The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-03-06
letter Frors, EEarrlsb,rg.
HARRISBURG, March l, 1862.


Correspondence of The AIleghanian.
have watched with care the proceed
ings of the Legislature during the last
week, with the view of communicating to
the people of Cambria county. through
the columns OF THE ALLEGHANIAN, any
thing that might have transpired, which
I would consider of peculiar interest to
them. Very little has occurred in either
House, that can be considered OF i'm
portance to your readers. OF that little,
/ will speak.
On Monday last, Mr.. PERsHING pre-
seuted petition from citizens Of Cambria
county, for an act requiring the poor taxes
of the county to be paid directly to the
poor house treasurer. In the event OF
such law, the county treasurer would be
deprived of the percentage on that tax,
which has heretofore passed through bis
hands. It IS a question to be decided by
calculation, as to how much the county
would save By the proposed arrangement.
Unless such an enactment can be advoca-
ted as a measure of economy, the tax
PAYERS have little or no interest in the
matter
Mr. PERsHING, on the same day, read
in his place, supplement to the Act "to
provide for the erection of house Of
employment and support. of the poor Of
Cambria County" Not having the bill
before ine, l cannot inform you Of its
purport, but I suppose it to be based upon
the petition referred to- When it is re-
ported back from the judiciary committee
Cocal ) and placed upon Gle, I wi!lendeavor
to send you copy.
On Tuesday, in the Senate, bill was
passed entitled "An Act to provide for
the adjudication aud payment of certain
military claims" This bill has since been
reported in the House, with sundry
amendments. The proposed amendments
extend the bill, so as to cover all the cases
Of meritorious claims intended to be pro-
vided for in FIVE or six bills which have
been read The annexed section of the
bill, as it passed the Senate, viii give you
some idea Of its purport:
SEC ?. That such settlement shall embrace
the claims for pay OF all PeHnsy Iyania voIuu-
tecrs, from the day they entered any encamp-
ment place Of rendezvous. without regard
to the time they were sworn into the service
( OF the United States ana also the pay Of Off
/ GERS from the date OF their commissions. and
/ of privates from the date of their enrolment
! frocl9cd, That no such claim shall Ice allowed
! unless the claimant has been actually sworn
! into the service Of the State or OF the United
/ States. by one OF his own officers, or by a
regular mastering officer Of the army.
hlr. PEBsHING, also read in place 4 bill
entitled 'An Act to divide the borough
of Conemaugh, in the County of Cambria,
into tro wards" That the balance Of
power may be kept IA, eq,a7t5rjo q allude
to county Conventions,) there should be
a nev district formed in the North OF the
county.
On Wednesday. in the House, the
/ Special Order was the act to repeal the
act of last Session, entitled "An Act for
the communication of the tonnage tax,
which was discussed up to the hour oi
| adjournment. The speech Of Mr.. SCoTr.
Of Huntingdon, was decidedly the most
forcible one delivered on the question be-
fore the House. As / understand his
position, it was as follows: lie contended
that the act could not be repealed merely
on the ground Of It's being prejudicial TO
the interests OF the peop!e,-that it was
not within the constitutional power oi
the Legislature to Go so. It was gener-
ally conceded that Mr.. SCOTT fully proved
the correctness Of this view of his subject
He, however, argued that, if the repeal
ing act iniringed upon the Constitution OF
the United States-if the Legislature
transcribed its power in passing it, il
might be declared unconstitutional, by an
application to the Supreme Court. He
further contended that, if it had been pro
cured by fraud it was null and void, and
that it was competent for the Court TO SO
declare 1t, upon proof being made
The investigation now progressing nav
result in such developments as will induce
the advocates 10 change the direction of