The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-01-13

Jordan, at Washington, and Col. Chamberlain.
agent for the Southwest. The provisions of tile
law requiring the agents to collect moneys due
I by the United States to soldiers, have been be-
nehceht A reference to their reports will show
the magnitude and usefulness of this branch of
their service. desire To invite the attention
OF all our volunteers, officers soldiers and their
(, families to the fact that the State agents will
collect all their claims on the Government ora.
/ tultously, as have reason to believe that many
are still Ignorant of that fact. and are greatly
imposed upon by the exerbitant commissions
! charged by priv ate claim agents. 3 as
Under the act of the 9th of MAY, 1864, /
! appointed Hon. Thomas I'll. Burrowes to take
charge OF the arrangements for the education
of the orphans of soldiers / communicate
herewith copy of his report on the subject.
! He has discharged his duties with commsnds-
bic zeal, fidelity and efficiency l earnestly
recommend that Il permanent and liberal appro-
! prlatlon be made to support this just and wor-
! thy scheme of beneficence
! / recommend that AN appropriation be made
/ for pensions to the volunteer militia men. tor
their families, who were killed or hurt in the
service in the years 1852 and S63. AS SOL
diers sometimes arrive here who are insane,
and who should he protected and cated for.
recJnme nd that provision be made for their be-
ing placed in the State Asylum for the Insane,
at this place, and kept until notice can be Civ
en- to the authorities of their respective coun-
ties, who should be req 1ired to remove and care
for them.
/ feel it to bs my duty to invite your serious
attention to the evils growing out of the system
( of passing acts Of Incorporation, for purposes
! which are provided far by general laws. We
I have passed acts authorizing charters to be OBJ
tanned without special legislation. These acts
have been generally prepared with some care,
and contain the provisions which the Legisla-
ture thought necessary 20 protect the Common
wealth and her citizens. Ii these general laws
are not found TO answer such purposes, they
should be amended and perfected. II any COM
pany desires to be Incorporated with greater
privileges than are conferred, or to tie relieved
from any uf the conditions imposed 10y these
acts, il appears to me that it should be requi
red first 10 obtain charter under the general
laws, and then apply to the Legislature for an
act making the changes which are desired. The
altealipn of the Legislature will thus be drawn
formed OF its prop ~ @''u judgment can be
that great evil results from the habit OF grarTu-
ing privileges to a corporation by mere refer
ence to some former private act relating to 9TH
DI cGFDGf2LiOnS, WllLOul Ck6i4
the date of these acts. All these practices are
bad, aud although they may be pursued BY pax
ties having no bad intention, yet they certainly
originated in The design of surprising the Com
monwealIh into grants of privileges which it
was known could not be obtained If their ex-
tent were understood, and they are often iol-
| lowed new for the same fraudulent purpose,
| strongly recommend the repeal Of the act
! L. Grh nj nv. ID 1Sn2
! titled San act relating to corporations for me-
I chanical, manufacturing, mining and quarrying
purposes
/ It's provisions are found to be practically so
inconsistent with tie due protection Of the cit
izens and with the just policy of the Common
wealth, that 1t ought not TO be allowed to stand
longer on our statute book. / approved the
act IN question with great reluctance, aud sub
sequent reflection and observation have satisf-
ed me of its mschievcus character
| also recommend the repeal of an act pass
ed the 22d day Of July, \. ID. 1868, entitled
';A further supplement to an act passed the
22d dav of July, A. ID. 1853 entitled GA fur
ther supplement to nn act to enable Iolnt ten
ants and tenants in common, aad adjoining own
ers OF mineral lands in this Commonwealth, to
manage aud develop the same"
This act allows foreign corporations to hold
three hundred acres of land in this State for
mining purposes. 1t was passed, 1t Is believed,
for the purpose Of enabling companies near our
border engaged in the manufacture of iron, to
hold lands rs ore banks But under the idea
that the sinking of an OIL well Is mining, it is
believed that companies have already been or
ganizcd under the laws OF other States, and
that more will be, for the purpose of holding
lands and carrying on the oil business iR this
State 1t would be better to remove all doubt
on this question by repeating the act. These
companies, being foreign corporations, are not
within the control of cur laws to the extent
that they ought TO be for the purposes OF taxa
tion and regulation.
The immense DEVELOPMENT of wealth in some
of our western counties by the discovery OF oil,
has added vastly TO the resources of the Com
, monwealth.
Ihave made efforts to ascer tain the value oi
j, this product during the last year, but have
failed in procuring information sufficiently ac-
, curate to Justify me in estimating its amount
1t is already vast, and is rapidly increasing
The productions and manufactures of the
{ State have become so diversified and a6un-
r ,dant that some measure should be taken for ar
accurate ascertanment of them, so that their
3 extent may be generally known, and aiso tha
4 the necessary taxation may be intelligently im
3 posed. recommend for these purposes th'
creation of Bureau, of which the Auditor
? General and State Treasurer shall be members
G and the head of which shall be a new officer
G to be styled Commissioners of Statistics, or des
: ignated by any other appropriate title
e The act of 25th August, 1864, providing TO
n the voting of soldiers, should be carefully ex
amined, with a view to its amendment, and, in
e deed, revision of our whole election law
!. would seem to be desirable, with view to tn