Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-01-11


The extraordinary expenditures, during
the war and since its close, in payments
growing out of it by authority of acts of
Assembly, have amounted to upwards of
five millions of dollars, which, added to the
actual 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,Gl2,OO0, 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 he Com
m0nwealth, with such just and prudent
changes as may be required in the future,
and wise economy in expenditure, wiz in
my judgment, ensure the entire payments Of
the public debt, within the period OF fifteen
years
The time fixed for the redemption Of s23,-
los, G26 24 Of the indebtedness Of the Com
mcuMealth la, is's expired, I recommend
that provision be made for ;tz radomp sion
by making new loan for that purpose, pay
able at such periods as the prospective rev
enues viii 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 a 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, / have
drawn from the Treasury, two thousand
dollars Of the fund placed in the hands Of
the Governor for secret service and other
extraordinary expenses, which | have ex-
pended, IN payment of my personal staff,
and for other purposes, as heretofore, except
five hundred and sixty-three dollars and for
tyeight cents, which | have returned into
the Treasury.
present, for your consideration, the
amendments to the Constitution of the Uni
ted 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
our people upon them, at the general cleo
ton, IN October last BY the election of a
large majority of members openly fayoring
and advocating the amendments, that opin-
ion seems to me to have been abundantly
expressed. Indeed the amendments are so
moderate and reasonable in their character.
that it would have been astonishing if the
people had failed TO approve them. That
every person, born in the United States, and
free, whether by birth or manumission, Is q
citizen Of the United States, and that I'D
State has a 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 bred Scott case has made it expedi-
ent and proper to Te-assert these vital pTin-
clples IN an authoritative manner, and this
is done IN the first clause Of the proposed
amendments.
The right OF prescribing the qualifications
OF voters IS exercised by the respective
States under the Constitution of 1889
three-ffths Of the slaves were counted in
ascertaining the representative population
of the several States. The amendment to
the Constitution abolished slavery in all the
States and Territories. Though it was for
meIly otherwise in most, if not all, of the
old Southern States yet for many years past
free Negroes have not, in any of these,
been permitted to vote. At present, there
fore, the late slave States would be entitled
to count the whole Of their former slave
population, as a basis for Representations
instead Of three-fifths thereof. That is to
say, they would have in the existing ratio
about twenty more members of CONGRESS
than they had before slavery was aDoh he'd
aud tao free States would lose the same
number. making a difference Of bout forty
memba Of Congress, or, say, ono-sixth of
the whole body In other word, the trea-
s5u Of the rebellious States, The suppression
oi which has cost us so many hundreds of
thousands of precious lives, and so many
thousands of millions of treasure. would be
rewarded by giving them a vast increase of
political power This absurlity. the second
clause Of the proposed amendments, designs
to prevent, by the just, equal and moderate
provision, that in future, the representative
population of each State shall be aseartained
by making pToportiOnate deduction from
the whole population thereof, if its laws ex-
clude from the privilege of voting, any male
citizens not criminals, of the age of twentg
one years. | have yet to learn that any
plausible objection can be offered to such
provision
The third clause of the proposed amend.
ments excludes from Congress, and from
the College of Electors, and from all Offices