Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-03-16
r E M A r K S
DIR. CHARLES III. HILL,
OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

Doverod in the House of Representatives, Fob, 10, G1
ON THE BILL ENTITLED
Communication Of Tonnage Tax
Duties.
The bill 10 relieve The Pennsylvania
RaiirGad Company from the payment
0i Tonnage Tax duties being before
the House.
Mr.. Hill said : Mr.. Speaker, proposed
making an argument against this bill be-
fore it progressed to its final passage l
could not hope to change what appeared
very plainly to be the inevitable final
result, No one could fail to read that it
was a foregone conclusion that the bill
was to pass, and that any effort in the
shape of argument against it would be
entirely futile, and worse than futile
time and effort thrown away. The call
ing of the previous question has deprived
me Of that privilege. D-bato has been
cut of; truth is stined and the seal is
with tyrant stamp placed upon our lips
The calling Of the previous question is a
measure that should, in my Judgment, be
rarely put into practice. There are times,
perhaps, when it would be propc1-when
a refractory minority refuses, by captious
opposition, to allow a bill to come to
direct vote, and continues to waste time
with useless debate and frivolous amend
ments and motions. In this case the
majority can claim no such excuse. They
have not, in my humble opinion the ghost
of an apology for this tyrannical, unjust
measure. When lhcy reflect upon their
course their conscicnccs must condemn
them, and must be filled with shame and
confusion. 1t has been urgco r;+h indie.
cent haste and truly railroad speed. n
that remains, therefore, Mr. Speaker, i.
simply to claim my privilege as member
of the House, and a representative Of the
people, to cntcr my formal protest against
the whole proceedings, and express in &
brief manner my reasons why | am olposcc
to this bill. / believe, sir, in the frs,
place that tho iii contains provisions
which are clearly in opposition and for.
biddcn by the Constitution Of the State.
In the amondma.t Of the Constitution.
'fadoptclin 1857, Icing the eleventh arriS.e
it provides in the fourth lection for tic
creation of Sinking Fund for the pay
ment Of interest, and the gradual cXtin-
cuishment Of the funded debt Of the State.
1t provides, also, in positive terms not to
be misunderstood, or by any sophistry
misconstrued, as follows, viz; "No part
of the said Sinking Fund shall be used oil
applied otherwise Than in cztingui.hment
of the public debt, until the amount Of
such debt is reduced below the sum oI
five millions of dollars" This is posi-
tive injunction at all times aga under al
Mrcumstauces, except only in cease q
war, invasion OF insurrcction;' neithSroi
which eases are urged at this time, il
excuse or justification of this remarkable
proceeding,
Among the moneys set aside and appro
priatod for this purpose, is the money due
aud to be due from the Pennsylvania
Railroad, known rs the Tonnage Tax
Now, sir, we are informed by the Statl
officers that there is due from this COM
pany, as near as remember, about eight
hundred and twenty thousand dollars
which, the company make acknowledg
mcnt, has been collected of the people fol
this very purpose, and for which the Stat,
has obtained Judgment, through the proper
Courts and the highest State tribunal
And this being a claim valid and due, i
virtually already a part and portion o tn,
, State sinking fund, expressly set aside by
the Constitution, in the article and section
! l have quoted, and appropriated to the
purpose Of payn. the funded debt Of tn,
State and Tor no other purpose whatsoever
and cannot be abstractcd, appropriated o
used in any other manner, thout gros
violation of the State Constitution. An,
yet, Mr., Speaker, tAis bill provides to d
this very thins-to take this money an,
, appropriate it to other purposes. This, o
itself, is sufficient to condemn the bill, il
1 my opinion, in the eyes of all honest men
, who profess to support and live up to tn
Constitution. But there is another reason
, Mr.. Speaker, why ! disopproyo of thi
} bill, 1t is well known and understood
= that when the State parted with her publ
a works, and sold them to this company Il
. an immense loss and sacrifice, it was 70
i the purpose Of diyorcius the State from a
0 internal improvement policy which exper
c enco had fully demonstrated was and eve