Year: 1861

DdIeeT, as u auoros tue means De9ono all
question of an entire and com plete extin-
suishment of the public debt, long before
the whole anonut due by the Pennsylva- :
Dia Railroad company is to be paid the
Common weaith The sooner the amount
due by the Pennsylvauis Railroad is paid
to the State. the sooner will the public
debt be ssti' fed, and. therefore, all good
and true men should feel themselves
bound to accomplish such desirable
end.


The reduction of freights upon the
Pennsylvania Railroads is 10 fact OF gre 1t
advantage to those who use this road 90
the means Of transportation. That our
own citizens should be enabled to trans.
port as cheaply as the citizen- of other
States is certainly question which can
not possibly ad init OF doubt. The ton
mage tax has mainly been collected from
them, because when the Pcnnsylvanis
Railroad company desired to obtain the
trade of the great West. they were CON-
PEELED to lower their Freigbt- equal to
that of other roads, aud 10 order to % axe
up the loss place additional tolls upon our
own tran-porters. They had either to do
this or be at constant loss. By this bill
being relieved from the tonnage tax, a
corresponding rcductien in the amount Of
tolls upon freight is effected, and our citi.
zens derive the benefit.


These are some of the main reasons
which have Influenced me 10 my vote for
the repeal of the tonnage tax upon the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and | care very
little what politicians may say or do in
regard to my action. No man who knows
me will feel himself justified in saying
that have been bribed, or that my vote
has been given for pecunisry consider
alton. | have lived too long among the
people of my district for any man to
charge me with meanDess. 1t is true
there ere men who upon their own merits
would never be able to reach public po
sitiou. who would delight to get hobby
by which they could ride into power; but
such men are but the scum of political
factions. and the annoyance of the honest
portion of community 10 this matter |
have done that which believed right, and
which in candor | think will eventually
rebound to the interests of the great State
We all love so we'll. Besides all this whe o
| reflect the millions upon millions of the
public funds expended on the Delaware
division. to the advantage of ms people. |
would have been base and miserable
creature if | bad not assisted in my vote
other sections desirous OF developing their
resources. We know full we'll that many
portions of the tate paid their taxes un
couplaiuiuly, while we we're asking annu
ally thousands upon thousands to keep up
the Delaware division of the Pennsylva-
nia canal, and now when those portions
who have thus borne With US patiently,
come to the Legislature and ask US to help
them. they ire ct with the cry Of tax +.
tax tax WhJ our people, in their op-
position should hide their heads in shame.
or at least their voice should never be
heard in the legislative halls against the
injustice OF any measure, when they have
been the recipients of public bounty for
the last fifteen years, | truly feel my
self buuiiated that my people have so
far forgotten what is due by them to a
patient and long suffering public, as to
raise up cry against what is regarded
apatriotie and public measure. Poiti-
eians may foam and sweat. Icare noth-
ing for them. They are ever oD the alert
to take advantage of their neighbors. and
10 this advantage foist themselves into of
fee. II tbey thus get io | am content
but it may be long time before the peo-
pie will be. after they are in.


Again, objections are IN ade because |
voted for the bill entitled sn Act for the
relief of the Sunbury and Erie Railroad.
Independent OF the fact that this bill re-
ceived over two-thirds Of the votes 10 the
Senate and House of Representatives.,
must be permitted to remark that it wa.
the only safe aud sure method for the
State to secure her interests. 1t is we II
known that with the original bill selling
the Delaware Division. the North and
West Branch Disi-ions. &c, to the Sun
bury and Erie Railroad, and taking a,
the purchase money the bonds of that
company to the amount Of three millions
Eve hundred thousand dollars, | had
nothing to do. Neither did the bill o
last session. by which a priority Of lier
to the amount of six hundred thousaDd
dollars was Risen to contrsotc-s and la
borers over the Commonwealth receive M
sanction. But these Acts were passed by
the Legislature, and it beca me my duty t.
ascertain what was to be done for the in
tere.ts of the State Without embracing
in thi. defeoce any statistical iDformatior
as to the pecuniary benefit ~h'eh the State
will undoubtedly derive from the con
struetion of this road in the incresse o.
the value of real estate, end the develop
meut of resources, allow me to say thu


had not this bill been passed. the contrac
tors and lsborers could have at any mo


went sued out their claim and sold th


road for the amooDt of their lien. and th
State would have los. the whole amour


of her claim. By this bill she will even


tually realize the investment she made


besides adding vastly TO her resources!