The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-29
Our Harrisburg Letter.
HARRISBURG, March 20, 1866.

ing given birth to any measure of more
than ordinary importance in the line of leg
islatiun. 1t is true, the most important
bill OF the sesSion-that in which the
whole people Of the Commonwealth have
the greatest interest-the General Appro
priation Bill, has been reported and acted
upon In the House, but no one can tell
at this stage of action upon it, what may
be Its exact shape when it reaches the
Executive for his approval. The disa-
greements between the two Houses, on
this bill, invariably go to Committee Of
Conference, who patch it up and make
report, which report is, in all instances,
adopted There is one feature in the bill
as it passed the House, that deserves no.
tice, and that is, that The pay of Senators
and Representatives has been again in
creased, making it ONE THOUSAND Dol
LARS for the present Session. So far as
pay is concerned, the motto of members
seems to be "ExcelSior" and
upward" 1t is much to be regretted that
the same does not apply to honesty and
purity IN the business of law making
There is, on the contrary, kind of sill
ding scale connected with this matter. -
While "pay" goes up, "horesty" and
"purity'' go down. A few years ago, the
maximum pay of member of the Legis-
lature was about four hundred dollars for
the Session. Then, 90 use fash phrase, }
"by a single turn of the wrist it was
made SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. Now,
by double turn of the same, it is proposed
to make it the even ONE THOUSAND DOL
LARS and mileage, being about ten dol
lars per day. TLis is pretty rough on
people who are now willingly submitting
to an enormous taxation to pay the debt
necessarily contracted by the Government
to put down an unholy rebellion aud there
by perpetuate our glorious Union.
The following bill has passed both
branches. 1t is a general bill, applying
to every coUnty in the Common wealth.-
As it changes the manner Of voting in
your county, | give it to you entire:
SEC. /. Be it enacted, ETC., That the quali-
fed voters Of the several coanties of this
Comm onwealth, at all general, township.
borough and special elections, are hereby
hereafter authorized and required 20 vote by
tickets printed or written, or partly printed
and partly written, seyerally classified as
follows One ticket shall embrace the names
of all judges of courts voted for and to be
labelled outside Judiciary :" one ticket shall
embrace the names of all State officers roted
for, and be labelled State; :" one tickeG shall
embrace the names of all county officers voted
for, including office of Senator and me nber or
members of Assembly, if voted fer, and mem
bers of Congress, # voted for, and be labelled
County" one ticket shall embrace the names
OF all township officers voted for, and be la
belled township - one ticket shall embrace
the names of all borough officers voted for
and be labelled ''borough - and each class
be deposited in separate ballot boxes.
Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of the
sheriffs IL the several counties of this Com
mon ealth to insert, in their election procla-
nation hereafter issued, the first section of
this act.
1t appears that Congress is about doing
justice to Pennsylvania, by reimbarsing
her the SS0O,000 advanced to pay the
militia, called out by the Governor, at the
solicitation Of the President, to drive back
the Rebel invaders III 1868. This money
was borrowed by the Governor, from the
Banks of the State, aud, as Congress was
SO tardy in making provisions for its pay
ment, the Legislature authorized it to be
paid out of the State Treasury Much
credit is due to. that old war-horse, Hon.
Thaddeus Stevens, for this act Of simple
Justice to his State He had the bill in
charge, and passed it through the House
Of Representatives, in the face of a most.
violent opposition. [ have not seen list
of the yeas and nays, but have no doubt,
he was ''backed up by the vote of your
trusty and attentive member, Hon. a. a.
Barker.
There is another proposition before
Congress, ID which many in your section
of the State have a deep interest. [ aliude
TO the equalization of bounties The
modus operandi Of reaching this desirable
'consumma!ion has not, as yet, assumed a
definite shape. One proposition is to
place the volunteers who enlisted In 1861
and 1862 on the same footing as those
who enlisted in after years while another
is To allow the former monthly pay Of
eight and one-third dollars Per month for
the time served. | hope the former prop
osition Will prevail, with provision that,
in cases in which companies or individuals
who had been regularly mustered into the
service OF the United States for three
years, and who were afterwards honoraby
discharged, by order of the War Depart
ment or other competent authority, shall
IL kc..nEtc ct Ill tl,n L.