The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-01-19


aud the great labor devoted to its prepera
ton, commend it tt'year early and earnest
attention The maaner in which the
daties of the commission have been per.
lGornfed cannot fail, in my opinion, to re-
eelye your appreciation.
comment to your fostering care the
State Lunatie Asylum, at Harrisburg
the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for
the insane, at Pittsburg-rhe Asylum
for the Bind. at Philadel lpllIa she Asy.
lum for the Deaf and Dumb; at Philadel-
Phia-the Pennsylvania Training Sehool
fer idlotic and feeble minded children, at
Metia-tke House of Refuge, at Phla-
de- phia--aodi the Western House Of Re-
fuSez at Pittsburg. These excellent.
charitable. and reformatory State institu-
tons have done, and are doing, almost
Lnca|culable good, 10 the reliefof safer
ing umaBity, and in the reclamation and
reform of the erring young. They have
strong CLAIMS upon the continued bounty
of the Commonwealth. The annual re,
port Of these noble charities will be laid
before you, and will exhibit, in detail
their' operations during the past year.
refrain from recommending, as prop
.er objects for the bounty of the State, a
number Of benevolent and charitable as
socintions, equally humane and henefcent
in their operations; because they are en-
tirely local in their character, and how
ever Aleritorious their claims may be, and
unquestionaHy are, upon the respective
communities for whose particular use they
arc founded and cond dected, IN nay opin-
ion, they have no claims upon the Bseas-
ury of the State, which can be recog-
ni2ed with a just regard to the interests
and rights of other sections of the Com
Hlonwealth.
The editor Of the Colonial Records
and Pennsylvania Archives has prepared
a coBioUs iadcx to the whole work, which
will be laid before the Legislature, at an
early day of the session. This pR5'ica
tica is Now completed, and it IS q satis-
faction to know, that the records Of the
colony, as we'll as those Of the State, pre-
cediug the adoption Of the Constitution
of 1890, arc now of easy access TO the
public, and in q condition which renders
their entire destruction impossible. /
recommend that a suitable sum be paid,
bF the Commonwealth, to the editor of
the Records end archives, for the work
performed by him, since the disooGtinu-
ance Of his salary.
have 50 repeatedly presented my
views TO the Legislature, of the evils
arising from local and class legislation,
that it Is hot necessary again to repeat
them. ! desire, however, 80 call the at
tention of the General Assembly 30 the
fact that We haze, Ca o%r staeute books,
general laws providing for The ineorpora
ton of railroad, turnpike, bridge, plank
road, gas, water, insurance and other
similar companies, and shat all corporate
powers granted i,y the Legislature, to
such companies, should be under these
general laws, so that there may be a uni
formity ia the provisions of similar asso-
Citations, and that the time Of the General
Assembly may not be occupied ia passing
bills Of great length, when simple
refcrance re.the details of the laws would
answer every purpose
The practice of sending to the Execu-
tive large number OF bills Immediately
proceeding the final adjournment of the
Legislature, is highly Objectionable, and
ought, as far as practicable, to be discon-
tinued. Its necessary consequence is,
either to compel the Executive to ap-
prove bills which he has not fully exam
ined to sign them after the final adjourn
ment, or, if he disapprove them, to re-
turn them to the next General Assembly
with his objections. Thus imposing up
on a succeeding Legislature the final dis,
position of b;lls, with the origin and pas
sage of which 1T had no connection. To
illustrate the evils resulting from this
practice, it 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
Legislature, ! am co"straiatd by sense
of duty, to return, with my objections,
twenty-three to the present Legislature,
for considerations
1t is apparent from the exhibit Of the
financial condition Of tte General Go7ern-
ment, recently made public, that the wants
.of the Federal Treasury will demand a
revision of the existing tariff laws of the
United States, with view to. an iuerease
of the revenue derivabie irons imports
When this revision shall take place, it is
greatly to be desired, that proper regard
for the industrial interests cf the country
will prompt the Congress of the United
States, to place her revenue laws upon
such basis, as to afford to our great min
ing and manufacturing interests the larg-
est incidental protection. To substitute