Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-01-15
CLEARFIEL4D, PA. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY is 1863


Pennsylvania State Iunatic Hospital. at
Harrisburg, and of the Western Pennsylva-
MA Hospital. at Pittsburg, viii be found In
the reports OF the trustees and superintend.
ents. Both these institutions, as well as
/ others IN the State for the care of the in
sane, are crowded. The infrmaries for the
hospital at Harrisburg, for which appropri-
alton was made last year, with large num-
Der OF additional wards, have been erected,
| and Will be ready for occupation during the
winter. A liberal appropriation for the
! Western Hospital was devoted to the erec-
! ton OF buildings, on the Ohio river seven
miles below Pittsburg, known as the Dix
mont Hospital for the Insane The great
Increase OF population renders necessary the
establishment OF other institutions of this
kind. 1t Is estimated that the ratio of the
insane IS one to every thousand persons, and
| on assuming the population of the State to
be about three millions FIVE hundred thous-
and, we have about three thousand five hun
dred insane. The hospitals in the State af-
ford accommodation for only Two thousand.
Hence there are fifteen hundred for whom no
| provision is made, and many of them are
iiangulshlng in the county prisons and aims
| houses.
REVISION OF THE CIVIL CODE.
| Pursuant TO the first section of a joint res
olution OF the Legislature, approved on the
| 10th OF April last, Hon David Derrickson,
w. Maciay Hall, Esq, and Wayne NJ Weigh,
| Esq, were appointed to revise collate and
| digest all such public acts and statutes of the
civil code OF this Staie, as are general and
! permanent in their nature These gentle
men have commenced the work assigned
them, and from which the following ber efits
are hoped TO be derived:
! l. The correction of the redundancies,
| J
the existing statutes 2. The framing of
general laws as substitutes for the innumer-
able local statutes, which for many years
have comprised the bulk of the acts of AS
| seulbly and occupied tue attention of the
Legislature to the detrlment oil general leg
| isiatlon. 3. The conerrIng upon the courts
! many powers now exercised by the Legisa-
ture, and which, 1t is believed, will greatly
| relieve that body 10y decreasing the demand
for special Legislation and allowing ampler
opportunity Tor the consideration Of the
public interests.
The gentlemen comprising the commission
have prepared a large number of bills. most
of which will be laid before you at an early
day. The mo important OF these which
the commissioners, in harmony with my own
| views. are Of the opinion should receive ear
| ly and favorable action Of the Legislature
are those relating to corporations, the poor,
public highways, railroads, evidence and in
terest. The others, with, perhaps, few
exceptions, might be left unacted upon until
the entire work of revision is completed
The enactment OF the bill on corporations
into law, at an early period OF the session,
would doubtless, serve to prevent much
legislation that might be called for on sub
jects which the bill Itself contemplates and
ioT which it makes ample provision. The
hills Tplaflnp N the and tn nj btIa hi ruh
ways demand early attention, as the laws
now in force on these subjects are so numer-
Gus and diversified that scarcely any two
counties IN the State are controlled by the
same law, and 1t is earnestly to be desired
that they receive the earliest practicable
sanction of the Legislature.
The commissioners desire to be allowed, so
far as possible, TO complete the work and
present 1t as a symmetrical whole, rather
than II detached parts, and express their
opinion relative to the time requisite for its
satisfactory completion. They ask repeal
of so much Of the first section OF the joint
resolution as excerts from their labors those
statutes revised, coditied and enacted under
the resolution approved Aiarch %, 1880,
and an amendment of the fourth section. so
as to extend from two to hree years, the
time allowed for the completion OF the work.
The proposed amendments Will give them
control of the whole body OF the statute law,
and such allowance of time as they deem
necessary for its satisfactory revision. The
accumulation Of our public statutes, during
a period of nearly two centuries, can hardly
fail to present a confusion which 1T is emf
nently desirable should be corrected and
the only practicable mode of accomplishing
this is the one indicated by the resolution
of the last Legislature, and having confidence
in the gentlemen selected for this work, il is
due to them, as well as to the public that
they should not be restricted, either as to
time or by exceptions, which would prevent
a perfect and desirable embodiment of pub
lie statutes.
The task is one of more than ordinary
magnitude, requiring deliberate consldera-
ton, critical acumen, and careful comparison
and arrangement, together with high order
of talent, literary attainments, legal research,
and energetic industry to bring 1t to that
perfection which its importance demands
and the Legislature intended and will doubt
less expect.
The Auditor General, Secretary of the
Commonwealth and State Treasurer, appoint
ed by the Legislature at its last session to
revise and digest the tax laws of the State
have discharged that duty. Their report
will be submitted at an early day. and | be-
speak for it that careful examination which
the importance of the subject deserves.
PUBLIC NOTICE GIVEN CERTAIN BILLS.
Your attention is also invited to the acts
of May IL, 1857, and April ,. 1860, Digest,
page 49, requiring public notice to be given
of the application for all private acts relating
to real estate and for acts of incorporation.
The wisdom and justice of these are mani
fest, and their enforcement cannot be other
| wise than beneficial