Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-17
Restrictions upon Corporate Power

favor Of compelling all corporations 10
accept the provisions Of the State Con-
stitution of 1873 before further iavor-
in the way Of legislation are granted
to them. Senate bill No. % is an act
to extend the time for the completion
Of n railroad in the western part Of
that State, and on motion Of Mr.. Alex
andcr the bill was amended 30 a. TO
provide that no corporation shall be
entitled 10 the benefits of this act,
until the directors, trustees or other
proper officers thereof shall have, by
resolution, adopted the provisions Of
the Constitution of the State, and a
copy Of such resolution, duly certified
under the seal Of such corporation,
shall have been filed in the Office Of
the Auditor General
Mr.. Alexander was requested to
withdraw his amendment aud permit
the bill to pass without il; but he
declined 10 do 50. In the discussion
of the question thus raised in the Sen
ate, We take from the Lcgisi1tirc Re-
cord the following remarks made upon
it by Senator Alexander 1t will be
observed that he illustrates his posi-.
ton by home thrust at a corporation
within our own county. Mr.. Alexan-
der said
Il would be very much pleased to &C.
commodatc the Senator. bat | do not
see how IT would be possible for me 20
grant his request on this bll! at this
time. This is the proper time IN which
TO amend a bill, when we are on second
reading. and it is not the proper time
to do It when bills a:c on third reading.
and IN order TO get this amendment
attached to this biil il is necessary that
II thou.d be placed there on second
reading. Otherwise, should be pleas.
Ell To accommodate him. think the
amendment "a an important one and
ought To Toe adopted. II is orc certain.
Iy that met with the approval Of the
people OF this State. II met with the
approval OF those people who framed
the new Constitution when they rcquir.
ed of these corporations that had grown
30 large IN this Commonwealth that
before they should be able to obtain
any further legislation extending their
privilege or their franchises they should
accept the provisions of the Constiiu.
ton. Many OF them have failcd.,o do
that, and when they ask FOR legislation
of this kind It Is proper for Us that
before granting additional privileges
that they should hc compelled TO do
Just what every other citizen Of this
Commonwealth j. compelled TO do
accept the provisions Of the iuudamcn.
tai Law OF tue State. IL was 30 applied
to the bill that was passed two years
ago extending the franchises Of corpor.
auons. ! have IN my mind one railroad
which passed through my county. IL
was Incorporated as early as 1884. They
commenced by soliciting releases Of the
right Of way and obtaining subscrip.
/ tions from the land owners along the
/ line OF the road to a sufficient amount
I to grade the road. In 1872 and
I 1873 aud 1874 the road was built a
I distance Of forty three miles from Mon.
taudon TO Spring Mills in Centre county.
/ The balance Of The road, not the whole
/ balance, but some fifteen miles Of the
road was graded and a portion Of il
\ hailasted. Since 1878 no work has been
l done on IL whatever, and the farmers
/ living along the line Of the road who
generously granted the right of way,
I and who subscribed the money for the
I grading Of the road, have received no
return for their investment, with the
exception that they have the inconven.
fence of having their fields dug up,
embankments thrown up, their fences
| torn down and no railroad: they are
not within hearing distance of the
sound OF the whistle of locomotive.
Now, they complain Of that. This cor.
/ poration has IL within its control. Its
/ privileges and franchises have been ex.
tended for FIVE years from 1879, and
there is no means by which these
people who have paid their money and
who have their property partially de.
stroyed by the construction of the road
no means by which they can have
any redress whatever from this railroad
company, and every time when its fran.
chises are about TO expire by Limitation.
by some act Of this kind, general in it's
character, their privileges and fran.
chises are extended, and may be from
time to time for a hundred years, until
the little boys Of the old men who have
subscribed their money TO build this
road are gray.haired men themselves.
! do not know why the company who
has that road in charge do not com.
plete this work. There are fifteen
miles to be tied and rallied yet, and
some little distance of eight or ten
miles TO be graded. So far as this Lill
i concerned, IL IL passes without this
amendment. IL virtually annuls the act
Of 1879; IL takes lie place in every par.
ticulsr IL Is inconsistent with II in
this. that IL leaves Off the provisions
that they shall accept the provisions OF
the new Constitution, aud ! hope the
Senate will pass this amendment 20
this bill"