Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-01-09
Annual Message Of
ANDRE" G. CURTIN, !,
Governor of Pennsylvania.

Eoh. Senate and House of Representatives
Of the Commonwealth Of Rean'a:
We have reason to be thankful to God, for
,ba blessings of peace, abundant crops, that
;ndustry has been rewarded, and that thus
,bs Commonwealth has been able to do her
fnll duty to herself, to the country and pos
terity. -,
The condition of our finances is as follows :
Balance in Treas'y, Nov 80, 1865 S2,373,66s IA !;
Receipts during fiscal year ending November 30,
isss $3.50 665 54; Total in Treasury for fiscal
year ending Nov. 30, 1855, SS, ,203. .336 eS; Pay
sents for same period have been Sc 462 303 Al );
Balance in Treasury, Dec. |, 1856, 81 ,74l 033 Y.
Amount Of the public debt as it stood on the first
Dec. 1865 s37 ,476, ,25s 06; Amount reduc-
dsys. -. Treasury, during the fiscal year
ed 81 tne a. I'm, per Ct loan, ,s2s 5Ss 25i
~ nsI ct loan, S25 600 90 nvtes' to-, W
home tito creditors certifc ates, go % ~
duction, 81 1854 2o5 90; Total puoic as saht ner
Isss s35622O52 I6. to wit: FunIed deot o Pea Ioa
cent loan S400,630 90; per cent loan o'A'.'
So 4. per cent loan s2l3 200 90; per cent loan
Military. per act May Is, 1861, $3.50 100 W un-
fa,d.d debt relief notes in circulation $50 so oo
Interest certificates outstanding Sl3,Ooo az; In
tsrsst certificates unclaimed S4,44S 80; Domestic
creditors certificates SIG Ct Total S3o; ;6ZzO32
Assets in Treasury Bonds of Penn'a Railroad
company $1,000, 900 90; Bonds of Phil and Erie
railroad COMPANY
of Phira and Erie railroad company 81 225,O0o
90; Cash in Treasury 81 l74l ,033 81; Total assets
sIS,Oss, ,033 27; Liabilities in excess of assets
S22. 536, ,OIS SO Total debt S35 .622 ,O52 l6.
Liabilities in excess of assets, on November 80
1861, s2s, s,I4s,Os0 SO Liabilities in excess of as
sets, Nov. 80, 1866, S22, ,536 ,0lS S9 Improvement
In Treasury since 1861 S5.6l2,O4l AZ.
The extraordinary expenditures, during
the war and since its close, In payments
growing out OF it by authority of acts of As
sembly, have amounted to upwards OF live
millions of dollars, which, added to the ac
tual payment of the Indebtedness of the
State, and money in the Treasury for that
purpose, shows the revenues, above the or
dinary expenditures, to have amounted to
sl0,6l2, 900, which would all have been ap-
piled to the payment of the debt of the
Commonwealth in the last six years. A
careful attention to the revenues of the
Commonwealth, with such just and prudent
changes As may be required in the future,
and wise economy i'll expenditure, will, in
my judgment, ensure the entire payment of
the public debt, within the period of fifteen
years.
The time fixed for the redemption of S23,-
los, 626 "A of the indebtedness of the Com
monwealth having expired, l recommend
that provision he made for its redemption.
HS uiahtuS new iodii iol eudb pun pooC,p"y
able at such periods as the prospective rev.
enues will justify.
| recur with much satisfaction, to the
wisdom, prudence and economy of the rep
resentatives of the people, in the manage
ment of the finances of the Commonwealth,
during the period of much embarrassment,
uncertainty and distress, and congratulate
you and them on the near approach Of the
entire liquidation Of the public debt.
Since my last Annual Message, L have
drawn from the Treasury, two Thousand dol
lars of the fund placed in the hands of the
Governor for secret service and other extra
ordinary expenses, which [ have expended,
IN payment of my personal staff, and tor
other purposes, as heretofore, except five
hundred and sixty three dollars and forty
eight cents which [ have returned to the
Treasury.
| present, for your consideration, the
amendments to the Constitution of the u
hlted States, proposed to the Legislatures of
the several States by a resolution OF both
Houses Of Congress, passed on the 10th day
Of June last. | was glad that it was posi-
bic, without delaying the final adoption OF
these amendments, to ascertain the opinion
OF our people upon them, at the general
election, in October last. By the election
OF large majority of members openly IA
voring and advocating the amendments, that
opinion seems to me to have been abundant
" expressed. Indeed, the amendments are
50 moderate and reasonable in their charac-
Ter, that it would have been astonishing if
the people had failed to approve them.
Thatevery person, born in the United States,
and free, whether by birth or manumission,
Ha citizen of the United States, and that
no State has right to abridge the privileges
of citizens of the United States-these are
principles which were never seriously doubt
ed anywhere, until after the insane crusade
IN favor of slavery had been for some time
IN progress. What is called the decision of
the Supreme Court of the United States, in
the Dred Scott case, has made it expedient
and proper to re-assert these vital principles
IN an authoritative manner, and this is done
IN the first clause of the proposed amend
ments
The right of prescribing the qualifications
Oi voters is exercised by the respectiveStates,
under the Constitution of 1889; three-ftths
OF the slaves were counted in ascertaining
me representative population OF the several
otstes. The amendment to the Constltu-
Il GOn abolished slavery in all the States and
territories. Though it was formerly other
wise In most, if not all, Of the old Southern
States. yet for many years past free negroes
nave not, in any of these, been permitted to
vote. AT present, therefore, the late slave
states would be entitled to count the whole
Of their former slave population, as basis
iSr representation, instead OF three hfths
thereof. That is to say, they would have In
the existing ratio about twenty more MEM
oers of Congress than they had before sla-
very was abolished, and the free States would
lose the same number, making difference
OF about forty members of Congress, or,
say, one sixth of the whole body. In other
words, the treason of the rebellious States,
the suppression of which has cost us so ma
~ ~ hundreds of thousands of precious lives,