Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-03-11
TONNAGE TAX

TONNAGE TAX
TIE special order of the day was the
con.i,.er.Iior OF a bil. repeating the act
by which the tonnage tax was committed
in 1861.
The question was On an amendment
which h:p,! been offered 10y aIr. Moves, o.
Clinton county, as follows:
- SECTION /. That pil railroad com
panics, canal companies, steamboat or
other NAVIGATION companies shall pay 70
the Treasurer, for ihe Use Of tie Com
monwealih, a FAX upon ~! tonnS-e Carried
upon or over their resFectiYe lines q
transportation, 20 be graduated as follows.
10 vii:
g First Upon the products % mines,
for each ION OF two Thousand pounds, ty,o
cents
:. Second Upon the products - ,hr
forest, on animal Vegetable food and ali
other agricultural pr,sl,icts,' ii.ree- cents.
"ThinL Upon ncgciiaadise, Il,iau-
ii,<tures ana aii oiiirr ariiclcS, tive cei:.S
-SECE-cN , IA al c-,scs where The
same freight l. transported oylr- different
but continuous lilas cr transro.i;ii!, n.
then the tax her,hy imposed s!l.,,, t,e paid
by the several coI;russs.Iy;ls carving Ilr.
s'i;ie, each m prrlrortiun 10 ilie distance
transported, a. Inay lie adjusted samoIis
themselves, ;i.c State Treasurer bcinr e.,d
i herehy authorized 10 col.ect the whole
Of said tax from either of the COMPANIES
carrying tne fright a. he Inav c,eci: Pro
r.ded, That tie, carriage vi ail fly;.ht
Slipped through and over enc Or several
lines of transportation shall b. cil..T,e,s,il,
wiIh but ono tax aforesaid
= SECIIoN J. Corporations whose lines
% Improvement ars used by others f,g
transportation o: freight. an. hereby .ua-
,lsorizc,! TO ada the tax hereby impo<e.l ~
their cl.argcs 1ul = ccliect the sars-
;,lercwith.
:, SEcroS 4. Tina: al revenues ,i-ri, :;
from tonnage dulivs shall be and Il i
hereby appropriaie,! 10 the Sinking Fund
Tor the re'iuciicn "i iiic State del;. :,r,d
shall no, be use, 30 Appropriated icr any
ether pJITFaU-e whatsoever.
Mr- nn.i.h. tChos;er) moved to amend
ti.e amendment, ty stikilg out fi.c fourth
-eetion ai..l ;l.snrling the following:
= lDI. tie i,unagc du.ics Ia which Tire
aforesaid companies or either of them
are made l;aniv =, Ihi~ act, shall he and
ar hereby appropriated :" the Sinking
Fund provided 10y ;he iih section of tie
/ Ith arii,'c oi The Constitution OF tlli-
State, and siE,il not be used or arp7olri-
;i;:-d iur a.Iy ut..Sr pu-Tu>e whatever
Mr.. Sn.:. II Chester U:7esd his amend
mI>rt II lcr"ih, and uttered upon a full
review of Ia circumstances attending the
imposition ami nPc.I OF the tonnage
;aN, CONT I,,!;Ilg ;h:si the communication act
was one ~ IL nature oi a contract which
could not ROM Da affected Ev the !.caiSi..-
tue, which was one of ais parties 10
/ this contract The Supreme Court was
alone competent 10 decide
AR Rowland coasended COR the passage
of ihe original bill
Mr.. Persi,ing said that The commu.a-
iion either WAS or was not a oontgact-i:'
il was not iicn the State had a right 20
! collect all back tonnage taxes, and II
certainly had 70 such power The orig
in:.i tax OF five mills lad been imposed
TO Project the ii..e OF ihe pubic improve
r.:;n;s ficIn los These fears of iniuI-
10 the .gO.!-s cf The Commonwealth were
>ooa proved Jo Oe u:.toaa,led After The
purchase o! The State works hv the Penn
sy!v:nia railroad, Tie company took tie
ground that the tax was Unconstitutional