihat no county ever
had been erected in Pennsylvania, except
Montour, in which the people of the coun-
ties concerned had not concurred or acqui-
esced. Mr.. Buckalew then exhibited maps,
and showed tine Objectionable shape of the
county, and referred 10 the mutilated state of
several townships which had been left in
fragments by the new county line, and
which could not be annexed TO any other
townships adjoining, nor were they large
enough 10 form townships by themselves,
having only forty or fifty voters in them. He
said that { Columbia, in its original shape. was
one of the small counties Of the Common-
wealth, located in the sterile regions OF the
North, and having within II NO noOossi'i0s or
circumstances calling for any disnismber.
men, or division ; that the people then had
lived on terms of friendship and fra!ernal
relations up to the time when his predeces.
sor was elected TO the Senate in 1s47 that
at that time no individual could have been
elected without the most unqualified profess
tations against any division of that county,
and here Mr.. Buckalew read TO the Senate
the letters of Valentine Best, declaring him.
self opposed 10 any such division, and also
a letter 10 the editor Of the -- dssi.
ring him to republish this letter which was
addressed TO the convention which nominal
ted Mr.. Best for Senator, and TO the senti
ments of which he pledged himself in all
his official conduct should he be elected
ilai io7 .ae p%urb;oHse Of preserving his politi-
cal standing, by falling upon local ,ec..""ss
in the county, he had basely violated all his
pledges, and through this misplaced conf
dence of The people, his district had been
made 10 endure all this outrage, dismember.
ment and division and now would Senators
vote agains! these deceived and betrayed
people-agaiust the wishes of their repre-
sentatives, merely 10 leave untouched q
work of peridy and wrong? Mr.. Buckalew
said ne did moi blame the Senators who had
last year voted for this new county, he did
not desire TO impugn the motives of such
Senators, but was willing to allow that in
going according TO the desires and wishes
urged upon them by the Senator from Col
umbia at that time, they were doing right,
but he asked them now in the name of his
constituents TO reverse the action of the lie.
gislature Of last year by voting rtght,-vo'
ting for the merits of the bill, as he placed
the bill upon high ground, upon is merits
alone he desired it to pass.
He mentioned the fact that the majority oil
the people in the new county limits were in
favor Of the new county, including the peo.
pie of Danville, who were aciuated by q
town interest, or an interest of speculation
WITCH always existed in new county cases
but that in the agricultural parts of this coun'
ty itself, tie majority Of the people were op
posed TO any division of the old county o
Columbia in which they had lived so lors
and SO well-that altogether Montour hat
within her borders together with her MAORI
ty, a minority whose rights and whose wish
es ought TO BIO respected. But talking o