Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-12
PENSIONS roR 1SIrREn AND DEAD MITrINEN.

their families), J, who were killed or hurt III
service in the years 1862 and 1868. As
soldiers sometimes arrive here who are In
sane, and who should be protected and
cared for, recommend that provision be
made for their being placed in the State
Asylum for the Insane, at this place, and
kept until notice can be given to the au-
thorities of their respective counties, who
should be required to remove and care for
them.
IRREGULAR ACTS OF INCORPORATION.
! feel it to be my duty to invite your
serious attention to the evils growing out
of the system of passing acts Of incoopo-
ration for purpose which are provided for
by general laws. We have passed acts
authorizing charters to be obtained without
special legislation. These acts have been
generally prepared with some care, and
contain the provisions which the Leglsla-
ture thought necessary to protect the Com
monwealth and her citizens If these gen
eral laws are not found to answer such
purposes, they should be amended and per
fected. If any company desires to be in
with greater privileges than are
conferred or to be relieved from any Of the
conditions imposed by these acts, it appears
to me that it should be required first to
obtain charter under the general laws,
and then apply to the Legislature for an
act making the changes which are desired.
The attention of the Legislature will thus
be drawn to the specific object, and
Judgment can be formed of its propriety.
| would also observe that great evil results
from the habit Of granting privileges to a
corporation by mere reference to some
former private act relating to other corpo-
rations, sometimes without even giving the
date of these acts. All these practices
are bad, and although they may sometimes
be pursued by parties having no bad inten-
tion, yet they certainly originated in the
design of surprising the Commonwealth
into grants Of privileges which it was
known could not be obta ned if their extent
were understood, and they are often follow
ed now for the same fraudulent purposes.
REPEALs RECOMMENDED.
| strongly recommend the repeal Of the
act passed the 18th day of July \. ID.
1863, entitled "An act relating to corpora
tions for mechanical, manufacturing, min
ing, and quarrying purposes" It's provis-
ions are found to be practically 50 incon-
sistent with the due protection of the
citizens and with the just policy Of the
Commonwealth that it ought not to be al
lowed to stand longer on our statute book.
| approved the act in question with great
reluctance, and subsequent reflection and
observation have satisfied me of its mis-
ChievOus character.
| also recommend the repeal of all act
passed the 22d day of July, A. ID. 1868,
entitled " \ further supplement to an act
to enable joint tenants and tenants i'll COM
mon, and adjoining owners Of mineral
lands in this Commonwealth, to manage
and develop the same. " This act allows
foreign corporations to hold three hundred
acres Of land in this State for mining pur-
poses. 1t was passed, it is believed, for
the purpose of enabling companies near
our border, engaged in the manufacture of
iron, to hold land as ore banks But under
the idea that the sinking of an oil well 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 lands and carrying on
the oil business in this State 1t would
be better to remove all doubt on this ques-
ton by repeating the act. The companies,
being foreign corporations, are not within
the control of our laws to the extent that
they ought to be for the purposes of taxa
ton and regulation.
DEVELOPMENT OF OUR INTERNAL RESOURCES.
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
lint ho, fai il,NI
in procuring information sufficiently accu-
rate to Justify me in estimating its amount
1t is already vast, and is rapidly incrcas-
ing.
\ COMMISSIONER OF STATISTICS.
The productions and manufactures of the
State have become so diversified and abun-
dant that some measures should be taken
for an accurate ascertainment of them, so
that their extent may be generally known,
and also that the necessary taxation may
be nteligently imposed. recommend for
these purposes the creation of a bureau, of
which the Auditor General and the State
Treasurer shall be members, and the head
of which shall be new officer, to be styled
Commissioners of Statistics, or designated
by any other appropriation title.
REFORM IN THE METHOD OF SOLDIERS VOTING.
The act of 25th August, 1864, providing
for the voting of soldiers, should be care
fully examined, with a view to its amend
ment, and, indeed, a revision of our whole
election laws would seem to be desirable,
with view to the two essential objects
of |. The admission of the legal and ex-
cusion of illegal votes at the polls and,
2 Faithful and correct returns of the votes
actually polled. | communicate herewith
the opinion of the Attorney General on the
conflicting returns for the Sixteenth Con-
gressional district, which will show some
of the practical difficulties which arise un-
der the existing system. Without under
taking to recommend 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 80 essential to the eXis-
tence of free government that votes
shall be fairly taken in the first instance,
and fairly counted and returned afterwards
! have endeavored since ! came into Office
to exercise as cautiously as possible the
powers confded to the Executive, and
avoid unsurping any, | shall endeavor
to persist in this course to the end,
DRAFT-CoNDEsNArIoN OF LOCAL BoUSTIEs.