Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-06-10


CONSUMPTION, If the draft sheald be enforced I
know Of one township in my district, with sixty
SIX of an enrolled population, has already furnish
ed thirty -eight men to assist In filing the quotas
Of eastern counties Of this State. Now, sir. sup
pose that consumption is enforced, and she is
compelled to furnish tWenty-one men, her quota
understhe call for five hundred thousand viii she
not be virtually deprived Of al the able-bodied
men IN that township2 And this is but one Of the
instances among thousand in the eastern portion
Of this Commonwealth. Must We therefore, be
depopulated IN that section, merely to crafty the
ambiton, to satisfy the avariee, of other countes
Now, sir, if the wealthier counties of this State
able to raise their bounties easily the contrary
is the case with the poorer classes.
Permit me, AIr Speaker, to give you ealcu-
ation Of the quota Of the several counties of this
Commonwealth. OF some districts / have been
unable to get the exact amounts from the Provost
Marshal of the State. have obtained but two,
which | win read:
The 10th District, under the call for 500,000
men, must furnish for her quota 22s- 1000 of her
enrolled population, whilst the 9th District Is only
required to furnish 200 1000 of her enrolment
The reason for this difference / am able to de-
termine
Adams county as her quota would have to fur
nish 685 men, which, multiplied By 800, would
make a bounty of S205,500, which, divided BY the
assessed valuation of the real and personal effects
~
on the entire amount TO liqnidate the debt
Bedford-SlT men at $300-$242, 100. Equal
to ,065 per cent.
Franklin ,O79 men at sS0O-S327, zoo. Equal
to .023 per cent.
Fulton-2s8 men at $500 -s69, 900. Equal to
05 per cent.
Lancaster 500 men at $300-S ZOOS. .O00. Il
Equal to 02a per cent
Somerset-695 men at $300--$20S 500 Equal
to .07 Der cent nearly
The facts then presented cannot fail to convince
any unpreiudiced mind of the justice of the bill
now before this body, and the necessity of It's
passage, IN order to save many portions of the
State from absolute depopulation and destitu-
ton.
Mr.. Speaker, the argument that / educe from
these figures is that equal and exact justice is not
done 10 various sections OF this Commonwealth.
While Lancaster county, for example, is required
TO pay two and three-quarters per cent on her as
sessed valuation, and Franklin county two and
one-half per cent, the county Of Fulton the coun-
ty Of Bedford and Others. are required to raise a
much larger sum in order to pay the required
amount Of bounties, provided they desire to re-
heve themselves from draft.
Mr.. Speaker, do not desire to occupy the time
of the Senate ] feel satisfied from disposition
shown by majority of the Senators here, thai
they desire to defeat this bill and therefore wI
not 60 into regular speech on this subject. Ssf
fce Il to say, that in my opinion great injRstirf
will be done to many sections Of this great efl.
monwealth if this bin is choked off in this manner
and wish to record my vote against any such ar
bItrary exercise Of power.
Mr.. HOPKINS. Mr.. Speaker, / believe the
motion Is to postpone Indemnity. / dissent en-
tirely from the views expressed by several Sena
tors in regard to the quotas. Now, sir, as far a
that Is concerned, to my mind it turns upon sin.
gle point, and that is whether the assessments
farafnsnnt The qY.n sv4s.f 4l.rh
SIR it is argument against this bin that wealthy
counties would have to pay more tax than those
OF smaller means. If that. SIR were a good argu-
ment in this case, / submit whether it would MOI
apply with equal force to our tax system. We
pay three mills tax now, and have been paying
it for years Upon the real and personal property o
the Commonwealth. Ascertained in what way. sir.
Ascertained upon the assessed value of the proper
ty OF the respective counties Well, sir, would il
be Just to require the county of Erie or the couu-
ty OF Cameron, if you choose, TO pay as much tax
as the county of Berks or the county Of Lancaster
Surely it would not maintain, sir, that the on
ly equitable and Just mode Of taxation is for the
State to tax property in proportion to its assessed
value; and that would be precisely as understand
It, the operation of this bill dissent therefore
from the view expressed BIZ several Senators
believe my friend from Berks Mr. Clymer) was
one-that this bin is Objectionable because some
men would have to pay more tax than others
Ofcourse, as | have said, that is the case in re-
gard to all taxation but the only mode of taxation
which has ever been recognized in the Common
wealth OF Pennsylvania, Is that which have indi-
cated-the tax being levied and collected In pro-
portion to the assessed value of property. While
do not see that there would be injustice done tC
anybody in easing this bill, am not prepared to
vote for IT, / do not understand whether IL pro-
yides for reiInbursiug in all cases when money has
been spent BY individuals ! shall vote against
the indefinite pos-ponement in order that may
have an opportunity Of examining it,
Mr.. CLfME Mr. Speaker, | am convinced
that to incorporate provision of that kind upon
this bill would be unjust and Improper ] sup
p0se there is not Senator on this floor who has
not subscribed according to his means, in his own
locality, TO raise the money necessary TO pay boun-
ties 10 volunteers This was doubtless done with
out the hope Of having their subserl tions return
ed; but for US to pass law BY which the State
should pay subscriptions Of that kind would be, ia
say the least Of it, matter that would be consid-
cred voting money into our own pockets.
Mr.. HOUSEHOLDER. Mr. Speaker ! do
not suppose that the State would compel any Of
those gentlemen who have voluntarily subscribed
to take back their money; and presume that the
State would compel those gentlemen to pay the
bonds The provisions Of the bounty bin, sir, are
general. 1t would relieve those townships, school
districts, wards or boroughs and as they would
generally have just claim, there would be no
difficulty IN giving them certificates of indebted
ness by the State-the State thereby assuming the
entire Indebtedness
Mr 81. CLAIR. Mr.. Speaker, do under
stand that there is resolution for indefinite post
ponenent?
Tie SPEAKER. Yes, sir.
Mr. ST. CLAIR. Then, sir, would merely
say that hope it viii be voted down. / behere
cannot vote for the bill as it now stands; but |
desire TO say here that from my experience and
my researches in reference to the payment Of Local
bounties to the soldiers, and the robbing of those
o diers by officers, ! am prepared to offer, In q
day or two, evidence abundantly to proye that
this system of bounty paying is unjust to the sol
der, and unjust and illegal to the taxpayer II
we can in some way or other, institute Common
wealth bounty coming from the State, so far as |
can see, 1t viii obyiate, to great extent the evils