The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-31
GOTERNOR GEARY.
He yetOes Another Act of the State
LEGISLATURE.

htkhSAasuHcs
On Monday evening the Deputy Secretary Of
the Commonwealth presented to the House of
Representatives four messages from Governor
Geary, vetoing certain enactments Of both
branches of the Legislature. We eselectthis one
as being of interest to our own eitizens:-
Executive CHAMBER. HARRISBURG, March 20,
1869.-To the Senate and House of Representa-
Gentlemen: House bill No. 44O, entitled, can
Act Supplementary to an Act to Incorporate
the Mercantile Insurance Guarantee and Trust
Company OF Philadelphia, approved the 2lst
day of February, Ammo Domini one thousand
eight hundred and sixty nine," is hereby re.
turned with my objections.
In the first place the enrolment tax has never
been paid on the act to which this Is supple
ment, and hence there Is no law to which this
a supplement can attach. The first section
of the act approved May l, 1858, on the subject
OF enrolment tax, provides that no private act
of Assembly subject TO said tax, "shall be en-.
roled in the Office of the Secretary of the Com
monweslth, or published, or have the force or
effect OF law, until the psrty asking or requiring
the same shall have paid into the Treasury of
the Commonwealth" the amount OF tax 6Xed by
law. deem 1t against public policy to encou-
rage the non payment of enrolment taxes; aud
] have, therefore, felt constrained to withhold
my approval from all such enactments.
Besides this, the provision of the second sec
tion OF the bill seems to be unusual and dauger-
GUS to the right and liberties of the citizen. 1t
is provided that on the application of the COM
pany the Governor shall appoint ana commits
sion not exceeding eight police detectives,
selected by the company, who ''shall severaliy
| possess and exercise throughout the State all
the powers grained and conferred by the third
section of an act empowering g
railroad companies to employ police force
and all keepers of jails and
| station houses are required TO receive all per-
sops duly arrested by said agents, as If such
| arrests had been made by constables or police
! officers" And 1t is further provided that .the
| SAID commissions OF the Governor shall cease
and be determined whenever the president OF
the said company shall notify such person or
! persons in writing that the said company has
dispensed with, or no longer requires his or
regard what is known as the Railroad Police
| bill of 1856 as having gone to the utmost verge
| of constitutional power. That limited the
| jurisdiction of the appointees TO a small terri
| tory, whilst the present bill authorizes rowing
| at the pleasure of the company, thus virtually
| placing the administration of this branch OF the
| public justice IN the hands of a private corpo
| ration.
The eighth section OF the ninth article OF the
| Constitution Is as folloWs:-"That the people
| shall be secure In their persons, houses, papers
| and possessions from unreasonable searches
and seizures; aud that no warrant to search any
place or TO seize any perPon or things shall ISSUE
| without describing them as nearly as may be
nor without probable cause supported by oath
or Affirmation"
These time honored provisions OF the fuuda
| mental law were intended TO protect the citizens
| OF the State in their personal liberty, and from
all uni easonable arrests, searches, aud sezure
OF their persons or property. Ths BILL in m'
judgment, takes away those constitutional guar
antees, and cannot be vndicated or sustained
by any sound principles OF public policy.
JOHN W. GEARY.