The sun., 1873-04-05
Gov. Uartranft-An Encouraging Veto.

WV
We have from the first taken great in
terest in Gov. IIARTRANrr OF Pennsylvania,
and have never ceased to hope that his ad-
miniStraton might disappoint both his
friends and his enemies We rejoice to say
that this hope is justified by veto with
which he has now Killed one Of the most
rasCally practices of the Pennsylvania
Legislature.
1t has long been usual in Pennsylvania
for members OF the Legislature and lobby
toprocure the passage Of acts chartering
every sort of corporation for the purpose
of selling the charters afterward. Men
who desire to engage in almost any kind
of business in Pennsylvania which can be
done by a corporation more conveniently
than by private firm, can always pur-
chase in the market of Philadelphia "a
charter suitable for their purpose, already
enacted by the Legislature. This has form
ed a considerable source of revenue for the
lobby and the Legislatures and members
who could not carry away anything else
from Harrisburg, have frequently gone
home with half u dozen charters in their
pockets, out of which they have in time
made good thing. The only serious check
upon this sort OF traffic is what is called
the enrolment tax. The laws of Pennsyl-
vania impose upon every charter, or act
supplementary thereto, an enrolment tax
varying i'll amount according to the nature
and capital of the corporation. The maxi
mum of this tax is 600 and the minimum
40. The statutes require that il shall be
paid within one year after the act is ap-
proved by the Governor. No such act be-
comes effective until the tax is pald and If
il Is not paid within the year, the act be-
comes null and void.
From 1Si1 to 1873 mere than sixteen
hundred acts of this sort were pass,d
upon which no enrolment tax has been
paid. Thirteen hundred and thirty of
these acts were TO incorporate various
kinds oi companies; and a. they wcro
passed merely ON speculation their holders
preferred not To pay the enrolment tax
until they had found purchasers; and in
order 10 make this easy it has been the
usage Of the Legislature to pass a yearly
hin extending the time for this payment,
thus Keeping the charters alive until they
could be sold.
Such u bill has Just been passed by the
legislature and Gov. HARrRANFr las
crushed il with his veto. His message is II
model both in lis statement of the case aud
in it, reasoning. ut IL II notorious fact,
he says, "that tor years past charters of
incorporation have been obtained for the
express purpose OF salc-for tie mere pur-
pose OF trade and trainc, and 50 used and
TO such an extent not very crcditablc TO
the commonwealth They pay no enrol
mcnt tax under the system heretofore pur-
sued of extending the payment Of the same
until their owners find purchasers. The
sooner this class of legislation is ended the
better" And why, he asks, when the
lahoriug people Of the Commonwealth are
obliged 10 pay their taxes at the time fixed
by law, should any superior privileges be
extended 10 those who thus speculate in
private legislation?
We heartily congratulate Gov. HART
RANFT and the people Of Pennsylvania up
on this veto. 1t is not only IA wise and a
Wholesome act in itself, but il gives ground
for the belief that the Governor has finally
broken with that infamous class whose
principles and dealings are best illustrated
in the following well known letter:
"TREAsURY DEPARTMENT or PESNsYLvANIA,l
HARRIS BURG, March ~, 1857.
MY DEAR TITAN; Allow me to Introduce to
you my particular friend Mr.. GEORGE q. EVANS.
lie h - claim OF some maInitude that he
wishes you 10 help him In. Put him through as
YOU would me. He understands addition, div-
sion and silence. Yours, w. H. KEMRLE.
ITO TITAN J. CofrEY, ESQ, Washington, ID. c."
Let Gov. HARrRANFr persevere in the
course upon which he has now entered and
he will have the sincere appreciation and
support Of all honest men, and the abun-
dant and most creditable hatred and hos
tility of all such as the author Of the above