The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-02-28

have been submitted to both Houses in
favor of an amendment restoring the num-
Der Of Senator'S and RepTeseDt tatives to .
what it was before the change was effect .
ed in 1874. The ioirh resolution failed 10
pass the Senate at the last session, and .
another opportunity is now afforded the .
Legislature Of permitting the people to say
by their votes whether they will adhere to
the present appOTtionment Of members, or
whether the old number Of Senators and
Representatives shall be restored. II the
Legislature will submit this question to the
people, we have 40 doubt about the deei-
sion they will render at the election in No
vember, 1SSI-the earliest time at which
.he vote could be taken upon it. There
never was, and .here never will be, any al
gument adduced in favor of n Legisture
composed Of psi members, except that it
would either entirely prevent, OF at least
greatly diminish the opportunities for cor
rupt legislation. This was the potent rea~
son urged in favor of the change, both in
the constitutional convention and by She
press, and yet at the very first session at
ter the increase went into effect the bill in
relation to the Wllliamsport boom devel-
oped an amount OF positive bribery aud
corruption uuequalled at any previoug ses-
sion, always excepting those al which
Simon Cameron vas q candidate for United
States Senator.
To say nothing Of the enormous expense
to the taxpayers, the practical outcome of
the four sessions held under the new ar
rangement has demonstrated the supreme
folly Of the change. Can any man give
good reason why Cambria county, or Blair,
or Huntingdon, or Bedford, or Somerset,
or Indiana, should each elect two repre-
sen.atiVes TO take charge of The interests
Of their people at Harrisburg? II each OF
these counties was compelled 10 pay the
salaries Of its two members out Of the
county treasury, each of them would very
soon see the proprety Of getting along
with but one representative, as formerly.
Philadelphia has Mirty-tigI! Representa-
ti7es and eight Senators, and Allegheny
has fifteen Representatives and four Seua-
tors. Can such excessive representation
as this be justified on any grounds Of pub
lie policy, or benefit, much less on the
ground Of local necessity? To ask the
question is an answer TO it. Will the Leg
islature then, by adopting the joint reso-
luton permit the people to dispose Of this
question rs they deem best, or will It, by
defeating the resolution, deprive them Of
that privilege? Oue thing is very certain,
and that is that the proposed amendment
will continue to be agitated until two sue
cessivo Legislatures shall be chosen that
will submit the question to a vote Of the
people. When that IS done, its agitation
viii cease, but not until then.
--zl-a -
AT The session Of the lower house OF the
Pennsylvania Legislature, last week, the
members having that day returned after
al absence OF four days attending the mu-
niCipal elections, tho bill for the payment
Of the losses caused by The Pittsburgh
riots, and making an appropriation Of four
millions Of dollars for their payment, passed
flst reading. Passing bill on first read.
ing is q mere matter Of course, or Of form,
and it is not until Il comes mp the second
time that the struggle over its passage
really cOmmCuces. The bill will Lot be
= reached again in its regular order until
some time next week. In the meantime
Judge Aguow, George Shira5, OF Pitts.
burgh, and George W. Biddle, Of Phila.
dclphia, have prepared and furnished each
member ot the Legislature with a leugthy
written opinion advocating tho liability OF
the State lor the payment OF the damages,
the one-loU.tb Of which is imposed Oh Al.
? lcgLsny county by the bill as reported by
, the committee. This one fourth liability
feature OF the bill is objected TO and will
5 be resisted 6y the mem bers from Allegheny
, county, and III taking this position they
= are uuques,iOGGbly right. There can be
, 10 divided responsibility for the losses tl
{ be shared, either in equal or unequal por
/ tous, by the State Of Pennsy lvania and
S the county Of Allegheny. If the State j,
e responsible for the damages in point oI
, law at all, she must pay the whole
> amount, and If not responsible she shouIdn'f
q be called Ou 10 pay auything-iu whicL
, latter event The county OF Allegheny must
become the paymas,er il seems to US, Sc
D lar as this branch Of the subject is con
g ceIued, that this proposition is too plain
for argument.
A. the same session the two oil tax bills
5 the bill against freight discrimination by
railroads, and the bill for ;he payment OF
The damages caused by the rebel invasion
uf the border counties in 1868, also passed
} dlst reading,
IHE annual report Of the Massachusetts
Labor Bureau is one or great interest. Itr
two salient features are It's analyses Of the
convict labor question aud Of the cOmpnra
tive condition Of Nogkingmeu at .he pre-
sent time ana in the year 1860. Is to The
nast Of these branches, says the Pittsburgh
Post we.iud by he report that there are
now employed in the prisons Of tie United
States thirteen thousand cue hundred and
eighty six convicts, who produce goods
worth 50, $4,000, while all the industrial
products Of the country are worth not less
than live billions SO that the ratio of con
vict to free labor in The country is reduced
30 the trivial amount Of Uue-aflh Of one
per ccuium.
The second important point covered b.
the report Is the condition OF our working.
men now aud as it was before the war.
= The report shows the cost of living has iu-
; creased during eighteen years fourteen and
2 nine-teutLs per centum, while wages have
increased tweuty-Cour aud four-tentus De,
cenium, leaving tile ordinary IabOrer, il
SO can 50 express IL, niue and nine tenth.
nor crrrrrrr1 baffer fl thor, 10 .,,-.. a. -