The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1862-01-16


million of dollars, divided into twenty
thousand shares, of fifty dollars each, oi
which asserting holder of mortgage
bond, for one thousand dollars, shall be
entitled to eighteen shares, and each as,
senting holder of fifty shares of stock oi
the Wyoming Canal Company shall be
entitled to nine shares. or course, no
officer of the Commonwealth had author.
ity to assent to the proposal. or in any
way to affect her position. 1t is believed
also, that the plan is not one that ought
to be assented to By the Commonwealth,
and that, under all the circumst stances, If
the convenience of individual parties re-.
quires q change. as proposed, the debt
due the Commonwealth ought to be FIRST
paid or fully secured.
suggest that the act passed 9Th Of A.
pril, 1861, entitled, "An act concerning
the sale of railroads, canals, &c." should
be modified so that in all cases in which
a debt may be due to the Commonwealth
by the company as whose property pub
lie work may be sold the purch hasers there
of shall DO. be entitled to the benefits and
privileges conferred by the act unless they
shall have irst paid the debt due to the
State, or secured the same By their bends
to the Com mmonwealth secured by first
mortgage on the work itself.
commend the subject to the immedi-
ate consideration of the Legislature, as
an effort may be made at an early day
to enforce sale of the canal, and some
provision by Law to protect the interests
of the State would in that case be neces.
sary.
The wicked and monstrous rebellion
whioh broke out many months ago, has
not get beeo queled. Every sentiment
of loyalty and patriotism demands its eff
fectual suppression.
10 my messages of the 9th and 30th Of
April last, set forth at length my views
of the character and objects of the con.
test which is still pending. Subsequent
reflection has confirmed me in the correct
ness of the opinions then expressed and
to which l refer. In addition it ought to
be understood, that looking to the variety
and character of ber products and indus
try, her material interest alone would
render the preservation of the Union from
the present assault upon it, indispensable
to Pennsylvania. She cannot afford to
have foreign Power below or above or
bounding her on the Delaware, the Chcs.
apeake or the Mississippi, and she will
never acquesce il such result, whatever
may be the cost in men and money of her
resistance to it.
On the 9th of April last, directed the
atte ution of the Legislature to the neces-
sity which existed for an improved mill
tary organization, and on the 18th Of the
same month the act entitled "An act for
the better organization Of the militia of
this Commonwealth passed, appropria-
ting the sum of 5000 900 for the purpose
of organizing equipping and arniug the
militia. On the 18th of April the Presi-
dent, by proclaim alton, called for militia
~ force o! 5000 men, of which the quo,
tia assigned to Pennsylvania was at first
sixteen afterwards reduced to fourteen
regiments to serve as infantry or rfemen
for the term of three months unless soon.
er discharged. This call was entbusias-
tically responded to by the people OF
Pennsylvania. The first military aid
from the loyal States, which the Govern
ment received at Washington, was Penn
sylvania corps which arrived there prior
to the 10Th of April. On that day the
passage of other corps from this and 9th
er States through Baltimore was impeded
BY force. and during nearly two weeks
afterwards the communication between
Washington and the loyal States was al
most entirely cut off. On the 10th re-
ceived request from the War Depart
meut that the troops preparing in this
State should be clothed. armed, eqipped,
subsisted, and transported by the State
in consequence of the then inability Of
the United States.
This request was, of course, complied with,
and twenty five regiments, (being eleven
regiments beyond our quota) comprising
20, IT'S men from Pennsylvania, served
for the term of three months under the
Presidents proclamation above referred
to. AS the furnishing those volunteers
with supplies vas, necessarily, under the
circumstances, hurried operation, and
as complaints *were made in regard to
them, and frauds were alleged to have
been perpetrated, | appointed Board Of
Com O. issioners to investigate the whole
subject. A copy of their report, with the
evidence taken BY them, has been already
laid before the public. 1t is the iDten,
ton of the Auditor General to open the
accounts of such parties as appear by the
testimony to have been overpaid, and this
course has already been taken in two Of
these cases.
On the expiration of the term of the
three onths men. in July last. some eight
or ten thousand discharged Pennsylvania
volunteers were thrown into Harrisburg
without any notice, and detained here
waiting to be paid, for an average time Of
some ten days Their tents. camp equl'
4 4 L l.