Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-12

10 reQuce lne SCate QeDC anu relieve tn
people from taxation, are objects worthy tn
earnest and anxious consideration of the Les
islature. To accomplish these objects specdil
and certainly, a sale of the whole or part O
our public Improvements becomes importan
and necessary. The revenues of the State
under the present system of management 0
the public works, are but little more than suili
cient to pay the interest of her debt, and th
ordinary expenses of the government. A sal
of these works, for fair consideration, an(
upon terms just and LIBERAL would constitute
q beginning in the process Of liquidation tha
would free our Commonwealth from debt anC
her people from consequent taxation. In eve
ry measure calculated to produce these desira
BILE results, | will cheerfully cooperate witt
Legislature
The currency Of the State in relation to bank
ing institutions, and their increase is q subject
that demands careful and intelligent considera
ton. From the notice given of numerous in.
tended applications to the Legislature for new
banks and an increase Of banking capital, this
subject will doubtless be presented to, and
strongly urged upon your attention Shall
the number of banks and the amount of bank,
ing capital be increased and if so, to what
extent and in what localities ? are questions
Of absorbing public interest.
Without desiring to assume a general and
uncompromising hostility to all banks, or to an
increase of banking capital, l cannot discover
the necessity that may be demanded from the
Legislature The incorporation of new, or
the recharter of old and solvent banks, when
indispensably necessary and clearly demanded
by the actual business wants of the communi-
ty in which they may be located, should not
be refused under no other circumstances
should their incorporation be permitted
The necessity for increasing the number of
banks should be determined more by the ac-
tual wants Of legitimate trade, than by the
number Of applications and the wild fances Of
stockholders and SPECTATORS The sudden and
unnecessary expansion of the currency should
be avoided, and whatever tends to produce
such result ought to be diScountenanced and
prevented. In the creation Of banks the true
interests Of the State and people should be
consulted and a just and honest discrimina-
ton, as to number, locality and the demands
of trade, be exercised by their representatives
Public sentiment does not demand nor do
public or private interests require, the crea-
ton Of numerous banks.
In the present condition Of the finances, and
in aid of the revenues of the State, (in addition
to the taxes now imposed by law rcasopa-
bic premium should be required to be paid by
all banks or saving Institutions that may here
after be chartered or rc-chartcred by the Leg
islature
As appropriate to this subject, and intimate
ly connected with it, | cannot forbear to cy-
press my dsapprobation of a practice, that
has heretofore obtained to some extent, Of us
inc the names of members Of the Legislature
as corporators in bills pending before them
for the incorporation of banks and other com
panics. Such practice is pernicous, and can
not be too strongly condemned. 1t pcrils the
independence of the LcgSlator-cXpos him
to unjust suspicious, and stamps with selfish
ness, at least, his legislative action in the
premises. Legislation should be free, even
from the appearance of improper motive and
every undue and corrupting influence inside
or outside the Legislative Halls, should be re-
sisted and condemned.
1t is cause of more than ordinary CON
graduation, that agriculture, the first, as it is
the nobest pursuit Of man, has, in its progrnss
of development, vindicated its own Importance
and assumed, in public esteem, the honorable
position to which it is so Justly entitled.
Constituting, as it does the substratum of our
great mechanical manufacturing and CONNER
cial interests, it should ever be regarded as
the chief source of State and National pros
pcrity. First in necessity, it is the highest
in usefulness of all the departments of labor,
sustaining and promoting, in their varied and
multiplied relations, all the other industrial
interests of the country. Our financial and
commercial prosperity is largely dependent
upon the success of agricultural industry
An interest 50 important should receive the
encouragement of all classes of society. No
longer Il mere art-an excrtion of physical
strength, it has reached the dignity of science;
and to its progress and Improvement the peo-
pie and their representatives should checrfully
contribute. State and County agricultural So
ceties have done much to promote this cause,
and through their agency much valuable in
formation has been collected and diffuSed-
Much yet remains to be done More informa-
ton is demanded More efficiency in the col
lection and diffusion of useful knowledge is re-
uuired To secure this result, the establish
ment of an agricultural bureau, i'll connection
with some of the departments Of State, would
largely contribute The Importance of such
bureau, properly organized as an aid to the
advancement of agricultural knowledge and
the success of agricultural industry, cannot
easily be oyer-estimated. The subject is earn
estly commended to your attention
Bv an act of the last session. an institution
designated as the Z" Farmers High School OF
Pennsylvania was Incorporated The charter
was accepted by the trustees, and the institu-
ton duly organized An eligible site for the
college has been secured in Centre county, and
two hundred acres of valuable and highly cul-
tivated land donated to the trustees, for the
use of the institution, by Gen James Irwin, oil
that county. The citizens Of the county, with
a liberaiity highly commendable, have pledged
and secured to the trustees, for the use of the
college, ten thousand dollars in addition to the
land donated WIS ihcrality shows that thf