Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-01-13
vol. 80, NO. g.

. Do Go 90 1854, 1I2.8SO S
DO DO do 1855, I29. .230 5
! 10 DO do 1856, 226,01s S
Do do do 1867, 1888 4
Il De do do 1858. 222, 1863 o
Since July, 1858, the raiir2ad company ia
jrefased to pas this tax, and consequeutly Their
Is now due from said company, on that account
exclusive of interest the sum of $3.50, ,4O5. 90
On the 2lst of February, 1859, an aceounl
vas settled, by the Auditor General. asains
the company, for the tax on tonnage, from tbs
2lst day Of July to the 30th day Of Novel,,
ber, 1858, inclusive, amounting to the sum 8
/ $87,375 p. IFroin this settlement, the com.
pany, on the 18th day of April, took an 40
peal to the court of common pleas of DaaphiI
county; aud, in the specifications of objection.
whieh Was fled, il vas aYerred that the tar
was unconstitutional, and au opinion to that
effect, signed by eminent counsel, was fled in
the Office Of the Auditor General, at the time
tho appea! was entered. Ia August last. the
cause was tried, and after fall Investigation
and argument, the constitut;onai:ty Of the law
imposing the tax was affirmed hy the court. and
/ q verdict and Judgment rendered in favor OF
| the Commonwealth, for the amount claimed.
With interest. The csse has since Keen remo-
Sed, by wit OF error, to tae Supreme Court
OF the State, and vii, probably. be- heard and
determined, by that tribunal, 10 The coutse of
the present winter.
Onfthe 10th day Of August last, another ac-
| count was settled against the company, for the
tax Oh tonnage. fra the 30th dag Of No7em-
Der, 1858, fe. the 29sa day of July. 1859.
amounting 70 tie sum Of SI59, ,368 IS, from.
which an appeal has alA0 been taken BY The
railroad company, and which wilt probably 10
ried during the present month.
As this question largely affects the reyenues
OF the Cemmonwealth, aud as the principle in
rolred Is one of the FIRST Importance, i have
deemed II duty to lay before the General As
selahly, somewhat 10 detail, che history of this
tax, and the present condition Of the LEGAL
controversy growing cat of It's imposition and
enforcement. 1t will be observed, ,:ha; the poEer
or The State 10 grant chartered righss and cor
posete privileges, 10 railroad company. unon
the eonaiti'u that il shall pay TO tie Comason-
wealth portion of Its earnings, in the shape
fts> he
the benefits conferred UPON il BIZ is charter.
The question, it is true, is 4 legal one. end it's
decision, therefore, rests with the judicial de-
pa tnient of ,he government; but, have not
the slightest doubt that the decision, when had,
vail entirely vinGicate the right Of The govern
ment 10 impose The tax, aud TO compel corpo-
Tations Of its own creation to obey the law
froD which they derive their existence. When
it IS remembered, that the tax was originally
imposed, IN order to Indemnify the State, TO
some exTent, for l9sscs which she YVES sure TO
sustain from competition, which was inevIta-
ble, between the railroad authorized, and her
main line Of public works aud that this COM
petition did, not only seriously affect the reye-
nuos Of the ComuonHeslth, derived from her
public improvements, but ultimately induced
the sale of tie main iiue to The adtoad COM
pany itself, at price many millions of dollars
below what it would have produced, 10 the abs
sence of such competition, it is certainly not
TO 10 presumed that the Commonwealth will
willingly yield her demand for revenue from
this source, until she is, at least, fully indem-
uified for lha pecuniary Injury sustained in the
depreciation of her own property, by ber lber-
atty ex.ended to the company which row denies
her power 20 enforce a contract, voluntarily
eutered iu:o, upon consideration entirely ade-
quate.
The annual Report of the Superintendent Of
Common Schools, vita the tables aud documents
accompany ing it, Will exhibit the condition of
the vast engine of social Improvement TO which
it relates. The number OF pupils. il ali the
public schools of the State, is 634 ,65l--of
schools, ll,4s5-and Of teachers, l4,07l.
The schools have been inoperation. oa an ever
age over the whole State, five months and nine
days. The average salary Of male ieaehsrs,I Is
S24 So, aud of female teaehers Si7 10, aud
the cost of instruction, per pupil, hfty-three
cents per month. The ayeIageiax for tuition,
&c., is about five and half mills, aud for
building purposes, about three and one-slxih
mills, on the dollsr. Including tas city OF
Philaaelphia, the entire cost of tuition, &c.,
was S2,047 SCI 90 the building expenses
$53i AIS 80; ana the whole expense of the
system, IN the STATE, for the year, S2,oI9,UI5-
II.
| Fhoagh the school year ending on the iirss
Aoh.lay Of June lsst, QUE OF naasuai ditl-
Guilty in money affairs, yet the system maniiests
au encouraging activity 10 all It's departments,
ahi.e the rate of t2xatieu: both for tuition aud
buildings, would appear, fro,a the ofhcial report,
| 20 have somewhat decreased. But, II is by
contrast Of the present condition OF the system,
with that uf 1854, when The agencies now
operating so beneleially, were created, thzt re-
suits are inost plairly seen. Within that peri
oo, she Whole nunber of pupils has been m
creased nearly one seventh--o OF teaohers, one
shifteeuth- aud the salary OF teachers, The
| best index oil improvement, os oue-alxsh the
males, and one-ioarth tor females.
These results, with t:se others which the OF
i foia! report viii exhibit. unorEingly point 10
| tia duty, as veil as necessity, OF tns utmost
care ana attention. on the pars,ut all pubic
agents, to this primary social insiItutlon--pri-
lmaiy in importance, no sss tnan in The career
Of aath citizen. I1 streu gtaaii, to Fe,sn pare,