Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-05-05
Letter from Harrisburg.
HARRIsBuRa. MAY l, 1855.

Appropriation bill under consideration. Ihe
section paving members salary of FIVE hum
dred dollars for the session, in lieu Of the per
diem three dollar pay, was adopted by close
vote, having, as one gentleman asserted, the
fervent prayers of many who voted against it.
This act of members increasing their own COM
pensation will doubtless occasion some clamor,
but in fact there is no injustice in the measure.
Five hundred dollars is nothing more than
fair compensation to men who are detained four
months from home, away from their ordinary
business, and compelled to live at the very high
est rates. In fixing permanent salary instead
of daily pay, there are advantages to be gain
ed hereafter. No inducement will be held out
to protract the session. and the interest of the
legislators will accord with the interest of the
State, in making short sessions.
The House increased the appropriation for
the support of Common Schools to $500, 900,
by large majority. The sum appropriated
last year and fixed in this bill was $3.50, 900.
Previous to last year, but 100000 was annu-
ally appropriated. This sum was given from
the very commencement of the Common School
system and has remained without any material
increase while the system has expanded and
developed, and more than doubled its capacity
for good-owing to the financial embarrass-
ments under which the State has labored. An
amendment was engrafted upon the section
which would have disastrous effect upon the
county superintendency of Common Schools if
it should become law 1t makes it lawful
for School Directors in the several counties OF
the State State to assemble in Convention on
the first Monday of June next, to decide whe-
ther they will continue to employ County
Superintendent and in case they decide not
to employ such officer, then the amount of his
salary to go into the county school fund This
would cause a contest in most of the counties
in the State would destroy the uniformity OF
the school system and would so mutilate it
that the balance would hardly be worth pre-
serving There is no probability that this sec
ton will pass the Senate.
The bill to forfeit the charter of the Erie and
North East Railroad Company, and to provide
for disposing of the same, has passed both
branches of the Legislature, finally, and, with
the Governors signature, will become law
The Governor is authorized to take possession
of said road, until some disposition is made of
it by law. He is authorized to restore it to
the company, on condition-First, That they
extend their road to the harbor of Erie Sec
in three months after the passage of this act
and to be finished by the time when the Cleve-
land, Painsvile and Ashtabula Company, are
required to finish their road to Erie harbor-
Third, That the company shall change the
guage of their road, either to four feet, eight
and a half inches, or to the six feet guage, and
maintain it thereat. Fourth, They must leave
the ground, streets and alleys, at, and in the
city of Erie, free from all bridges, embank-
ments, and superstructures. The bill further
provides that tax shall be levied by the State,
of five cents for each passenger, and two cents
for each ton of freight, passing east, on said
road. This concludes the Erie controversy for
the present session. at least.
The House of Representatives was in session
on Tuesday night until eleven o'clock, again
considering the Appropriation bill, without
making much progress in it. The great point
of controversy, which has delayed the bill, is
the salaries of the Judges The committee in
creased these salaries to an average of $4,000
per annum for Common Pleas Judges through
ont the State, and $4,000 for the Supreme
Judges, which in the latter case was to be in
lieu of the usual per diem allowance for time
actually occupied in the trial of cases. The
House refused to increase the salaries of the
Supreme Judges, keeping them where they are
at $1,000 for the Chief Justice, and $4,000 for
each of the Assistants The salaries of such
of the Common Pleas Judges as have been ac-
ted upon, were reduced from $2000-the amount
fixed in the bill-to $1,000, what they now re-
ceiTe, and from the temper of the House, there
is a poor prospect that any Of these salaries
will be increased. As the Legislature has de-
termned to adjourn on the 9Th of May, but
short time is left for the passage of the Appro-
priation bill through both Houses-in addition
to which, tho Claim Bill is of the greatest in
terest.
The resolution providing for the removal of
the seat Of government from Harrisburg to
Philadelphia, was discussed at length in the
Senate, and escaped indefinite postponement
by one vote. This looks as if the Senate might
give it a favorable consideration
The bill to re-charter the Tradesman's Bank
of Philadelphia was passed on Wednesday in
the House. 1t was defeated some time since,
re-considered as usual with unfortunate bank