The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-04
Military Matters.


Your attention is invited to the report OF the Al.
int nGeneral for the "details of the ranslct ns Of
3 !, Of Military power in the state, su6o innate
and auxiliary to the civil authorities, has been so
fully discussed, and so generally admitted, as TO
nuous II has been my desire aud aim to constitute
such force to aid the civil authorities, should an
Emergency arise, ,in the suppression of public tumut
or dir order. This has been effected more success
fully than was at first anticipated. In 1866
there but eight volunteer comp lnies in
the State; at the close of 1869 there were one hum
dred and eighty-four; to which number one hundred
and ify-eight companies were added last year. In
the meantime thirty have been disbanded, leaving
three hundred and eleven organized and active mill
taTy companies, now recognized by act OF the Legs
lature, as the 'Nati0nal Guard OF Pennsylvania"
From the company organizations fourteen regl-
rents and five battalions have been formed. Whilst
am not disposed to encourage regmental organiza-
tOns OF cavalry or artillery, they being unnecessarily
large and expensive regard separate or iudepen-
dent troops and batteries Of these branches OF the
service, attached to brgades or DIVISIONS as highly
re quota OF arms due Pennsylvania has been
drawn from the General Government. This amounted
to forty five hundred breacll.loading ride-muskets
and 8ccoutrements, with propOrdonate supply of
the proper ammunition. These have been dstri-
buted, as provided by the act of May 4, 1864.
Military History.
The Legislature, In 1864, passed an act authorizing
the Governor ITO appoint some competent person to
teefs and militia who had been or might thereafter
be in the field during the war OF the Rebellion In
conformity herewith my predecessor appointed
responsible undertaking. He commenced the task
with zeal ana INDUSTRY and has prosecuted it with
sve and required much greater amount OF labor
and research than was at first contemplated. -Four
large royal octave Volumes handsomely printed and
substantially bonnd, have been produced, and the
fifth and last volume will be completed before the
first of June next The book itself affords the best
commentary or criticism OF the manner In which the
author has discharged his duties. 1t puts in
form and perpetuates the most important portion Of
our history, which otherwise would have been for
ever lost. Hereafter it will be invaluable to the
Commonwealth.
NntInnoI CsmatarIas
on the first of July, 1870 an act of Congress was
passed alnendatory to the act entitled IAN Act to
proved February % 1861 The object of these laws
Is to place under the National Government the
management and preservation of these cemeteries,
and to secure the consent of the several taes in
which they are located. This consent has already
been given as to the GENE terry al Gettysburg, by the
act approved April A. 1sGs and the National autho-
rites ask for the action by the State rs to
IhG me ceIit % tglHs at nlenW1ou, lebanon, Mo9ht MO.
and also those at harrisburg, Pttsburg, and York.
She Milford and hsuIamoras RaiirOnJ.
About the close of the last session of the Legisa-
! ture an act was passed and approved entitled ga
! supplement TO the Milford and MatamOraS Railroad
! Conpany" The fourth section of this en- naCtment
seems to have been intended to take from the state
| ana give to the company the ten thousand dollar
! bonus paid into the state Treasury Annually by the
| New York and Erie Railroad Company, uuder the
| hfth section OF the act of 26th March, 1916 Soon
after the adjournment my attention was directed to
the subject, and TO guard against loss caused the
Acknowledgement TO give notice 10 the New York AMI
! Erie Railroad Company that thH State would look
|
| bonus, as heretofore Notwithstanding the passage
of the supplement- referred to. regard the latter
as having been enacted and approved, through in
adyerance, in the hurry OF closing sessloa, and
as hasty and incOnslderate egis alton, at variance
with The settled policy Of the State ami highly pre-
judicial to the public interests and therefore ear
| nestly recommend its immediate repeal, or NJ least
| 60 much OF ii as relates to the bonus.
telegraph Lines and iRa'ITOads.
The question OF the assumption OF the control Of
| the telegraph lines ana the charterBg Of railroad
! companies within the State by the General Govern
| II partially considered
its last SESSION, ana is now receiving considerable
aten.on: fegara,ng Inc subject as one OF vast
State, the interests OF corporations that enfraG-
| chised by 1t, and of our citizens VINO have invest
ments In stocks and bouds amounting tD many mil
lions of dollars, most earnestly invite your serious
examination of il, and your early action thereon.
Geological survey.
4 reliable geological and minera0gical survey
would be OF incaculabe value to the State. With
out it we have indefinite ideas of our vast unde-
Ye,OpCd mineral wealth, and the expense attending
it would be utterly insignificant when compared
with the beneficial results. We are, at present,
character, and resources of our mineral regions.
The first step towards a geological survey is to
obtain as cor CORRECT a map as possible, if not
thereof as are Of the most portance to
Work We OF labor 9I me and can opy w be
plishCd successfully by trianguating each county
constructing complete and accurate map OF the
whole state. 1t is neither wise nor just policy to
delay lhis WOrh because IL may @ De more perIeeIy
sent nt Cessity, and the time never will come when
such work can be rendered perfect There can
port New DEVELOPMENTS in mineral re-
Sources as well as addtiona Requirements in scieu.
tifc knowledge, will constantly be made as long as
the world exists.
The general voice of the business community and
land-OWTeTship Of the State demands this survey
1t is especially called for by the oil regions, newly
discovered coal fields, and by the iron, manufacture
ing, and railroad interests. Large portions OF the
State remain, to great extent, unstudied by scien
ti1c ana practical men. The Old survey of 1864
did good work, built Is OF little value now, except
in few localities Since It was made, wOnderIu
discoveries have taken place. and problems of stTuc
tuTe and depVs stil rCl"an unsOlved, doubtless in
VOlying many millions " dollars In value. Then,manN
of the back counties were comparatively unsettled
and arccly any openings were made in our mineTa
districts, except in the anthracite coal basins anC
around Pittsburg. Now, the Stale IS 1ull OF tria
shafts and private explorations; extensive forests
have been cleared; roads penetrate what were in
accessible regions; railways traverse whole counties
with instrumental field work; many thousands o
oil and salt wells have been bored; valuable mine
put in working order; the population has advanced
In intelligence aud grown more Obseryant and Ell
terpIsirg, and the Skill OF the geologst metallur
gist and surveyor has reached higher degree o.
perfection. POsteIty has its claims upon us
and it should be considered that what
much accomplished for the generations that ma,
follow. One important function OF a geological sur
yey is to preserve knowledge for future Scieno
| is cumulative and its advances are slow. lt mus
collect many facts before it arrives at true cOncu
siOns. For want OF a proper bureau OF statistic
: and corps OF observation and publication to CO.
late and relate the facts OF our geology and mine
| TalOgy as they have appeared the State has aread
| suffered severely Much valuable information ha
been lost never 10 be recovered, and little ceTtai
knowledge OF past mining and other scientific opera
tohs has been preserved to govern and assist the IL
ture engineer The sooner, therefore, in my opinion
geological survey is authouZed, the better Will It b
for the prospective interests OF the State well
| for its present necessities.
Roar6 of Public CharitIes