Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-08-06
Misrel.
RESOLUTION
Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth

Proposing Amendments to the Constitution OF
the Commonwealth.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives.
OF the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General ds
ed to the constitution of the commonwealth accor
dance with the provisions of the tenth article thereof
FIRST AMENDMENT.
There shall be additional article to said constitution
TO be designated as article eleven, as follows -
- OF PUBLIC DEBTS
SECTION l. The state may contract debts to supply
casual deficits failures in revenues meet expen
not provided for but the aggregate
by virtue OF one or more acts OF the general assembly
at different periods of tme shall exceed seven hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars and the money arising
from the creation of such debts shall be applied to the
purpose for which it obtained 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 war; to redeem the
sent outstanding Indebtedness of the but the mo-
ney arising from che contracting of such debts shall be
applied to the purpose for which it raised
pay such debts, and sd no other purpOse whatever.
SECTION B. Except the debts above specified, in sec.
tions and two OF this article debt whatever shall
be created by, or ON behalf of the state.
SECTION l. To provide for e payment of the present
debt, and any additional debt contracted aforesaid the
Legislature SHALL at its first session. after the adoption
This amendment, create sinking fund which shall be
sufficient to pay the accrung interest such debt and
annually to reduce the principal thereof by not
less than two hundred and fly thousand dollars which
sinking fund shall consist of the net annual income
the public works from time to time owned bt the
the proceeds of the sale of the same or anv part
thereof and of the income proceeds of sale of stocks
owned 10y 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 ordinary and expenses
government and unless in OF invasion or nsur
feco no pert OF the SAID sinking und shall be used or
applied otherwise than i'll eXtngushment of the public
debt until the amount of such debt is reduced below the
sum OF five millions of dollars.
no toft tba shall not
IN any manner, or event, be pledged loaned to- any
individual company, corporation. or association nor
shall the commonwealth hereafter become joint owner,
or stockhOldcr in any company association corpora
ton.
SECTION 6. The commonwealth shall not assume the
debt or any part thereof OF county city, borough
or township of any corporation, association
less such debt shall have been contracted enable the
repe invasion, suppress domestic insurrecton
defend itself in time of to assist the state in the
discharge of any portion of its present Indebtedness.
SECTION :. The legislature shall not authorize any
county city, borough township orncopOrated district,
by virtue of vote of its citizens, otherwise to be-
come stockhoder in any company, association,
poraon or to obtain money for or loar its credit to-
any corporation, association, institution party
SECOND AMENDMENT.
There shall be additional article to said constitution
to be designated as article Mi, as follows
ARTICLE MI.
OF NEW COUNTIES.
No county shall he Divided by line cutting off
onc-tenth of its population eithcr to form county
otherwse without the express assent of such
y by vote of the electors thereof nor 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 ont the words of the ctY Of PhiiQdedLid and
of each county respectively - from section five same
cle strike out the words of Philadelphia and Of the
sererg olties :; from section seven, same article,
Strikt@ the words, neither the city of Philadelphia
anu and insert in lieu thereof the words, and no
and strike out, section four, article and in lieu
thereof insert the following:
SECTION T. In the year one thocsand eight hundred
and sXyour, and i'll every seventh year thereafter rep
to the number of one hundred shall he APP
portoned and distributed equally throughout the state
by districts, in proportion to the number of taxable i'll
habants in the several parts thereof except that any
county containing ut least three thousand five hundred
axables may be allowed epcrate representation but
no than three counties shall be joined and
ty shall he divided in the formation of district. Any
city containing sufficient number of aXabes to cntitle
II to at least two representatives shall have separate
representation assigned it, and shall be divided into
venent districts of contiguous territory of equal taxa
Die population may be, each OF which districts
shall elect one representative"
At the end Of section seven, article insert these
words the city Of Phadephia shall be dirided into sin
gle senatorial DISTRICTS Of cont 'SuauS territory nearly
equal 4" tdrddie population as P0sSiOe 0t no ca'd
shall be dirided IN the formation fhereot'
The legislature at its first session. after the adoption
of this amendment shall divide the city of Philadelphia
into senatorial and representative districts in the man
above provided such districts to remain unchanged
until the appOrtionment in the year thousand eight
hundred and slXty-four.
FOURTH AMENDMENT.
There shall be additional section to the first article
of said constitution, which shall be numbered and read
as follows:
SECTION 26. The legislature shall have the power to al
ter revoke or annu any charter OF incorporation here
after conferred by, under any special or general law
whenever i'll their opinion may be injurious to the ct
zens of the alth in such manner however
that no injustice shall be done to the corporators
Is SENATE, March 27. 1857.
ResOired, That this resolution pass. On the first
amendment yeas -, nays on the second amendment
yeas - nays the third amendment, yeas "a nays
| 4 on the fourth amendment, yeas %. nays 1.
Extract from the Journal.l
| GEO. W. HAMERSLY, Clerk.