The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-04-18

nave pursud viii rebound to the adsan-
tase of the taxpayers of the State, aud
the increase OF the public revenues.
The following reasons, which were Civ.
en- BY the Representative from Berks
county. and sanctioned by the members
from York county. | fully endorse, and a.
dopt them as the reasons which inHu-
enced me in the sote which i gave on
this bill.
JER. SCHINDEL.
To the Hon. Speaker Of The House Of Rep.
reSentatiUes
SIR:-Tbe House of Representatives.,
by unanimous vote. permitted the un-
dersisned to place upon the Journals the
reasons which influence them 10 voting
for the passage Of bill No 239, entitled
ian Act to change the name Of the Sun
bury aud Erie Railroad, and to facilitate
the construction of railroad from Sun
bury to Erie" We now avail ourselves
OF this permission, aud give for our votes
the follo~ing reasons:
The State canals we're sold by Act Of
the 2lst of April. 1858 The Common
wealth. to secure the payment OF three and
a half millions of dollars took mortgage
on the property and franchises of the
Sunbury and Erie Railroad. At the
date of this mortgage there we're but a.
bout fourty four mile of road completed,
viz: from Sunbury to Villa Hsport, and
on it there was already a mortgage for
one million of dollars The mortgage
given the State acaS second TO uaS. thous b
it was first mortgage on the unfinished
part Of the road.
There was due contractors for work
done and material furnished uuder con
tracts made prior to the execution of the
mortgage BY the Railroad company, to
the State, of about three hundred and
fifty thousand dollars. Under the Act Of
1s43 this sun was first or prior Hen-
consequently took precedence Of the State
mortgage.
BY Act of 9th April. 1860. the Legis-
lature verg um~ase1y. iD our opinion. gave
a preference to contractors tor work and
labor done and IN aterial furnished Oh said
road, between the first OF August. 1859,
and the FIRST of April. 1860. to the amount
of six hundred thousand dollars, and in
case of judicial sale, ordered to be first
paid. This being great wrong to the
State, We stouty opposed the passage of
the bill, but majority thought different
y, and it became Law, By the approval
of Governor Pack.r
There was. and is now, im uinent dan
ger of judicial proceedings against the
Railroad Company, which. if pushed to
judicial sale. will result, as all admit. in a
loss to the State of tbr three and balf
millions Of dollars and the accrued inter-
est thereon.
The want of care manifested BY the
Legislature of 1853. and the improvident
action of the General Assembly, at the
session of 1860. bad so endangered the
mortgage the State held on the property
of the company. that it was found neces
sary to legislate this session for its secu-
rity
The Sudbury and Erie railroad is uD-
finisbed--in consequence. the lien of the
State must be regarded as Of little or no
Uatue. A bill was presented to enable
the company to 6ni-b and equip their road.
An examination of its provisions gave ev
idence that it took not @ dollar from the
State Treasury On the Contrary aimed
to make ecure the mortgage hell By the
Commonwealth
The question pre-ented to our minds
vas Shall a0e SAFE the three and half mil
lions for the State by passing thi- bill I or
shall We hhroa0 1t array beyond the hope Of
recovery, by refusing to vote for it! In
this alternative we resolved to do what
others had neglected, viz:-protect the
property and interests of the State and
people. Accordingly We voted for the
till.
Had we been members Of the Lesisls-
ture in 1855, We certainly would have
opposed this iniquitous act authorizing
the sale Of the State canals as earnestly
a. We did the act passed last session which
gave q preference to contractors to the
injury Of the Commonwealth. to the a.
mount of six hundred thousand dollars.
| An enumeration OF the claims against
the Sudbury and Erie road, which have
preference Of the mortgage held by the State
exhibits the sun of two millions and twen.
ty-six thousand dollars, as follows, viz:
F,rst mortgage on Eastern
Division, 100000 oC
Due contractors for work
done under contracts made
prior to the mortgage
given the State. and By
Act Of ls4s a irt lien $4,000 90
Certificates Issued By Act
of April i3. 1860. 600 900 0O
Interest estimsted. 10000 OC
S2.Og6. 900 Ot
Next after our convictions of duty tc
the State. il is to tbe undersigned source
of pride that We have been instrumental
in saving from entire loss SO large suu
as SO, ,500,0 900. We do not wish TO Ca,
reflections on former Legislatures, though
ua cannot overlook the fact that pru