Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-06

monwealth has hitherto escaped from dis
astrons detalcatiot. is owing TO the integrity
of the officer. and no, to the efficiency OF
the laws; aud while our main reliance. in
the future, must be on the honesty of the
officers 10 whom the department is entrust
ed, it is, nevertheless, the plain duty o!
the government, by proper legislative en-
actments, To preven,, as far as possible, the
Illegal, improper or fraudulent use of the
funds of tna State By faithless or dishon-
est public agent. respectfully recommend
that provision be made by law that no
money shall be deposited in any bank, or
| elsewhere, by the State Treasurer, without
first requiring security to be given to the
Commonwealth for the prompt repayment
OF the Sums deposited; d;-that all checks,
issued by the State Treasurer, shall be
countersigned by the Auditor General, be-
fore they are Used;-aud that daily ac-
| counts of the moneys received, deposited
| and disbursed, shall be kept in the office
of the Auditor General as well as in the
| Treasury Department; and that weekly
| statements OF the balances in the Treasury,
and the places and amounts of deposits,
shall be kept in book 10 be provided for
that purpose in each department. sft ~ -
| The Commissioners appointed in pursuance
of the resolutions of the 18th Of April, 1853. TO
revise the Penal Code Of this Commonwealth,
have presented To me their final report, which
is herewith transmitted 10 the General Assem-
! bly. Its importance to our whole com nuuity,
| and the great labor devoted to its preparation.
| commend it to your early and earnest attention.
| fhe manner in which the duties of the COM
mission have been performed cannot fail. in my
opinion, to receive your appreciation. 4s -i.
! comment 10 your fostering care the State
Lunatic Asylum, at Ilarrisbnrg-the Western
Pennsylvania Hospital lOr the Insane, at Pitts
burg-the Asylum toT the Blind, at Philadel.
phia--t5e Asylum lor the Deaf and Dumb,
at philadelpha-the Pennsylvania Training
School for idiotic and feeble minded children,
at Media-the House of Refuge, at Philadel
phia-and the Western House of Refuge, at
Pitts0urg These excellent, charitable and re
fUrmatory State Institutions have done, and are
doing almost incllculable good in the relief OF
sufiering-humanity, and iD3the reclamation and
reform of the errins young. They have strong
claims upon the continued bounty OF the Com
monwealth The annual report OF these noble
charities will be laid before yon, and will ex'
hibit, in detail their operations during the past
year
I refrain from accommodating, as proper OBJ
jects for the bounty Of the State, number o!
humane aud beneficent in their operations be
cause they are entirely local in their character
and however meri.orous their claims may be
and urquestionabIy are, upon the respsctiv,
commuuitie5 for whose particular USE they are
founded and conducted, in my opinion, thel
have no claims upon the Treasury OF the State
which can be recognized with a Just regard L
the interests aud rights OF other sections of thi
Commonwealth. s-...s.
The editor Of the colonial Records and Penn
sylyania Archives has prepared g oopous indie,
to th,. whole work. which VIII be laid bsior
the Legislature. st an early day OF the session
This publication is now completed, and il Is
satisfaction to know, that the records OF tn
colony. as well as those OF the State, preceding
the adoption OF the Consutuii1n oil 1880, ar,
now OF easy access to the public, and in = con
dtion which renders their entire destruction
impossible | recommend that q suitable suu
be raid by the Commonwealth, TO the editor o
the Records and Archives. for the work per
formed by him since the discontinuance of hi
salary
1 have 50 repeatedly presented my views 4
the Legislature, OF the evils arising from loca
and class legislation, that it is not necessary
again 10 repeat them. l desire, however, Il
call the attention Of the Generol Assembly L
the fact that we have, on our statute books
general laws providing ior the Incorporation o
Iailroad, turnpike, bridge, plank road, gas, va
ter, Insurance and other similar companies, anC
that all corponte powers granted by the Legis
lature 10 such companies, should be unde
these general laws. so that there may be a uni
formity in the PROVISIONS OF similar associations
and that the time of the General Assembly maj
not be occupied in passing bills OF great length
when simple reference 10 the details of th'
laws would answer every purpose.
The practice of sending to the Executive
large number of bills Immediately proceeding
the final adjournment of the Legislature, il
highly Objectionable, and ought, as far q.
practicable, to be discontinued. Its necessary
consequence is, either to compel the Execu
tive to approve bills which he has not fully
examined, tosign them after the final adjourn
ment, or, if he disapprove them, TO return
them to the next General Assembly, with hl
objections. Thus imposing upon succeed.
ing Legislature the final disposition of bills
with the origin and passage of which it had
10 connection. To illustrate the evils re.
sulting from this practice, il is only necessary
to inform you, that, of the large number OF
bills presented for my approval, within day
or two of the adjournment of the last Legis-
lature, am constrained by sense of duty,
to return, with my objections, twenty-three to
the present Legislature, for reconsideration.
1t is apparent from the exhibit of the finan.
ciai condition of the General Government,
recently made public, that the wants Of the
Federal Treasury will demand revision OF
tho existing tariff laws Of the United States,
with view to an increase of the revenue
derivablc from imports. When this revision
shall take place, it is greatly to be desired,
that proper regard for the industrial inter-
ests ofthe country will prompt the Congress OF
the United States, to place her revenue laws
upon such a basis, az to afford to our great
mining and manufacturing interests the lar
gest incidental protection. 70 substitute
specific for ad valorem duties, on a certain
class of articles which from their nature are
of equal, or nearly equal value-or to change
the foreign to home valuation,--with a
moderate increase Of the rates now imposed,
would am satisfied, infuse new life and vigor
into all the various departments of industry,
and, at the same time, without imposing bur-
dens upon the people, afford to the General
Government a revenue amply sufficient for
all its wants. .t -..i ---.t.t .--- t.a-.
I The early admission of the Territory OF Kan
sas a. one of the sovereign States of the Union,