Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-01-12
Abstract Of the Last Annual Message
FROM
GOVERNOR BIGIER.

GOV Ih\oh blNl-Lh.
Wills; The events Of the year Just closed
presen; many causes Of Joy and cOngratu-
latiou, and afford abundan, reason for
thaakfrluess to benefcicnt Providence
for his goodness and mercy-cur prosferi-
ty and happiness, as people, | regret to
say, has No, been unalloyed. The general
growth Of the country, the progress Of the
arts and sciences, and other causes Of moral
and social comfort, have not, it is true,
been interrupted; but the loss ofvaluable
lives and property, BY the casualties Of the
elements, has been unusual, both in nm
bers and extent and in certain sections of
or Commonwealth the affections Of pcsti-
leuce and disease have also been sorely
felt.
The drough, Of the season deprived the
hustanlman, 70 some extent, Of the anti
cigatci rewards of bis labor, and lessentd
the means Of human subsistence; whilst
the depression in monetary ani business
affairs, has deprived many laborcrs and
mechanics of their usual earnings. The
means Of subsistence are thus greatly en-
hanced in value, at the same time that the
opportunities Of earning them are much
diminished The field fo- charity IS cyn-
s5quen,ly wider than usual and to meet
its reasonable demands on the part Of those
blessed with an abundance, viii be to sus-
tain theChris;ian character and ueasurably
to meri, the continued bounty Of Heaven.
Tie aggregate receipts on the public
works for the past year, as reported by the
Canal Commissioners, amounted to the
sum Of 81, ,S7G,01S sS; and the ezpcndi-
,ures to the sum Of 81, l,l0l, $40 81; leav-
ing balance of S..1I,50S 81, from which,
however, should be deducted the SUN Of
So 800, properly chargeable to the year,
for new locomotives and other unavoidable
expenditures-thusr reducing the net profits
TO S736. sos 81. five add TO this sl3l,-
600 90 received from the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company FOX the three mill lax,
which is claimed By some as par. Of the
income from the public works, we fad
net revenue Of 1867 900 sun equal to
the interest On seventeen millions of the
five per cent. debt of the State The az
cregate receipts were So. ,l2l less than
f5r the year 1888, and the reduction in ex-
peadi,ures amounted to over Sl59,2S1 90.
The withdrawal of the business ofthePenn-
sylyauia railroad from the Portage road,
readily accounts fer this difference.
Irecret exceedingly the necessity Of
announcing TO you that the North Branch
Canal is not yet in full operation. 1t is
now more than year since the Canal Com
uissioners directed the water TO be let in-
TO the main trunk Of that Improvement,
and declared their confident belief tina. it
would be in successful operation By the
middle flas; summer; bu, their sanguine
expectations, as well as hose OF the people,
have, in this respect, been sally d:sap-
pointed. \ variety ofuut-reseen difficult
ties presented themselves in the way Of
the a;;ainmen; OF this end. The old work,
some twelve or fifteen years
since, as well as some sections Of the new,
located on the bill side, near the margin
IF the river, when tested by the admission
If water, turned out to be porous and TO-
ally insufficient in its material and forma-
ion. In some instances, rocks, roots,
rees and stumps, have been concealed IN
Ter the bottom of the canal channel, co.,
red only by few inches Of earth, thus
7reseu,iDg bu. slight obstruction TO the
)assage Of tie water, out into the bed Of
he river In al such sections or places,
10 remedy, short Of reconstruction ofthe
,ottom of the canal, could prove sufficient;
I'D this was necessarily tedious AMI ez-
,cnsive process There is still a consider
bic portion Of the work toIemodel il this
ray; but it is confidently believed that it
ill be ready for use in the early part Of
he coming season. Tha. the L most skill
nd vigilance has at ali times b,sa exhibi-
ed by the agents Of the STATE, on this
me, do not believe but the deficiency,
D this particular, on the new work, has
OF been SO palpable as alleged BY some.
At the time l came into Office. the SUE.
ecessary to complete this work was esti-
late1 4, s7772,000. Since that time the
1m Of 81, 200 $50 - has been expended, {
nd it Will still require, as estimated BY
he Canal Board, 100000 to pu: it into :
9mplete operation. {
Whilst regret this unforeseen cost and 1
clay, cannot refrain from repeating my
nfaltering confidence in the wisdom ofthe +,
olicy that dictated the completion Of this 5
ork. The large increase of business and I
Ills for the year just closed, on the older I
ortion Of the line, indicates what we may I
.fely anticipate from the new; and, I can
OF doubt, that the gross amount Of busi- l
IL