The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-06-03


paying order, anda profit is about 10 be re
allied from an immense expenditure recent
| ly made, they are to be given away 10 al
overgrown corporation, It's high time the
industrious tax. payers be heard. , ),
Sir, feel confident that The public mind
has beea greatly abused and deceived by the
clamor raised against the public works ant
its agents. The hirelings of these mammoth
monopolies have in this manner succeeded
in inducing thousands of honest men 10 be,
lieve that corruption existed in the Cana
Board, and that speculation was The order O.
the day along the whole line of our public
works. Sir, these viificalions and ISLANDERS
have been reiterated and trumped up yeal
after year SO that the people would become
dissatisfied; and that done they could make
an easy prey of the States property. And
! sir, from present appearances am led 10 be.
lieve that they have go, so strong a grasp as
to leave but little hope for the interests of the
people. ttss a,..... o..
Sir, if this bill passes with all lis danger
ous PROVISIONS, my opinion is that the peo.
pie who have been hoodwinked pnd deceiv-
ed by this false clamor will find themselves
in a situation that l will Try 10 illustrate by
relating matter that read in Esop's fables
when was boy. !, was something like
this:-A number Of frogs had good old log
in beautiful pool of wafer, where they en-
ioyed themselves in great harmony anc com.
fort for many years; but their rulers used bad
influences among them, and they at last be-
came dissatisfied Influences were brought
10 bear upon the innocent creatures to in.
duce them TO call on Jupiter 10 send down
some new idol that they might worship
Consequently Jupiter sent them down long
legged, long billed stork. He came quietly
in among them, and remained so for short
lime, but finally went TO work ealing lhem
up one by one. Grea' alarm and trouble en-.
sued among Them, but they were unable 10
gs, rid of their long.bill ed friend until ,hsy
were all eaten up. ',5' .,'f
Now, sir, think this would partly illus.
trate The situation o the tax. payers of Penn
sylvania should this bill be enacted inlo a
law. r.. -ga.-
This bill, sir, to say The, least, bears upon
the face of il a paipable aud deliberate fraud.
No measure has ever been introduced in
tses7 ,ssll. OF .he-eJctasy other Republican
Government that will have so great tendeu-
cy 10 .weaken The eonfidenee Of chs people
in the iniesfiiy ottIiei. representatives. One
section provides thar If the Pennsylvania
Railtoad company purchases the Main Lire
that all lhe. properly, real aud personal,
shall be forever exempt and free from any
State tax, and that their charter shall be per.
pstual. Sir, ii is well known that the reve-
nue. derived from the tonnage tax alone now
imposed upon the Pennsylvania Railroad
amounts annually 10 The sum Of $225,0oe,
and which if multiplied by lhity-ihree, (lhe
number oil years given that company to pay
for the Main Line,) would amour in the ag-
gregate 10 the sum Of $7,425,O Then,
aside from this tonnage tax, must be taken
into consideration other taxes, which would
annually amount to some $50, 900 or $780,
600 and all Of which under the present bill
they would be exempt from paying In these
figures make no estimate of the natural and
inevitable average increase of taxes, which
would loom up 10 a pretty snug sum. Asin.
gle glance at the provisions of this bill will
not only tell you that it is prepos,erous but
that tits rascaliy and wicked in The extreme.
How any legislator eau muster sufficient
daring 10 vote for bill so aoominabs in all
lis features, and then brave The unavoidable
indignation of an enlightened and honest
constituency is more that can be diyined.-
Sir, the people have been aattered and ca
joled by this corporation, and now il is about
10 ro5'theni. A few spectators have, by
dnt of impudent villainy, managed to divert
the Intention OF the honest masses from their
real interests by the hue and cry Of ''slop
thiefw Session after session lis worse than
wasted IN legislating against labor, and in ia
vor of capital, for the exclusive beuefii Of a
few rich men. Instead of being as we should,
the infexible gnardiars of equal rights, and
dispensing ike the dews of heaven their ia
vors upon all, we devote ourselves entirely
loo much 10 The building up of privileged or
ders, and creating artificial distinctions IN so.
ciety, exaliing few and debasins the many;
making a small number enormously rich,
and reducing the mass topeuury and degra-
da,ior,. tfl oigaa4 u s72' "- laECs ( 7.s7
Mr., Speaker, I.now-cail on my friends, the
Senators from Berks, Schuylkiil and Phila-
delphia, 10 come 10 the rescue, and implore
them by all that is holy not 10 vote for anolh-
er section Of this bill. feel confident that
their constituents are opposed 10 rearing in
their midst a ponderous monopoly--one that
viii be constantly graspng after ieglsla,ion
that mus. prove detrimental 10 the varied in-
-terests of business men. 80 ata.a taevoa
/. Sir, IL b ss always been The boas, Of Re.
pubhcans that opposition 10 establishing a
privileged, class was sone. of their carcinal
principles; yes, eli, Il mean Republicans in
lbe true sense of The word, A, this lime
should like 10 know what is TO be expected
from prgessed Republicans. Simply moth
ing. ~ -..,s,t,.1 ~, -.
came here, sir, without any prejudices for
or against the Pennsylvania Railroad Com.
pany. knew. bu, lillle Of The power or in.
huence Il welded in these halls until a
month or more ago, when one of its bills,