Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-16
GOVERNOR CURr1N's MESSAGE.

be found al length in another part OF our pa
per. There is bat one opinion, as far as we
have heard, in regard to the Message
", that it Is clear and truthful exposition Of
The condition and prospects of the Keystone
State-never more worthy of that pround title
than now. Clear and candid iB all respects,
i: is also practical and terse.
The financial condition of the State is sat
Sfactory. On the 30th NoVen Der, which ends
the fiscal year, there was in the Treasury the
large sum of s. 5l5, COS, and this after all the
heavy expenditures rendered necessary by the
war The State has on hand uniforms and
equipments worth $3.50, 900 which the United
States will take and pay for at cost, and the
General Government will reimburse the war
expenses of the State since the 9th of July
All the loan effected under the act Of the 18th
of May has not been called in. Large as is
the balance in hand, it will be increased one
third more by the middle of February, by the
payments to be made by the National Govern
ment
| Upon the Rebellion, we find the Governor
loyal and decisive, as be has been in action
! from the first. He re-asserts the declaration
in his former Message, that every sentiment of
loyalty and patriotism demands the effectual
suppression of the Rebellion, and he recaptu-
| lates with just pride, the measures taken by
Pennsylvania to effect this imperatiVely neces-
sary consummation.
AS the State has not spared its treasure so
the people have not spared their personal SER
vice as citizen soldiers In the middle of April
when the President called for military force
of $4,000 men, the quota assigned to PeDnsyl-
vana was sixteen afterwards reduced to four
teen) regiments to serve for three months
d" This CALL" he says, "was enthusiastically re-
sponded to by the people of Pennsylvania
The first military aid from the loyal States
which the Government received at Washing
ton, was Pennsylvania corps which arrived
there prior to the 10th of April"
At the request of the war department, that
the troops preparing in this State should be
clothed, armed equipped, subsisted, and trans
ported by the State in consequence of the
then inability of the United States, twenty
FIVE regiments (being eleven regiments beyond
our quota, comprising 20, l75 men from Penn
sylvania, served for the term of three months
under the Presidents proclamation above re-
ferred to.
In ALL one hundred and fifteen State Regi-
mentS have been raised, and the total of the
Pennsy ylVanian volunteer force cow in service
is SO, STA force which is in course Of being
augmented to I09, l75 three months men now
dsbanded. About three hundred volunteers
from Pennsylvania are now prisoners, but as
arrangements have been made for the exchange
of prisoners, it may be expected that they will
soon be released.
For its population, Pennsylvania has con-
trbuted a much larger number of volunteer
soldiers than any other State. Thus, true, to
its old renown, it is " first in war" as it aVow-
edy has been " first in peace"
Out of the military expenditures of the
State, on behalf of the United States, 5000,
900 has been repaid by the the General Gov
ernment and it is suggested (and expected,
as just,) that Congress will provide for repay
ing the expenses attending the organization
and support Of the Reserve Corps the bal
ance due will be received in time to be applied
towards paying the States quota of the direct
| tax-and assuming the completion of this
arrangement if the State shall assume the d.
rect tax for this year, saving of fifteen per
cent, will accrue to her, and no present n-
crease of her taxation will be necessary
Mr.. CURTIN adds, assigning excellent reasons
for bis advice, Whether this credit be given
or not, recommend that the payment Of the
direct tax be assumed 10y the State.
Governor CURTIN recommends the appoint
ment of Commission to improve the militia
system of the State also that certain de.
gree of military training be given to the boys
in the common schools, aud that there should
be Military School in the State, no pupil
to be admitted to this school without having
passed thorough examination on mathemat-
les and oil fitting subjects of instruction ex-
cept the military art proper. These are sen.
sible recommendations, which cannot be acted
upon too soon. Attention to the defences of
the Delaware is also noticed, and the claims of
Pennsylvania as site for National Armorv
are set forth
The message concludes with recommends
tion that the banks which suspended specie
payments, on the penultimate day of 1861,
should be relieved by the Legislature from all
penalties for this breach of law.