Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-05-01

the peoples money is cared for Is this the
way that the cannls have been disposed of ?
Why, sir, for aught that appears here, this
contract for that line might have been made
as early as the contract for the North Branch
canal was made-one month before the bill
had passed authorizing the sale of the Sunbury
and Erie railroad company.
Now, sir, this may account for the disposi
tion of our canals, aud their deterioration even
below the proportion fol which the main line
was sold Then, how was the contract ex
ecuted By the Governor in regard to the North
Branch He says that it was sold (and be
approved of the sale, for one million six hun
dred thousand dollars Yes, sir, aud he could
have told you that there were bids presented
from just as responsible parties for two million
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which
he rejected He could have told you that at
the time when be approved of that sale, there
were bids presented from just as responsible
parties for two milliOnS Of dollars, one hundred
thousand dollars to be paid in cash. which he
rejected. | say that, had he been disposed,
he could have embodied those facts in the same
message Now, these facts account very well
for the deterioration of our public works and
this is the twin-serpent that was here last win,
ter in company with the ether serpent, the
tonnage tax, which is now under consideration.
The gentleman from Philadelphia says, in
regard to the sale of the main line, that the
Pennsylvania railroad company would never
have made the purchase, if it had not been
with the expectation of getting rid of the ton
mage tax-they never would have made the
purchase except for the purpose of getting the
IN Of papusv ivnpio tn curran1ar n
of her sovereignty They intended to make
bargain by which they should be exempted
from taxation, or they never would have made
the purchase The purchase, according to the
gent!eman's statement, was a conspiracy against
the sovereignty of the State That was the
object, and as the gentleman SAYS, the only
object, that they endeavored to attain, though
think he must be mistaken on that point /;
for when the Supreme Court struck out that
portion of the bargain, the company were still
very willing to make the purchase. The com
pany would doubtless have been well pleased
to succeed in getting Pennsylvania, through
her repre- sentativeS, TO abandon portion OF
her bigh sovereignty, but failing to do that,
they were very willing to take the public works
at the price that was set upon them.
But another very strange idea is stated here.
The gentleman says that the repeal of the ton,
mage duties inures to the benefit of the State
Well, now, think that the gentleman would
be little surprised, it, when walking along
the street, some fellow should stop him and re-
lieve him of his pocket book, and then, when
demonstrated with, should turn round and say,
"Oh, yes, did take your pocket book, but
did it only to oblige you it will all inure to
your benefit" This appears to me somewhat
the nature Of the transaction by which the
State has had taken from her treasury, by the
Pennsylvania railroad company, three quarters
of a million in cash, which ought to be in the
sinking fund.- aud which according to the argu.
ment made last year by my friend from Lycom
ing (for whose legal learning | have the high
est respect, was by construction o! law in the
sinking fund The Commonwealth is also re-
lieved of revenue of from three hundred
thousand dollars to four hundred thousand dol
lars per annum in perpetuity. All this my
friend SAYS, is to inure TO our beneft-to the
benefit of the State Well, | think the gen
teman would be hard to convince iu the case
of the larceDcy Of his pocket book under the
| circumstances have mentioned ; and think
the people OF Pennsylvania will be hard to con
vince that to have their treasury depleted in
this way is going to inure to their benefit
think the gentleman will have some difficulty
in enlightening the pUbc mind 50 as to com
! prehend the manner in which transactions of
this sort inure to the public benefit.
The public are perfectly aware-almost ev-
cry citizen, learned or unearned, 10 my p0r.
tion of the State is aware-that the State of
Pennsylvania has expended the vast sum of
forty million dollars for publiC improvements
that money was borrowed for the purpose.
They now see themselves relieved of the whole
of these public works by the legislation with
reference to the PENNSYLVANIA railroad company
and the Sudbury aud Erie railroad company
They find that all for which their money was
expended is gone forever, and that the debt is
left as burden upon the people, to be paid
by taxation. Now | would say to the gentle
men who has been the strong advocate OF both
these measures and who has labored here to
pass them through this Hall that | think it
would trouble him to convince the people that
they are to be benefited by this proceeding
When the tax gatherer comes around yearly
to collect taxes froG the honest yeomanry
in my section of the State, | do not be.
lieve that they will be able TO read the gen
uemanS 5 speech anu nay, we are convinced
that this is all for our own coed and it is to
be for the good of our children in the future
we are convinced that the payment of this
heavy tax every year is to inure to .Our bene.
fit" The people will not be able to under,
stand such a theory. 1t will puzzle them
worse than my friend from Lycomng has been
puzzled They will be utterly unable to under
stand how such proceeding is to inure to
their benefit.
But the gentleman has undertaken to argue
the legal and constitutional question Now,
know that our legal brethren are rather op-
posed to laymen, like the gentleman from the
CITY md myself undertake To orannla with O.