Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-04-02
1776-1S76.

The Philadelphia Inquirer Of the 2:
ult. says. Senator McClure's bill appro
priating one million of dollars to provid
a permanent Centennial Exhibition build
ing for the State of Pennsylvania, to be
erected in Fairmounf~ Park, passed th'
Senate on Wednesday evening, tn
House yesterday, was subsequently ap
proved by the Governor, aud, conse
quently, is now law.
The consummation of this measure
practically assures the success Of ou
great Centennial Exposition, and renders
certain of accomplishment that whicl
before was doubtful. In yesterdays IN.
auIRER we printed the full text of the
bill, together with the remarks lpon il
of several prominent Senators. Its mair
features, however, will bear restating -
They are briefly as follows :-ODe mil
lion dollars is appropriated by the State
toward tie Centennial Exhibition, and
means for rai.ing this large cum are pro
vided without making the Commonwealth
responsible for more than one quarter Of
the whole amount. The other three
quarters are to be realized ky tax upon
the gross receipts of the various passen
ger railway companies of this city. BY
the provisions of the fifth section the
companies will be obliged to make quar-.
terly returns of their gross earnings to
the State Treasurer, under oath, and
from the lst day of July, 1873, to the
first day of January, 1877, they will be
obliged to pay over to the Treasurer Of
the Commonwealth, at the stated times
Of making their reports, three per cent.
of their receipts the same to be set aside
and devoted to the purpose of providing
permanent Centennial Exhibition build
ing in the Park, and to be expended by
and under the direction of Commission
composed of gentlemen, the appointment
of every one of whom connot fail to be
entirely satisfactory to the people of the
whole State.
In consideration of the payment of this
tax the railway companies are to be re-
lieved of any and all liabilities to the for
feiture of their charters which they may
have heretofore incurred through neglect
to conform to the terms under which they
hold them Among other things they
were bounden to keep the streets occu-
pied by them in repair, and free from
snow and ice. which. as is well known,
they have not done, and for which ne.
glect their charters might at any time
have been revoked upon the application
of any citizen. In addition, they are to
be permitted to charge seven cents fare
until the lst of January, 1877.
These concessions are very great ones,
and it is not doubted that the companies
will promptly signify their acceptance of
all the provisions of the bill, in order to
enjoy the inmunities which it 0estows.-
But it will be seen from the text of the
act that, should the companies refuse to
accept the concessions made to them,
they are in no wise relieved by such re-
fusal from the payment of the per cent
tax. The bill is clear enough upon that
point, declaring.
That in order to provide revenue to
enable the State to meet appropriation
herein before made, Oh or before the first
day of July, A. ID. 1878, al street pass
enger railway companies now incorpora-
ted in the city of Philadelphia shall
make return to the State Treasurer, un
der oath of the proper officers, stating the
gross receipts Of each of said companies
rom the passage Of this act until said re-
urn is made, and Ike quarterly returns
'hall be made by said company thereaf
er until the first day of January A. d.,
1877, inclusive, and with each report
here ahall be paid by said street passen-
,er railway companies to the State Trea-
urer three per centa,n Of such gross re-