Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-10-02

syfvanfa to vote for hlr. Dill as the
special representative of honesty, and
an economical administration of the
State government. A reference to
the record of Mr.. Speer upon the
Congressional back pay salary grab
leads some to doubt his sincerity in
the cause of reform, and reference
to the proceedings of the Democratic
State Convention of 1873, which re-
jected him for this reason as its chair
man, may impair their confidence in
his right to speak for his party.
The record of Mr.. Dill himself
does not sparkle with evidences of
his devotion to economical admins
tration of the State finances, nor of
a desire to protect the Treasury from
corporate and individual greed
Section 5 of the supplement to the
act to authorize the New York and
Erie Railroad Company to construct
said road through portion of Sus-
quehanna county, approved March 26,
1S46, is as follows:
"Section 5. That it shall be the
duty of the president and managers
of said company, as soon as said rail
road shall have been completed
through Susquehanna and Pike coun-
ties, Pennsylvania, to prepare a full
and account of the costs of that por-
ton of said road within the territory
of this State, authenticated by the
oath or affirmation of the president
and secretary of said company, and
communicate the same to the Auditor
General of this Commonwealth, who
shall file the statement in his office
That after said railroad have been
completed and in operation to Dun
kirk, or shall have connected at the
western end with any other improve
ment extending to Lake Erie, said
company shall cause to be paid into
the Treasury of this State, annually
in the month of January, TEN THOU
SAND DOLLARS: and any neglect or re-
fusal by said company to pay as afore-
said shall work forfeiture of the
rights and privileges granted by this
act"
This annual payment of ten thou
sand dollars having attracted the at
tention of certain covetous gentle
men, bill WAS introduced at the ses
sion of our Legislature of 1870, en-
titled AN Act to incorporate the Mil
ford and Matamoras Railroad Com
pany," authorizing Henry s Mott,
d. NJ. Vanauken and others to con-
struct a railroad from a point IN Mil
ford, in Pike county, 10 point near
the village Of Matamoras, in the same
county. The county is not large,
thriving or populous; indeed, quite
the contrary, and the enterprise was
not formidable. The act having
been approved 1st April, 1870, was
promptly followed by supplement
containing the following remarkable
section:
"Section 4. That said company
shall connect with the Erie Railway
at the railroad bridge constructed by
the Erie Railway at the village of
Matamoras; and that the provisions
of the fifth section of the act enti-
tied AN Act to authorize the New
York and Erie Railroad Company to
construct road in the State of Penn
sylvania," approved March twenty
sixth, one thousand eight hundred
and forty six, shall enure to the ben
eft and be enjoyed by the Milford
and Matamoras Railroad Company,
their successors and assigns, for the
term of ninety-nine years, as fully
and to all intents and purposes as if
the same had originally been enacted
for the benefit of said Milford and
Matamoras Railway Company; Pro
vided, horerer, nothing in this act
shall be construed to exonerate or
relieve the New York and Erie Rail
road from the provisions of the fifth
section of said act of March 20, 1916 !;
and prorided further, that said Milford
and Matamoras Railroad shall be
completed within three years, or this
act shall be null and void"
1t will be noticed thai this section
does not mention in terms the annual
payment of the Erie Railway Com
pany, and one unacquainted with the
legislation referred to would not sup
pose that its effect was to rob the
State of ten thousand dollars annu-
ally. 1t was one of the snakes whose
like have been effectually scotched by
the new constitution. The supple
ment was approved April 6, 1870,
Just six days after the signature of
the original charter. Mr.. Dill, the
Democratic candidate for Governor,
voted for both these bills. Shortly
aiterward the first installment of
$4,000 was actually drawn from the
State Treasury and paid into the
treasury of the corporation, or, as
was alleged, was used in defraying
the expenses of this legislation.
The bill had been improvidently
approved by the Executive. and, its
true character becoming apparent,
Gov. Geary, in his annual message Of
1871, made it the subject of the fol
lowing recommendation:
The Milford and Matamoras Railroad.
"About the close of the last session
Of the legislature an act was passed
and approved entitled "A Supplement
to the Milford and Matamoras Rail
road Company The fourth section
of this enactment seems to have been
intended to take from the State and
give to the company the ten thousand
dollars bonus paid into the State
Treasury annually by the New York
and Erie Railroad Company, under
the fifth section of the act of 26th
March, 1916. Soon after the adjourn
ment my attention was directed to the
subject, and to guard against loss, 1
caused the Attorney General to give