The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-01-12
NO. 46


act making the changes which are desi
red. The attention of the Legislature
will thus be drawn to the specific object,
and judgment can be formed of its pro-
priety. would also observe that great
evil results from the habit of granting
privileges to corporation by mere re-
ference 70 some former private act rela-
ting to other corporations, sometimes
without even giving the date of these
acts.
All these practices are bad, and al
though they may sometimes be pursued
by parties having no bad intentions, yet
they certainly originated in the design
of surprising the Commonwealth into
grants of privileges which it was knowt
could net be obtained if their extent were
understood, and they are often followed
now for the same fraudulent purpose. .
l'strongly recommend the repeal of
the act passed the 18th day of July, A.
d. 1868, entitled "an act relating to cor
porations for mechanical, manufacturing,
mining, and quarrying purposes"
Its provisions are found to be practi-
cally so inconsistent with the due protcc-
tion Of the citizens and with the Just
policy Of the Commonwealth, that it
ought not to be allowed to stand longer
on our statute books. | approved the
act in question with great reluctance, and
subsequent reflection and observation
have satisfied me ofits mischievous char
acter
also recommend the repeal of xn act
passed the 22d day of July, A D. 1853 :.
entitled "a further supplement to an act
to enable joint tenants and tenants in
common, and adjoining owners of mineral
lands in this Commonwealth to manage
and develope the same"
This act allows foreign corporations to-
hold three hundred acres of land in this
State for mining purposes. 1t was passed
If is believed, for the purpose of enabling
| companies near our border, engaged
in the manufacture Of iron, to hold lands
az ore banks.
But under the idea that the sinking of
an oil we'll is mining, it is believed that
companies have already been organized
under the laws of other States, and that
more will be, for the purpose of holding
land and carrying on the oil business in
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 coutrol
of our laws to the extent that they ought
to be for purposes of taxation and reguIa-
ton.
The immense development of wealth in
some of our western counties by the dis
covery of oil, has added vastly to the re-
sources of the Commonwealth.
[ have made efforts to ascertain the
value of this product during the last
year, but have failed in procuring infor-
nation sufficiently accurate 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
abundant that some measure should be
taken for accurate entertainment of them,
so that their extent may be generally
known, and also that the necessary taxa
tion may be intelligently imposed. re-
commend for these purposes, the creation
of a Bureau, of which the Auditor-Ge
eral and State Treaurer shall be members,
and the head of which shall be a new
officer, to be styled Commissioner of
Statistics, or designated by any other ap-
propriate title.
The act Of 25th August, 1864, provi-
ding for the voting of soldiers, should be
carefully examined with a view to its a.
msndment, and, indeed, revision of our
whole election laws would seem to be de-
sirable, with view to the essential OBJ
Jects of. The admission of legal and,
exclusion of illegal votes at the polls ana
I'd. Faithful and correct returns of the
votes actually polled. | communicate
herewith the opinion of the Attorney
| General on the conflicting returns for the
Sixteenth Congressional District, which
will show some of the practical difficult
ties which arise under the existing sys-
| tenn.
Without undertaking to orecommend the
adoption of any particular plan, | submit
the whole subject to your careful and
earnest consideration in the hope
that in your wisdom you will be able to
devise some measure which will produce
the result so essential to the existence of
a free Goyernment-that votes shall be
iairly taken in the first instance aud fair
ly counted aud returned afterwards.
have endeavored siuce / came into
Office to exercise as cautiously az possible
the power oonided to the Executive, aud
avoid usurping any. shall endeavor to
persist in this course to the end
A new call has been made by the
President for three huudred thousand
men. This renders it proper that should
invite your attention to the evils which
have resulted from abuses OF the system
of local bounties which was begun III the
emergency, by the voluntary and geuer
Gus loyalty Of our citizens, before the pas
sage by Congress Of the Enrollment act,
and has since been continued by suudry
acts of Assembly
L THl l. IL =