The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-04-21


ia manner as would insure the completion
of a great public highway then in process
of construction-the Sudbury and Erie
Railroad. After long contest. the Le-
gislature passed an act authorizing the
sale of the branches to the Sunbury and
Erie load for So, 500, 900; and be here
said that that bill was passed without iu-
terfcrence of any kind on the part of the
State Administration, and, up to the time
the bill came before the Governor be did
not believe that its friends knew what bis
action would be upon it, whether it would
be favorable or otherwise. There had
been no Interference by the Governor or
his Administration, either in favor of or
against the bill, whilst it was before the
Legislature. 1t was signed. 1t gave aid
to u important work which passed thro
the section of country 10 which the Gov
ernor resided; the road ran through one
hundred miles of the district he repre-
sented in the Senate; bis own personal
friends, his own people, the men he had
known intimately, and the country be
knew well were deeply interested in the
the measure, and be gave his sanction to
the bill, which had already been sane
toned by large ma ajorities in both branch.
es of the Legislature.
The bill contained provision that if
the company should resell the canals and
aud realize over $780, 600 by their sale,
that IS per cent. of the excess should be
paid 70 the State, and it is also provided
that no resale by the company should be
made without the assent of the Governor.
Under the sale, which was completed to
the Suubury and Erie Railroad Company,
the company had absolute right of prop
erty in these public works. 1t was not
bound to sell them, but could either keep
them and operate them itself, or could
lease them to other parties or sell them.
There was no power given the Governor
to make a contract for their sale; there
was no power given him to force the Sun
bury and Erie Railroad Company to sell;
the property was the company's with the
simple provision, that if it did sell for O..
yer S3,5O0, 600, that rs per cent. of all
such excess should 60 into the Golfers of
the State. A sale was made of those
public works, and particular objection
has been made because the Governor ap.
proved Of the sale of the Delaware Divis.
ion to the Delaware Division Canal Com
pany for Sits, 900, when an offer of a
higher price had been made for it. He
would state the facts in reference to that
matter. Great efforts had been made by
the Sunbury and Erie Railroad Company
to sell tue Delaware Division to the Le-
high Coal and Navigation Company. 4
correspondence took place between the
parties, but the Sunbury and Erie Rail.
road Company asked 100000 for the
work, and the Lehigb Coal and Naviga-
ton refused to pay that much. The hest
offer the company would make was ST.
100000; and when it was likely that the
sale to that company for higher price
would be failure, IAN effort was N ade by
the President and Directors of the Sun
bury and Erie Railroad Company to in
duce others to buy, aud en association Of
indiSiduals in Philadelphia, composed of
many of the most and influential men
there-men of the largest means, and Of
excellent reputation as men of business
aDd citzeDs--was formed and an offer
made by them to purchase the Delaware
Division for sl,775,000. These gentle
men, before they completed their organi-
cation and made their arrangements to
raise the money to pay for these works,
(for this large sum had to be paid in mon
ey, asked that the contract of sale should
be submitted to the Governor, and that
be should state whether, if it was carried
that be would give bis assent to it or not
The president of the company submitted
the proposed contract to the Governor
and asked him to assent to it, stating thai
it was necessary that it should be known
whether he would or would not assent te
it before it was finally completed. The
Governor then said to the president OF
the company, that if that was the best con
tract he would not Withhold his assent tc
it, though be desired the best price ob
/ MS was W tut
proposed purchasers who went on TO con-
plete their organization. The deeds and
mortgages were drawn up--the associa
tion was formed--the money was raised
and the first instalment was paid. Their
it was, after all this was done, after The
word of the Governor bad passed, that il
that was the best contract that could b.
made, and be was assured that it was
that be would give it his assent-after thi.
had been communicated to these gentle
men, and the contract had been closed
between the parties, and when the paper:
came to be executed, on the very morn
ing when that was done, another party
stepped in, and offered more for the
division. These gentlemen appeal
ed to the Governor to carry out theil
contract, and said they had gone to the
expense of making this contract with the
assurance that he approved of it, and had
paid their money on the faith of this as
surance. Those persons had stood by
and had seen the purchase made without
making an offer, and when it was com.
1Iatad tho mn in ard nHarod b;obo,