Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-07-16
Misrel.aueons.
Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth

RESOLUTION
Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth.
ResoIUed By the Senate and House of Represenafipes
OF the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania in General as
sen6y met That the following amendments propos-
ed to the constitution of the commonwealth in accor-
dance with the provisions of the tenth article thereof
FIRST AMENDMENT.
There shall be an additional article to said constitution
to he designated as article eleven, as follows =
OF PUBLIC DEBTS.
SECTION |. The state may contract debts to supply
casual deficits or failures in revenues meet eXpen
not otherwise provided for but the aggregate amount
OF such debts direct and contingent whether contracted
at different periods of time, shall exceed hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars and the money arising
from the creation OF such debts shall be applied to the
purpose for which 1t was obtained or to repay the debts
| so contracted and to no other purpose whatevee.
SECTION 2 In addition to the above limited power the
state may contract debts to repe INVASION suppress in
surrecton defend the state in to redeem the pre-
sent outstanding indebtedness of the state but the
arising from the contracting of such debts shall be
applied to the purpose for which it raised to
| pay such debts and TO no other purpose whatever
SECTION B. Except the debts above specified, in sec
tons one and two of this article debt whatever shall
| be created by, or on behalf of the state.
SECTION l. To provide for the payment of the present
debt and any additional debt contracted aforesaid the
Legislature shall at its first session. after the adoption Of
:his amendment create sinking fund.- which shall be
sufficient to pay the accrung interest such debt and
annually to reduce the principal thereof by a not
less than two hundred and fly thousand dollars which
sinking fund shall consist Of the net annual income of
the public works from time to time owned bv the state
or the proceeds of the sale of the same, any part
thereof and of the income proceeds of sale of stocks
owned by the state together with other funds
that may be designated by law. The said sinking
fund may be increased from time to time by assigning
to it part of the taxes other of the state
not required for the ordiLay and current expenses Of
government and unless in of war invasion inSur
recon, pert of the said sinking fund shall be used
applied otherwise than in exngushment Of the public
debt, until the amount of such debt is reduced below the
sum of five millions of dollars
SECTION 5. The credit of the commonwealth shall not
in any manner, or event, be pledged loaned to, any
individual, company, corporation, association nor
shall the commonwealth hereafter become joint owner
or stockhoder in any company association or corpora
| tion
SECTION G. The commonwealth shall not assume the
debt any part thereof of any county city, borough
or townships or OF any corporation or association un
less such debt shall have been contracted to enable the
state to repel INVASION suppress domestic insuecton
defend itself in time of war; to assist the state in the
discharge of any portion of its present Indebtedness
SECTION L. The legislature shall not authorize any
county city borough township orincorpOrated district
by virtue of vote of its citizens, otherwise to be-
stockholder in any company, association, cor
pOratOn to obtain money for loan its credit to,
any corporation, association institution, or party.
SECOND AMENDMENT.
There shall be additional article to said constitution
| to be designated as article Xii, as follows:
ARTIcLEXiL
No county shall be divided by Il line cutting off over
onetenth of its population, (eher to form county
ohcrwSe,) without the express assent of such
ty by vote of the electors thereof shall any
county be established containing less than four hundred
! square miles.
THIRD AMENDMENT.
From section two of the first article of the constitution
strike out the words, Of the city of PhHadeidt'a, and
Of each county respectively !; from section five same ar
tcle strike out the words, Of Philadelphia and Of the
SererdL counties :; from section seven, same article,
strike out the words, " nelther the city Of Philadelphia
any, and insert in lieu thereof the words, and no "
and strike out section four, article, and in lieu
| thereof insert the following:
SECTION 4. In the year thOcsand eight hundred
and sXyour and in every seventh year thereafter rep
reSenatveS to the number OF one hundred shall be ap-
pOrtiOned and distributed equally throughout the state
by districts, in proportion to the number of taxable in
hatant in the several parts thereof except that any
county containing at least three thousand five hundred
taxables may be allowed seperate representation but
than three counties shall be joined and no coun
ty shall be divided III the formation OF district ANY
city containing sufficient number of taXabcs to entte
it to at least two representatives shall have separate
representation assigned it, and shall be divided into CON
venient districts of contiguous territory of equal taxa
BILE population may be- each Of which districts
| shall elect one representative
At the end of section seven article insert these
words the city Of Philadelphia shall be dicided into SIN
gle senatorial DISTRICTS of cont iSuOus territory nearly
egIaI IN tardHe population possible but no icdTd
| shall be dicided an The formation MeTeot.'
The legislature, at its first session. after the adoption
of this amendment shall divide the city of Phlade phia
into senatorial and representative districts, IN the man
above provided such districts to remain unchanged
until the apportonment in the year one thousand eight
| hundred and siXty-our.
FOURTH AMENDMENT.
There shall be an additional section to the first article
of said constitution, which shall be numbered and read
| as follows
SECTION 30 The legislature shall have the power to al
ter revoke annu charter of incorporation here
after conferred by, under special general law,
whenever in their opinion may be injurious to the citi
of the commOnw, alth in such manner however,
that no injustice shall be done to the corporators
IN SENATE, March 81 1857.