Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-08-27
miscellaneous.

miscellaneous.
RESOLUTION
Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of
the Commonwealth.
Resolred by the Senate and House of Representatives.
of The Commonioeaih Of Pennsylvania in Generri As
emily met That the following amendments are propos
ed to the constitution of the commonwealth in 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: -
ARTICLE xI.s
OF PUBLIC DEBTS.
SECfIoN I. The state may contract debts to supply
casual deficits failures in revenues or to meet expen
ses not otherwise provided but the aggregate
OF such debts direct and contingent whether contracted
by virtue OF one acts of the general assembly
at different periods of time shall exceed seven hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars and the money arising
from the creation Of such debts shall be applied the
purpose for which it obtained to repay the debts
SO contracted, and TO no other purpose whatevee.
SECTION 2 In addition to the above limited power the
state contract debts repel invasion suppress in
surrection defend the state in to redeem the pre-
sent outstanding Indebtedness of the state but the
ney arising from the contracting Of such debts shall be
applied to the purpose for which raised
pay saGn aaa 70 & no % Gte
tons and two of this article debt Whatever shall
be created by, or on behalf OF the state.
SECTION 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
This amendment create sinking fund, which Shall be
sufficient to pay the accrung interest such debt and
annually to reduce the principal thereof hy
less than two hundred and fly thousand dollars which
sinking fund shall consist of the annual income of
the public works, from time to time owned by the state
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
it any part of the taxes or other revenues of the State
not required for the ordinary and expenses of
government and unless in case of war invasion or insur
recton pert OF the said sinking fund shall be used
applied otherwise than i'll extngushment of the public
debt until the amount of such debt is reduced below the
of five millions of dollars.
SECTION s. The credit of the commonwealth shall not
in any manner, event, be pledged, loaned to- any
individual, company, corporation. association
shall the commonwealth hereafter become joint owner
or stockhoder IN any company association or corpora
ton.
SECTION G. The commonwealth shall not assume the
debt any part thereof of county, city borough
township; or of any corporation, association
less such debt shall have been contracted to enable the
state to repel INVASION suppress domestic nsurrecton
defend itself in time Of war or to assist the state in the
discharge of any portion of its present Indebtedness.
SECTION 7. The legislature shall not authorize any
county city, borough township; incorporated district
by virtue of vote of its citizens, otherwise to be-
stockhOder in any company, association,
poration or 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 MI, as follows:
ARTICLEXII
OF NEW COUNTIES.
No county shall be divided by line cutting off over
one tenth of its population (ether to form new county
otherwise without the express assent of such cOun
ty by 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 Piitldedhia aad
of each county respectively :" from section ve
tice, strike out the words, Of Philadelphia and Of the
sereral counties y from section seven, same article,
strike out the words neither the city of Philadelphia
nor anu and insert in lieu thereothe words, " and
and strike out, section four article and in lieu
thereof insert the following
SECTION In the year thocsand eight hundred
and siXtyour and in every seventh year thereafter rep
resentatves to the number of hundred shall he ap
potiOned and distributed equally throughout the state
bv districts proportion the number of taxable in
habitans in the several parts thereof except that any
county containing at least three thousand five hundred
taXables be allowed Seperate representation but
than three counties shall be joined and no coun
ty shall be divided in the formation of district. Any
city containing sufficient number of taxaes to entits
it TO at least two representatives shall have separ@
representation assigned it, and shall be divided into
venent districts of contiguous territory Of equal taxa
bic population may be- each Of which districts
shall elect ore representatives
At the end of section article insert these
words the city of Philadelphia shall be decided INTO
gle senatorial districts of cont iguous territory nearly
equal in tara5ie population possible but tcaTd
shall be divided in the formation thereof"
The legislature, at its first session, after the adoption
of this amendment shall divide the city of Philadelphia
uto senatorial and representative districts in the man
above provided such districts to remain unchanged
until the apportonment in the year thousand eight
hundred and siXty-four.
FOURTH AMENDMENT.
There shall be additional section to the first article
of said constitution which shall be numbered and read
as follows:
SEcT1oy 26 The legislature shall have the power to al
ter revoke annu any charter of incorporation here
after conferred by under, any special general law
whenever in their opinion it may be injurious to the c
zens of the commonw ath in such manner. however
that no injustice shall be done to the corporators.
II SENATE, March 81, 1857.
Resoired, That this resolution pass. On the first
amendment yeas "a, nays the second amendment,
yeas 23 navs on the third amendment, yeas a. nays
4 ; on the fourth amendment yeas %. nays 1.
Extract from the Journal
GEO. ". HAMERSLY, CLERK.
Il THE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES,
April %, 1857.
ResoIred That this resolution pass. On the first
amendment yeas 49, nays IL the second amendment
yeas 81 nays "a the third amendment yeas u, nays
22 on the fourth amendment, yeas So, nays Z.
from the Journal1