Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-01-13

FROM FIRST PAGE.

dOllaIS III the Legislature SnouIu cOncnl III
that opinion, the appropriation should be IN
creased accordingly.
The report of the State Librarian will in
form you of the progress made in the catalogue
authorized by the Legislature, and the general
condition of the Liharary, which has grown to
be an institution that deserves your fostering
care 1t ould commend to your attentio"
the suggestions of the Librarian.
The report of the Attorney General, which
will be laid before you, will exhibit the opera
tions of the Law Department of the govern
ment, for the past year. The act of the 2lst
of April, 1881, which requires the Attorney
General to keep an Office at Harrisburg, aud
which provides that all debts due to the Com
monwealth, shall be collected hy that officer,
has proved to be highly beneficial enactment.
Under its provisions large sums are saved,
which were formerly paid for commissions
and counsel fees Aud the improved state OF
our finances is in no inconSidcrable degree
owing to the prompt manner in which ontStand-
ing claims are collected aud paid into the state
Treasury.
The Adjutant Generals report, which will
be laid before you, will show in detail the
present condition of the Military Department.
/ would respectfully call the attention of the
Legislature to the recommendations Of that
officer
The militia law of 1853, has not been fully
tested hut it is believed to be, in the main,
an improvement: on the laws in force at the
time Of its passage. One of its best features,
and one that should be strictly enforced, is
that the system is self-supportng In no con
tingency should that department be charge
upon the public Treasury, in time of peace.
In referring the attention of the Legislature
to the elaborate reports of the Auditor Gen
eral and State Treasurer, relating TO the finan-
ces of the State, which will be laid before you,
i cannot refrain from giving expression to my
views on the Importance of Il change in the
mode of keeping aud disbursing the public
moneys
The State Treasurer receives and disburses
between four and five millions of dollars annual
ly; and it not frequently happens that there's
balance in the Treasury exceeding one million
of dollars The bond of the Treasurer is but
for eighty thousand dollars He deposits the
money of the State wherever he pleaseS, and
it is paid exclusively on his own check The
monthly settlements with the Auditor General
afford some security that the funds of the Com
monwealth will not be misapplied but it is
entirely inadequate to the complete protection
Of the public interests.
Until the State shall adopt different system
for the collection, safe keeping and disburse-
ment of her revenues, the money on hand must
be kept either in the Treasury vault or deposit
ed with the banking institutions in the State.
For many years the latter mode has been
adopted. / respectfully recommend the pro
vision DE made by law that no money shall be
deposited in any bank by the state Treasurer
without requiring security to be first given to
the Commonwealth, for the repayment Of the
sums depoSited-that all checks issued by the
state Treasurer shall be countersigned by tue
Auditor General, before they are uscd-and
that daily accounts OF the moneys received and
paid shall be kept in the Office of the Auditor
General, as well as in the Treasury Depart
ment
The commissioners appointed to revise the
the criminal code of this Commonwealth, are
progressing with the duties of their appoint
ment, and will report the revised code before
the adjournment of the Legislature.
The various charitable and refOrmltory insti,
tutions, which have heretofore received pccuni,
ary assistance from the state, such as the state
Lunatic hospital at Harrisburg Western
Pennsylvania hospital at Pittsbnrg--the
Houses Of Refuge, at Philadelphia and Pitts
burg-the Pennsylvania Training school for
idiotic and feebe-minded chdren-the asylums
for the blind and deaf and dumb, at Philadel-
phia-the Northern Home for frendIeSs child
ren, at Phadelp lphia-I recommend to your
fostering aid and care The annual reports
exhibiting detail of the operations of these
noble aud excellent charities, during the past
year, will be laid before you. Icannot recon
mend appropriations to charitable associations
Of purely local character however praise
worthy the objects and motives of their found
ers and supporters, or however useful they may
be to their particular localities
The present condition of the revenues of the
General Government, demonstrates the urgent
necessity of increased duties upon foreign i'm
portations. The people of Pennsylvania have
ever taken lively interest in the proper ad-
justment of a tariff and they have, with singu-
lar unanimty, at all times, favored such an as
sessment of duties, as would not only produce
revenue, but furnish the largest incidental pro-
lection to the great mineral, manufacturing,
and industrial interests of the country Had
their voice hitherto been more potential in the
councils of the nation, it is no longer profile
matical that much of the pecuniary distress,
lately experienced by all classes and conditions
OF DuslncSS men, might nave Deen 10 great
extent averted. The necessities of the gov
ernmcnt and the people now, alike, demand
change-an increase of duties-and | take
great pleasure in endorsing the views of the
President of the United States as expressed in
his last annual message, relative to the change
proposed. His advocacy Of specific duties on
all commodities which are usually sold by
weight, or by measure, and which from their
nature are of equal or of nearly equal value
such as iron, of different classes, raw sugar,
and foreign wines and spirits" has met with a
hearty response from the great body of the
people of this state. 1t is to be hoped that
this his views on this question will be favora,