The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-06-29
The Trouble OF the "Tr,bune., ),


The editor. of the Johnstown Tribune,
with courage almost heroic, returns in
his last paper to his stereotyped assault
on the County Commissioner, for their
refusal to enforce Samuel Henry's otttDpt
TO pass an act of Assembly changing the
mode of collecting taxes in Cambria
county. We will pass by his insinua-
tions against the Commissioners, all Of
which We have disposed Of heretofore,
and will refer once more to the facts con.
necisd with the passage of this act, which,
20 far as the member from Cambria is
concerned, is burlesque on legislation.
The hrst section Of the bill provides
THAT FROM and after the passage Of this
act, it should be the duty of the Com
missioners of Cambria county, in each
and every year Immediately after the xs>
sessment of taxes for State and County
purposes shall be completed, not later
than the first Monday n April, to cause
fhei. clerk to make out fair duplicate of
All seated real estate and personal property
assessed, with the taxes thereon, in a
convenient form. and deliver the same to
the Treasurer of said county, &c. This
10 the frat and controlling section of SAM
nel Henry's tax bill, which is n. frail and
rickety as specimen of legislation az
was the celebrated house that Jack built.
This bill was introduced into the House
In March, and it is to be presumed that
ith author carefully watched the progress
OF his own legislative bantling from its
birth to maturity. That such a law was
In contemplation, was kept profound
secret, and the first notice the Commis.-
toner's ever had of its passage was on the
9th OF April, the day after the Governor
signed 1t, and eight days after it was to 90
into operation by the terms of the first
section.
1t is not denied that the bill passed the
Senate on the third of April, and yet it
was to take effect on the first day of that
month, and ''not later" Mr.. Henry
knew, or onght to have known, that the
first Monday in April was the first day
OF the month, and that ON that day the
bill had not passed the Senate, and was
therefore no law at all. In other words.
a bill which did not become a law until
1t was approved by the Governor on the
9Th OF April was permitted to pass in
such shape as to require the Commiss-
toner's to execute 1t on the first day of
that month. and ''not later" Could
legislative bungiing and stupidity 20
further! Why did not Samuel Henry,
when the bill was before the Senate on
The third of April, get bis friend Harry
White to amend it, by striking out the
words ''not later than the first Monday
in April, and insert ''not later than the
first Monday in Mayi' This would
have obvisted all difficulty, and would
have given the Commissioner fair and
reasonable notice of what they were re-
quired to do. Bat this was not done
and now the Commissioners are fiercely
denounced for not enforcing law, which,
BY its own terms, 50 far as the year 1872
IS concerned, defeated itself The opinion
Of the Attorney General, upon which the
Tribune places 50 much reliance, is in
the handwriting of one Of his deputies
or clerks, and shows conclusiyely that be
knows as little about the construction of
an act OF Assembly as he does about the
language Of the Choctaws. Not even a
layman, much less a lawyer, will stultify
himself by saying that an act Of the
Legislature approved on the 9th of April !
could be enforced on tho fret day of the
same month. The mere statement of the
proposition carries with it its own refuta.
tion. How much weight ought to be
given TO IA opinion of the present Attor<