The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-05-24


wholesale plunder? We ask for infor-
nation, as we did not get to see a single
copy of the Legislature Record for the
last session, and, therefore, cannot, at
present, speak by the book. For this
time let the testimony ofthe Lancaster
Examiner, suffice, for it convicts the
Radicals of the last Legislature, as
body, of the most unparalleled and
corrupt extravaganza.
READ!
From the Lancaster Examiner, Rad.
We are indebted to the Hon. /. B.
Cara, Deputy Secretary of the Com
monwealth, for an official copy of the
acts of the last Legislature, making
the ordinary appropriations for the ex-
penses of the State government and
other general and specifeappropriations.
Instead of being 'Ordinary" they had
better be designated "extraordinary"
appropriations. "Ordinary," is GER
tainly misapplied word in this bill.
1t is a most alarming document for
the Taxpayers of the State to contem-
plate. For reckless and prOt1gate eX-
travagance it has never been equalled
in the history Of this Commonwealth.
For the last few years the appropria-
ton bills have been gradually growing
in magnitude. When this last one had
gone through the first process of incu-
baton by both houses, nearly natttl0n
dollars more had been appropriated"
| than the whole revenues OF the State
amounted to. But the vigilant State
Treasurer gave these virtuOus Solons
notice that somebody would have to go
unpaid, if bill so proflgate in appro-
| priatiOnS was allowed to become a law,
! which it did not. AS it passed, how
ever, it is worse than any that had pre-
ceded it.
Since 1865 there has been an increase
in salaries in the appropriation bills,
and offices alone, involving annually
an expenditure of not less than from
| fifty to a hundred thousand dollars.
Every year some trife-a few hundred
| dollars, or thousand, is added to some
bOdy's salary, or some "friend" of some
| body is slipped into snug place with
nothing to do but draw his salary.
We do not intend to compare all the
| different items of this bill with other
appropriation bills, to show how sew
eraI hundred Thousand dollars are
recklessly appropriated and how this
extravaganza has grown in few years.
! But we will cOnfine our comparison
for the present to two items which we
think will be sufficient to convince our
readers that this disposition to vote
aWay the hard earned dollars of the
| l,oc for
that they had better be looking after
those who are sent to legislate for them
a little more in the future than they
have in the past. We will compare
the appropriations of 1867 with those
of1864
By section 81 of the appropriation
bill of 1864 was appropriated for the
payment of the expenses OF the LeglS-
lature. including pay and mileage OF
members, clerks, &C., $l50,000.
By section a of the bill of 1867 was
appropriated for the payment of the eX-
penses of the Legislature, including
paw and mileage of members, clerks,
&C.. 1868 900; showing an increase in
| three years of the small sum of one
hundred and fifteen thousand dollars.
Now let us look at another item. In
|
| bill, was appropriated for law judTes,
not including Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh, $4,000.
BY the act of 1867, section 20, for the
same judges is appropriated $ll2,C00!
| alone.
The two items foot up the round sum
of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
We merely give these two items be-
cause they serve our purpOseto show at
what a fearful rate reckless and faithleSs
men can squander the taxes of the peO-
pie, and by their unnecessary and un-
called for liberality to themselves and
others, divert the money Of the people
from its legitimate and proper use, the
| payment of the State debt. Almost
every section of this bill shows the
same 6berdtity towards those who draw
their suStenance from the State Treas
ury. 1t is a question which the peo-
| pie ought to be looking after. The
remedy rests with them in the selec-
ton of representatives. If men are
elected who are either incompetent, or
venal and corrupt, profigate with their
own or other peoples money, drunk
ards or gamblers, it cannot be expected
that they will prove either prudent or
economical legislators.
The cry now is, that corruption and
extravaganza is not alone to be found at
Harrisburg; but at the capitols of
other States, Albany, Trenton, &C., the
same evil is sapping the foundations of
the law making powers.
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WIDE AWAKE.-Our excellent Dem