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

, twenty. This IS the ruin the Tide Watt
canal has brought upon Philadelphia Sil
r the truth is, nc improvement has eve
, been constructed that has done more f.
? that city, and yet it was forced upon hel
. by the interior without her aid, and agains
, her votes. Sir, in view of the oppositio
which that Improvement encountered q
the hands of Philadelphians, and the jea
lousy with which they are prone to loo
upon any line of canal or railroad designe,
to run in any other course than directly t
their city-a feeling that has doubles
given rise to the proposition contained il
this bill to clog up this thoroughfare by al
excessive tax, simply because it runs to
wards Baltimore; and to deprive the broa,
extent of the state lying upon the beautiful
banks of the noble Susquehanna, from it
natural outlet to MARKET have repeat
in view of all these facts, often though
that Almighty God had committeda grca
mistake in not making that great river
tributary of the Schuylkill or Delaware
for in that case Philadelphia, the metropo
lis of our state, would have been willin:
that its broad banks and rolling water.
should be used for the benefit of Pennsyl
vania throughout her wide borders. Tn
fortunately for us in the north, our nobl'
stream flows into the Chesapeake bay,upol
whose banks stands rival city in neigl,
boring state. Unfortunately, | say, Mr.
Speaker, for where are the railroads run
ming north and south through the centre o
Pennsylvania, on the shores of this mighty
river! Alas echo answers, where No
4 mile, sir, has been constructed above the
mouth of the Juniata, and not mile eve,
will be, if the same ungenerous and short.
sighted policy shall continue to prevail
Nature designed that the valley of the
Susquehanna should be as great as that
of any other stream in this Republic. In
proof of this We need but point to her rich
alluvial soil her mountains of both an
thracite and bituminous coal her mex
haustiblc beds Of iron ore and the bound
less wilderness of timber that borders her
countless tributaries. Wise legislation and
capital properly applied, are all that are
required to make her what God and Ma
ture intended she should be.
Mr. Speaker the tax proposed by the
bill introduced by the Senator from Della
ware, Mr.. Brooke, } and now under con-
sideration, is twenty-five cents per ton on
all tonnage passing over the road, from
point opposite Harrisburg to York; dis
tance of twenty-six miles making the tax
nearly one cent per ton per mile The
average established rate of toll and trans
portation on the York e. Cumberland
railroad is seventy-eight cents per ton for
the whole length of the road, or three
cents per ton per mile. If the proposed tax
of twenty-five cents per ton, for the same
distance, be levied by the State, it would
be an addition of one cent per ton per mile
or 33a per cent. on the present average
toll and transportation, and would force
the company to add that amount to their
present charges thereby increasing the
tolls and transportation charges to four
cents per ton per mile. If three cents per
ton only were charged the Commonwealth
would be entitled to one-third of the whole
receipts for freight /; or, if the tax were
added to the charges for frei ght and trans
portation, the would receive the one-fourth!
Compared with the tax on freight on the
Pennsylvania railroad, of three mills per
ton per mile, it would in fact be to increase
the length of the York and Cumberland
road to eighty-thrce and cne-third miles
Thus:
Y owl r,,, r,,1,o,I
26 miles, 25 cts
Pennsylvania railroad S33 miles
at 3 mills per mile, % cts.
That is, Mr.. Speaker, whilst the tax on
The Pennsylvania road is but three mills
per ton per mile, the York and Cumber-
and railroad, but twenty-six miles in length,
IS taxed with twenty-five cents per ton,
which, as before remarked, is equal to SO.
miles Of the Psnasyleania railroad. The
after paying no tax On its passengers
while it is proposed to tax each passenger
fifteen cents, that passes over the road from
Harrisburg to York
Sir, hold that the tax proposed in the
Dill before us, being evidently for the pur-
pose of interdicting trade, and to in
,rease the revenue of the State, is unjust,
lictated by false economy, and behind
he spirit of the age. 60 further, sir,
believe that such tax, so far from promot-
ng the interests of this State, or of Phila-
lelphia, would inevitably strike fatal blow
It both. 1t is my firm belief that it is |.
lgainst the interest of Pennsylvania
gainst the interest of the Central railroad
md against the interest of the city of Phil
delphia, herself
Now, Mr.. Speaker, if I am able to sus-
ain these positions, by unquestionable
acts and; figures; if shall have demon
trated their truth before the hands of that
lock move round to one looking at it in
o clear light that no intelligent jury of
welve men could entertain a rational doubt
hen sir shall ask the Senator from Phil
delphia to vote with me for the amend
nent of the Senator from Franklin; and
f it fail, then against the original bill. /
sill pledge myself to that Senator that if
fail in sustaining the positions have as
umcd; if l do not make them so plain
hat "the way-faring man, though fool,
ould not err therein" that l will vote with
i'm in favor of blocking up and barring