The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-04-03
Letter frem Harrisburg.
HARRIsBURG, March 27, 1862.

! Corresp ondence OF The Aileghanian.
The members of both Houses seem to
have determined "to throw off their coats
and go to work in earnest. They are now
holding two Sessions nearly every day,
while some are becoming so restless as to
advocate night Sessions in addition. In
legislation there are two extremes, either
of which should be avoided-the one is a
too tardy, sluggish action upon questions
of public interest-the other a too wild,
hasty and reckless consideration and adop-
zion of public measures. Bills OF doubt
full propriety are reserved for the close of
the Session, when members become anx-
ious TO wind up business and go home.
If the present Session prove to be coun-
terpart of those that have preceded it,
we may look for something in the sensa-
ton line before the adjournment:
The day for final adjournment will be
fixed at Or about the 1lth day of April,
the House having adopted a resolution,
suggesting the 1lth. There has been
considerable discussion as to whether it
shall be a sine die or pro tenn adjourn
ment. In the event Of it becoming obli-
| gatory upon the Legislature to pass laws
| for the assessment and collection Of the
! National tax, there will, Of necessity, be
! a Session sometime during the summer.
! \ sine de adjournment, under the circum-
/ stances, would include an extra, or called
/ Session, and ertra per diem and mileage.
| 4 pro tena adjournment would limit the
pay to the seven hundred dollars for each
member, and the one mileage. What
chance, think you, will pro tenn have IN
! this contest with SINE die ? Ten to one
are offered on sine, and 10 takers.
The addition of one more member Of
! Congress to the number upon which the
arportionment Of last session was based,
will necessitate remodeling of the dis
triets What change may be made in the
present arrangement of counties L can not
predict The Speaker Of the House has
announced the following committee, to
which the subject has been referred:
Messrs. Armstrong Cessna, Crane, Smith,
(Chester,) Wimley, Bliss, Vincent, Lichten-
wallner, and Moore.
The House Bill for the repeal of the
act of last session, committing the Ton
mage tax On the Pennsylvania Railroad,
will, in all probability, be SO amended In
the Senate, as to include all Railroads in
the State, thereby imposing . tonnage tax
on all of them. The fact is that, apart
from the question of the constitutionality
OF the law of last session or the debatea-
bic one relative to the constitutonality of
any law repeating the one of last year, if
it was not passed in violation of the fun
damental law, or invalidated by its being
procured by fraud, very cogent arguments
have been adduced against the justice OF
the reimposition of the tonnage tax upon
this Road, while all others are permitted
to "sail along" unmolested. In view OF
the fact, that tax will be imposed upon
al Railroads, by the General Government,
for the purpose of aiding in creating a
revenue to meet the wants of the country,
it appears to be unfair to make this cor
poratiou carry heavier weights than 9TH
ers. These were, no doubt, some of the
considerations which induced Mr.. Per-
shing to vote against the Bill repeating
the act of last session, and which may
Justify his course in acting in concert
with the friends of the Road. But this
is a matter between him and his constitu-
cnts. 1t is not the right, nor Is it the de-
sire. of your correspondent to interfere.
The General Appropriation Bill has
not yet been reported III the Senate nor
has the Senate resolutions relative to abol
ishing Slavery in the District Of Colum-
bia been reported in the House. Neither
has the tonnage tax been yet brought up
in the Senate These will 10 subjects of
interest for next week Both Houses
have been engrossed this week in running
through any number Of private bills, OF
importance only N localities from which
they emenate. A retrospect OF weeks
Legislation presents nothing further about
which to write. Imust, therefore, change
the scene by devoting few lines to fee
Bile description of an intellectual enter
tainment, of which your humble cores
pondent participated on Wednesday even
ing, the 18th inst 1t was certainly one
of the most delightful and appropriate
treats ever served up for the qualification
of any audience.
By request of a number of the most
prominent gentlemen IN the several De-
partments and in the Legislature, the
we'll known dramatist and elocutionist,
James g. Murdoch Of Philadelphia, de-
iiyered, in the Hall OF the House of Rep
resentatives, an unpublished Poem, writ
ten by T. Buchanan Reed, entitled s'The