Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-07-10
OF PUBLIC DEBTS.


SECTION |. The State may contract debts, to
supply casual deficits or failures IN revenues, OF
10 meet expenses not otherwise provided tor
but tine aggregate amount of such debts direct
and contingent, whether contracted by virtue
of one or more acts of the general assembly, OF
at different periods of time, shall never exceed
seven hundred aud fifty thousand dollars, and
the money arising from the creation of such
debts, shall be applied TO the purpose for which
It was obtained, or 70 repay the debts so con-
tractetl, and to other purpose whatever.
SECTION ,. In addition to the above limited
power, the State ~ ay contract debts to repel
invasion, suppress instruction, defend the
State in war, or to redeem the present out
standing Indebtedness Of the State; but the
money arising from the contracting of such
debts, shall be applied TO the purpose for which
il was raised, OF to repay such debts, and TO no
other purpose whatever.
SECTION B. Except the debts above specified
in sections one and two Of this article, no debt
whatever shall be created by, or on behalf OF
the State.
SECTION 4. To provide for the payment of the
present debt, and any additional debt contracted
Us aforesaid, the Legislature shall, at its first
session. after the adoption Of this amendment,
create sinking fand, which shall be sufficient
to pay the aecruing interest such debt, ami
annually To reduce the principal thereof by a
sum not less than two hundred and fifty thoHs-
and dollars; which sinking fund shall consist OF
the net annual income OF the public works, from
time t. time owned by the State, the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the same, or any part tllere-
OF and of the income Ur proceeds of sale OF
stocks owned by the State, together with other
funds, OF resources, that may be designated By
law The said sinking fund may be Increased,
from time to tims by assigning it to any part OF
T ftftt.r of nof
required for the ordinary and current expenses
vi severnment, and unless in case Of war, inya,
sion or insurrection, no part OF the said sinking
fund shall be used OF applied otherwise than in
extmguisnnlent of the pubic debt, until the
amount Of such debt is reduced below the sum
uf five millions OF dollars.
SEerIos .. The credit of the commonwealth
shall not in any manner, or event, be pledged, OF
loaned to, any individual, company, corpora
tion o, association; nor shall the comnrUn-
wealth hereafter become joint own n, or stock
hold, +, in any company, association or corpora
tim.
SEC. g, Tie commonwealth snail not assume
the debt, or any part thereof, of any county,
city, borough, or township or OF any corporation
or associations unless such debt sha / have been
contracted TO enable the State to repel invasion,
Suppress domestic insurrcctlon, defend itself in
time OF war, or to assist the State in thu dis
charge OF any portion of its present indebted.
ness.
SKc7. The Legislature shall not authoriz,
any county, city, borough, township, or ineor,
porated district, by virtue of voGe of its citi-
zens or otherwise, To become stockholder in
any company, association or corporation; or te
obtain money for or loan its credit to, any COR
poraton. association, institution or party.
SECOND AMENDMENT.
There shall be an additional article to said
constitution, to be designated as article XII, as
follows:
ARTICLE XII.
OF NEW COUNTIES.
No county shall be divided by line cutting
oil over one-tept of Its population, (citlier tu
form a new eouGty, or otherwlse,) without the
express assent Of such county, by vote of the
electors ghtreof, nor shall any new county be es-
tablishcd, containing les than four hundred
square miles.
THIRD AMENDMENT.
From section two of the first article Of the con
stitution strike out the words, sof the city oj
Philadelphia and each county respectfully from
section five, same article, strike out the words
,sof Philadelphia aud Of the sererai counties;'
aud from section seven, in same article
strike out the words s.1.either the eig of Pkita-
delphia nor a4y;" and insert In lieu thereof, the
words, sand mo-" aud strike out section tour,
same article, and in lieu thereof, insert the fol-
lowing @ aal
SIC. 4. In the year one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-four, and every seventh yea
thereafter, representatives to the pumber Of one
hundred, shall be. apportioned and distributed
equally throughout the State, by districts, in
proportion to the taxable inhabitants thereof;
except that any county containing ut least three
thousand ive hundred taxables, may be allowed
a separate representation; but no more than
three counties shall be joined, and no county
shall be divided in the formation Of district
ANY city having sufficient number of taxahies
70 entItle il to NJ least tive representatives, shall
have separate representation assigned IT, and
shall be divided into convenient districts of con
tgnous territory, of equal taxable population as
near as may be, each OF which districts shall
elect one representatives
At the end of section seven, same article, in.
sert these words, ssthe city Of Philadelphia sha
be divided into single senatorial districts, of con
tigaoas territory, as nearly equain taxable pop
/ nlation as possible; but no ward shall be divided
in the formation thereof.''
The Legislature, its first session, after the
adoption OF this amendment, shall divide The
city of Philadelphia into senatorial and repre-
sentative districts, in the manner above provi
ded; such districts TO remaia unchanged unit
| the apportionment in the year one thousard
eight hundred and sixty four. s t