The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-09-30

Err. Jordan "a little too fast
LETTER FROM HON. ]. FRY, JR.

Fr. Jordan "a little too fast"
LETTER FROM HON. J. FRY, JR.
| Such of our readers as were present at the
Abolition meeting at the Court House, on Tues
day night OF last Court week, will RENE mber
the fierce onslaught made by FR. JORDAN, on
every thing connected with the Democratic
party. During the course of his TRADE against
! the Democracy, he took occasion 10 say that
! Mr.. FRY, the .Audtor General, or some of his
clerks, by colusion with the Pena'a Railroad
| Company, had defrauded the Commonwealth
of large sum of money. Of this, he said, he
had been informed by Attorney General Knox,
and that he (KnoX) had some idea Of ''exPosing
(as Mr.. Jorda phrased it) the whole concern"
We believed this to be falsehood, but TO make
assurance doubly sure," we Immediately wrote
to MR.. FRY, apprising hun of the charges
made against him. In a few days We received
the annexed reply, from which it will be seen
that Mr.. JORDAN, as usual, has been ga little
too FAST as he said TO a certain Fremont mana
ger, in 1856, when he was about selling out to
him the Fillmore men of bedford county. Ma.
JORDAN complains of Democrats slandering him
but he foTgets that he is at the same time will
fully and causelessy traducing one of the pu-
rest and most upright gentlemen that ever held
Office in Pennsylvania. MR. JoRDAN's tongue
is bitter with venom when he speaks of Demo-
Gratis, and vet he whines and means when the
lash is laid upon hum in return. Let the peo-
PIE read Mn Rows rindioot:--
remember at the polls MR. JoRDAN's wanton a.
buse of better man and more honorable gen.
tleman than his Bedford county slanderer ever
was, or ever will be:
AUDITOR GENERALS OFFICE,
Harrisburg, Sept. I'd, 1859.
B. F. Meyers, ESQ
Dear Sir:
Yours of August 31st, is before me. You
"say Fr. jordan, Esq, stated before political
wmeeting that Atty. Gen. Knox told him
ssgreat fraud had been committed upon the
commonwealth through collusion between my
| sself or those in my employ, and the Penn'a.
Grail Road Company, IN regard TO the Tonnage
.qax, which was about $150.000, and that in
ssthe absence ofthe Judge [ had compromised
"with The Company for 100000, and that he,
| Judge Knox, had some idea of exposing the
"whole concern, &c.
Upon the receipt of your letter, called i'm
mediatey upon Judge Knox, to know about the
truth of these allegations. The Judges reply
was sstdat he neUer said any thing to FIR. Jor-
dan, about n-that what he did say was in
company with several gentlemen, aud that
| was " he thought the Uaiuation made by the
| Penn'a Rail Road Company upon aCtich
settled an,occount for tar upon capital stock,
,pas too loW."
| must confess l have sadly mistaken Mr..
| Jordan's character as a gentleman OF truth, to
find him making charges against my official
conduct, upon the authority OF the Attorney
| General, when such authority does not appear
to have been given him.
| The case ofthe Commonwealth VS.. the Penn
sylvania Rail Road Company for Tonnage tax
| due, was tried in the court OF Common Pleas of
| Dauphin county, this week, and verdict rem
| dered for the Commonwealth for almost $9l,
tOOJ. This fact preSum will settle the ques-
of COLLISION about the payment OF Tonnage
/ tax.
| In re3eating the conversation of Judge Knox
| Mr.. Jordan has evidently confounded the $50,
!
Tonnage tax they being, however, two sePa-
rate and distinct accounts.
You will observe that the Pennsylvania Rail
Road company, beside being liable for tax upon
tonnage, are also liable for tax on capital stock,
as all other companies. Between the ComPa-
nv and myself there was difference OF opinion
as TO the time when the tax should commence,
the company contending they were not subject
to tax on Capital Stock until they dec Jared di-
vidends, while the department held they were
liable for such tax from the time they commen-
ced business. This had left an interval of some
FIVE years for which the company refused to
make any return, or pay any tax upon stock
Upou this refusal to furnish valuation for those
wears, settled an account for tax tor that time
upon Estimate, in which took the whole a.
mount of Capital invested and'added per CEN
tage so as TO be certain Of the tax being sutici-
emily high to protect the interests ofthe Com
monweahh. From this settlement the comPa-
ny took an appeal, and SO the matter remained
until some time during the late summer when
the company slgni6ed a willingness to comply
with the law, and make report and valuation
as required by the act of 1914, for the time