The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-03-12
COMMUNICATIONS.


town and vicinity assembled at the Town
Hall, on Saturday evening, March 7th, when
DR.. G. Sheridan was called to the Chair
Daniel w. G ,ughnour. james B. M'Creight
Mark Graham, W. H Rosensteel, VIM. Flat
tery, John Brady, George Wehn, L. B. Co
hick, Geo w. McGarey. VIM. c. Lewis ;-nd
Major R. Ryckman were appointed Vice
| Presidents, and Joseph 5. Strayer was cho-
| sen Secretary.
Hon. A. KopeIin stated the object of the
meeting 10 be the entering of protest and
rernonstrance against the passage of bill
| introduced on behalf Of the Penn'a Rail Road
and now pending in both branches of the Le-
| gislature. viz: IAN Act relating to railroad
/ companies and common carriers. defining
| their liabilities - &c. The first and second
sections of the bill were regarded by the
/ speaker as being full of cenomoaLS reptiles
! The first section releases the Rail Road Com
! pany from all liability for personal injury to
| all persons who may be in relation with the
/ COMPANY. oven passengers. The second
/ section confines the damages for death, or
/ personal injury. to pecuniary damages, and
/ even then limits the &H'Ouut which is in pal
/ pable contravention of the Constitution.
After the object of the meeting had been
/ stated. on motion Messrs. D. Mclaughlin
John Cox. Z. Ii. Canaan. William Fatterv
! and John Carroll were named as a Commit
tee to draft resolutions expressive of the sense
of the meeting, who reported the following.
! which were unanimously adopted
| IThereGS, On the oath day Of February q
bill entitled IAN Act relating 20 railroad
! com, ,anies and common carriers, defining
! their liabilities &C., has been read IN place
/ in the House of Representatives of Pennsyl-
( vania by Mr. Westbrook, and by suspen-
: Il. l,,f,r SniI tol
! passed TO second reading.
! HHd trhcre1s. Sections 1st and 81 of said
! bill, if enacted and passed, would in a great
/ measure, if it would not entirely, relieve
| railroad companies and common carriers from
! any liability in damages to any person OF
| persons injured by their negligence, and
would destroy the sarred and constitutional
right Of trial by jury. Therefore
ResoIred, That this convention Of the cit
! izens of Cambria county, and the members
/ of the bar thereof, do hereby instruct their
/ Senator and Member of the House of Repre-
! syntatives to use all the effUrts in their pow
! er TO defeat the passage Of said bill, and 10
characterize said sections Of said bill as infa-
/ mous-an outrage upon tue rights of the
! people-a manifest violation OF the CUnSti-
/ tution-an attempt to destroy the sacred
right of trial by jury-and an uuwarranted
! and unconstitutional assumption OF power
! which belongs exclusively to our courts and
/ juries.
! Resolred, That we hereby denounce the
! Pennsylvania Railroad Company, aud any
/ other company that has assisted in attempt
| ing to have this infamous bill enacted as a
. law, and that while will at all times
cheerfully conceGe 20 said company, or Il
any other railroad company, all rights and
privileges to which they may be Justly en-
titled, we warn them that when they at
! tempt TO interfere with our most sacred rigbt.
/ we viii resist all such attempts with ali the
/ power God and nature and the laws of our
country have given Us.
/ ReSOived. That we will hold mp to public
scOrn aud eXecratiOn any member of our Le-
/ gisature who may so far forget his duty to
! his Constituents. to himself and to bis God,
as TO Vote for this infamous bill.
R-sO}ced, That we instruct our Senator
and Member of the House Of Representatives
to present and endeavor to have Il bill passed
! IN the Legislature, giving employees of rail
road companies and common carriers the
/ same rights, as to the recovery of damages
for injuries resulting from the negligence OF
their employers, OF the agents of said EN-
Floyers, that any other person or persons
are now by law entitled to recover
ReSotUed, That it is the request of this
convention that our Senator and Representa-
! tive cause these resolutions TO be read before
both Houses
Resolred, That the thanks Of this conven-
ton are due, and they are hereby warmly
rendered, to our Senator, Hon. Harry White,
and our Representative, Hon. John P Lin
ton, for the prompt and faithful! manner in
which they have opposed this bill at the out
set, and for .he timely information and warn
ing which they have given us respecting its
character and the manner in which it was
attempted to be passed by a suspension of
the rules.
Rcsolred, That all the daily and weekly
newspapers throughout the State of Penn
sylvania that are in favor Of preserving the
liberties Of our people, and opposed to fraud
and corruption, requested to publish
these resolutions, and also the first and sec
ond sections of this bill, in order that the
! people may have opportunity of Judging
OF its Infamous character, and that they may
be aroused TO take the proper measures for
resisting this outrage upon their rights which
the Pennsy lvana Railroad Company has at
tempted to perpetrate.
ResoIred, That if said bill should pass,
his Excellency, Gov. Geary. is hereby re,
quested to veto it; and if he should have
any doubts about the propriety of doing 50,
he Is hereby respectfully requested to fix a
day and place to hear committee of those
whose rights and liabilities are to be taken
away by this bill, of which he will please
give the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
notice.
Resolred, That James Potts, a. Kopelin,
D. Mclaughlin. W. H. Rose and R. H Can
an be appointed Committee to carry out
the foregoing resolution and present our
views 90 the Governor If he should bave q
doubt as to the propriety of vetoing this bill.
On motion the meeting adjourned.
@. SHERIDAN, Pres't.
J. S. STRAYER, Sec'y.
Pubic MEET1NG.-On Monday evening
last meeting of the citizens of the county
was called at the Court House to demonstrate
against the passage of bill now pending in
ST -anis 10 LIN,