American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-01-11

ed, it is believed, for the purpose Of en-
abling companies near our border engag-
ed in the manufacture of iron, to hold
land as ore banks But under the idea
that the sinking Of an oil well is mining
Il Is believed that companies have alrea-
dy been organized, under the laws of
other States, and that more will be, for
the purpose Of holding lands and carry
ing on the oil business in this State, 1t
would be better to remove all doubt ON
this question byrepealing the act. These
Companies, being foreign corporations, are
not within the control of our laws to the
extent that they ought to be for the pur-
poses Of taxation aud 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 Commonwealth.
| have made efforts to ascertain the val
ne Of the product during the last year,
but have failed in procuring Information
sufficiently accurate to justify me in csti-
mating its amount 1t is already vast,
aud is rapidly increasing.
The productions and manufactures Of
the State have become SO diversified and
abundant that some measure shoold be Ia
ken for IN accurate ascertainment of them,
so that their extent may be generally
known, and also that the necessary taxa
ton may be intelligently imposed, ! re-
commend for these purposes ths creation
Of a Bureau, Of which the Auditor Gen
ertl and State Treasury shall be members.
and the head of which shall be new Of
fcer, to be styled Commissioner Of Sta
tistics, Or designated by any other appro-
pirate title,
The act Of 2jth August, 1864 pro-
yiding for the voting of soldiers, should
be carefully examined, with a view to its
amendment, and, indeed, a revision Of our
whole election laws would seem 10 be de-
sirablc, with Wow to the two essential
objects Of, ] The admission Of Illegal
votes at the polls; and 2 Faithful and
correct returns of the votes actually poll
ed. I communicate herewith the opm-
ion Of the Attorney General ON the con-
nictingreturus for the 10TH Congressional
District, which viii show some Of the
practical difficulties switch arise under the
cSisting system. Without undertaking
to Recommend the adoption Of any par
ticulur plan, | submit the whole subject
totyour 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 ex-
istenco Of free governments: that votes
shall be lairIy taken in the first instance,
and fairly counted and returned after
wards.
[ have cndoavorod since | came into Of
fec to exercise as cautiously as possible
the powers coniided to the Executive,
and avoid usurping any. shalIendeayor
to persist in this course to the end.
4 new call has been made by the Pres
ideut for 100000 men. This renders it
proper that / should invite your attention
to the evils which haycles1,lted FRONT abu-
ses Of the system Of local bounties which
was begun. in au emergency, by the vol
untary and generous loyalty Of our cjti-
zens, before the passage by Congress Of
the enrolment act, and has since been
continued by sundry acts Of Assembly.
The resnlt has-been to the last degree
oppressive to our citizens, aud unproduc-
tive of corresponding benefit to the Gov
ernilent. In some counties aud town
ships, it is bclieyed that the bounty tax
during the last year exceeded heoyeragc
income derived from the land. The large
sums offered in some places in the com
petition for men, have demoraized many
Of our people, and the most atrocIou:
frauds connected with the system have
become common. he men OF some OF
the poorer counties have been nearly cz'
hausted by their volunteers. being cred.
tied to richer Localities paying heavier
bounties. The system as practicod low
ers the ntorate Of the army itself BY put.
ting into the ranks men actuated by mere
| ly mercenary motives, and who are temp.
ted to desert BY tho facility OF escaping
detec'ion, and the prospect ol new gam.
by re,enlislmehI' 9n a process t %N;gH ;Iei tngy
"a PgSs - e 9s 4D,o 4;o " ~ ~, tLo So nrn,Gcr ot
nulnpSr f u H. 'i,C7 honot;ce % baro NV. boan aid 4
iiJ', IoI;oraJ io "J hat not sfarrtb have beer
actually niaeed in the ranks Of the army
/