Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-06-06
HARRISBURG.


He is alleged to be concerned for the
Union Traction company of Philadel-
phia and his vote was east against the
bills. He, TO an extent. disposed of the
rumor that the bills were intended to
benefit the Union Traction people IN
| Philadelphia, who, in the same rGmor,
were alleged to have made peace with
the administration and its political ma
chine. The Senators voting against the
bills were j. Henry Cochran, Lycoming
IE. NJ. Herbst, Berks, Democrats; j..
Bayard Henry, Philadelphia, Alexander
| Stewart. Franklin, and Samuel Weiss,
Lebanon. anti-Quay Republicans, and
Mr.. Keyser. Qnayite. Senator Weller
Bedford. anti-Quay Republican, and
Senator Miller, Cumberland, Democrat,
voted for the bills.
For quick action the Senate has broken
its record ON these bills. Within 4S
hours after their introduction they
were passed fianally.
Monday night. the underground rail-
road bills were started through the
! House.
| The mysterious bills carry remarkable
privileges and here are some OF them:
To appropriate and hold to the exclu
sion of all Others the right to construct
railway lines over or under any street or
road. public or private, in the state
To appropriate and hold to the exclu-
sion of all others, the right TO construct
surface lines on all streets or roads not
now occupied by lines of existing com
panies. or on which the tracks OF the
| latter are not used daily for transporta-
| tion of passengers.
To use to the exclusion of subsequent
applicants. the tracks Of existing com
panies over all bridges and for 25OO feet
at any point on any street or road where
| a pretense of necessity for circuits or
| connections may be set up
| To condemn and take any citizen
land, residence, factory or store, with no
other restriction than that the aggr1ey-
en- party shall be paid compensation
| fixed by jury appointed by the court.
| To hold absolutely these privileges for
| nine years, during which time not car
| need be operated, nor a passenger car
| ried.
| To acquire these nine-year titles to all
| available trolly sites in the state with
out the conveyance of dollars worth
| of bonds or securities for the faithful
performance of any obligation to the
public, expressed or implied.
To sell. lease or dispose of in any man
ner all the above outlined rights and
privileges at any time during the nine
| years. or a longer period, if the local au-
| thorities shall consent to extend the IL
censes.
To do all this without paying cent
beyond the usual incorporation fees into
/ the treasures of either township,
borough, city or state.
So certain are the promoters that the
bills will pass and receive the approval
of the Governor that it is openly boasted
in Harrisburg that the articles of lncor-
| poration for a new company under these
acts are prepared and in the capital
ready for presentation to Secretary OF
the Commonwealth Griest as soon as
the name of Governor Stone is attached
to the bills. Those who have been care
fully inspecting the two measures have
/ discovered that both omit the customary
requirement for advertising the inten-
tion to apply for charter.
/ This appears in the general corpora
| ton act of 1874 and its supplements, and
requ yes that the object OF the proposed
| INCORPORATION, the names OF the moor
porators. and the amount Of the capital
stock shall be advertised for thirty days
| in the city or county where 1T is to be
| located Until this provision OF the law
is complied with under all other cor
poration acts the Secretary of the Com
monwealth and the Governor are pro
| hibited from granting letters patent.
| On Tuesday the railway bills passed
| the House, on second reading, amid
scenes of wild confusion.
! When section 10 was reached Mr..
Coray, Republican, of Luzerne, made
| the hit of the day in the way of speech
| making. He moved to amend by PRO
yiding that the franchises should go 10
| the highest bidder Il have here two
little pieces of paper which think will
| interest the House. particularly the stall
warts They are relics of great man.
and prize them highly. The first is II
| letter headed, Headquarters Republican
National Executive committee, New
York city. 1t is signed M. S. Quay.
| The other is an extract from the plat
form adopted by the Pennsylvania Re-
publican State convention on August
r. 1895.
"The gentleman who writes the letter
commends the principles of the platform
| to my consideration, as / was member
of the House then. The platform starts
| out. We decry the growing use of
money in politics, and winds up with.
We are against the granting Of exclu-
sive franchises covering public comfort
and conveyances. Corporations enjoy
ing public privileges should be made to
pay for them
Mr.. Coray declared that he is now
standing on the platform which was
constructed when ME-. Quay was in
political trouble and when he was raid
ing the corporations of the State "Mr.
Quay has shifted his position some
what" Mr.. Coray declared. Il was i'll
favor of Mr.. Quay's platform when he
originally issued il, but he has abandon
ed that position He is now the chief
promoter of these bills, and he now pro-
| poses TO do just what he declared should
| not be done. in this letter over his own
signature.
In order to get the bills through and
keep them on schedule time the morning
session was extended. well into the
| afternoon.
Quay was doniciled at the Executive
Mansion, and was quoted as saying that
| the bills were his, and must be passed.
| During the day the Governor appoint
ed q number of new Justices and
among them J. Peter Goettman of Ian
caster twp, this Co, and also signed
the following bills of general import,
thus making them the laws of the State:
Authorizing the abandonment by
| turnpike or highway companies of such
portion or portions Of their turnpike.
road or highway as are separated as TO
ownership or possession from the long
est continuous portion thereof remain
| ing in the possession or ownership of
such companies after the appropriation
or condemnation to public use of an in
| termediate portion or portions.
Supplementing an act providing for
| the classification of townships by impos-
ing penalty for non-payment Of town
| ship taxes in certain cases
| Providing that where any corporation
or company authorized to become surety
| in any bond or undertaking in any case
| for the performance of any trust or
duty, an action, suit or other legal pro-
| ceeding may be brought on SAID bond or
undertaking in the county in which il
has been approved.
/ Amending an act regulating boroughs
! so as 10 designate who shall make appli-
| cation for a borough previously incor-
porated to become subject to the restric-
tions and possess the powers and privi-
| leges conferred by the act
! Validating the indebtedness Of munic-
| ipaIitias fncurred in the erection and