The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-04-29
From tie Harrisburg Patriot
TO TFfE PEOPLE or PENNSY LVANlA.
COME TO THE RESCUE!
YOUR TAXES ARE ABOUT TO BE EN-
TAILED UPON YOU FOREVER! 81

There is nov pending before the House of
Representatives bill-for The sale of:he Main
Line of the canal aud railroad belonging TO
the Commonwealth, which is The m ost stu
pendous fraud upon the public revenues, and
upon The best interests of every taxpayer,
that has ever been proposed IN the Legisla.
lure of Pennsylvania, and, strange as 1t may
seem, there is at this memen, strong indica-
lions of lis passage.
This bill proposes 10 sell the Main Line,
extending from Philadelphia 10 Pittsburg, in.
Guiding all the rolling stock, machine shops,
depoIs, collectors offices, lock house lois,
and other properly along The line, not inclu.
ding the tonnage lax, for the sum of 81 ,5oo,-
900, if purchased by individuals, or if pur-
chased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com.
pahy, including the tonnage tag, for the sum
of S9, ,oOo,O 900. il is impossible, in the short
space OF time allotted 10 us, 10 expose at
length The enormily of the details OF this bill.
1t is sufficient 10 say that i, gives an advan-
,age to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
over any other purchaser Of several millions
of collars. The company are merely required
10 give their bonds for the purchase money.
bearing five per cent interest, the first pay
menl of len per cent. not TO be due Tor thirty
thirty years, The balance in Ten equal annual
payments, extending the time of the last pay
menl to the long period of forly-three years.
ln addition 10 this great sacrifice OF your prop
erly, the company are permitted 10 abandon
the Portage Railroad and the Western Divis-
ion of the Canal, thus sacrificing The capital
invested by private individuals in business
along these lines, distance of one hundred
and lorty-seven miles. But not satisfied with
the sacrifice of the public interests, the bill
releases the company from the payment oI
all taxes, whether for State, county, township.
city, boro ugh, road or school purposes, upon
lis capital stock dividends, their city office
palaces, and property of every description.
The following statistical statements taken
from the public records will show the manner
in which the bill proposes 10 rob you OF the
revenues which have been wrung from your
hard-earned tolls and TO throw them into the
Golfers OF mammoth private corpora.on.-
These statements are based upon The receipts
and expenditures Of the Main Line for 1856.
The prospective value of the line is not taken
into the calculation. All the Improvements
of any consequences, which are contemplated,
have been completed. The receipts Of The
present year up TO this time, exhibit an in-
crease over the last. The opening of the
Broad Top region, the best biIuminous coal
region in the Slae-,he largely increased coal
business along the line of the Portage Rail
road-ihe erection OF new furnaces and the
opening of some OF the best ore beds in the
State, on the slopes OF the Allegheny mount
ain, give fair promise OF large increase OF
tonnage:
The receip,sof the Main Line for
1856, were Sl,22l,97 45
| Add tonnage tax, 800 227 6S