Year: 1869

priation for the payment of its expenses was
exhausted Much benefit resulted to many
of the soldiers Of our State, and their repre-
sentatives, from this office, in which their
Just dues from the United States Govern
ment were collected and transmitted to them
free of charge In August, after the agen-
cy ceased to exist, there still remained a
considerable number of unsettled claims,
and as no one knew more about their con-
dition, or could possibly, obtain an earlier
settlement of them than the late agent, Col
Cook, | permitted him, upon his own offer,
to close up the business of the office, and to
transact any other business for the soldiers
of Pennsylvania at one half the fees that
are charged by any other private agency in
Washington City. This arrangement has
thus far been carried out. and am pleased
to add, with very general satisfaction All
the books and papers of the agency will be
transferred to the Office of the Adjutant Gen
eral.


REGISTRY Law.


At the last session of the Legislature an
act was passed known as the Registry Law, 5"
the intention of which was to protect the
ballot box against corruption and fraudulent
voting, to- which it has for many years been
disgracefully exposed. This law seems to
have been SO defective in some of its provis.
ions as to have received the condemnation
of majority OF the Supreme Court, by
which it was pronounced ''incongruous and
unconstitutional. At the election immedi-
ately after this decision, it is alleged that
frauds were perpetrated, surprising in mag
nitude, perhaps, any that have been consu-
mated heretofore in the history of the Com
monwealth. These frauds have demonstra-
ted the necessity of the passage of some law
or laws, that will accomplish the desired OBJ
ject, without being subject to the exception
able features pointed out By the learned gen
tlemen who pronounced the opinion OF the
Supreme Bench.


There is no object of such vital import
ance to the whole country as the saHctity of
the ballot box, and the protection OF all cit
izens in their right to the elective franchise.
This right is our proudest boast. 1t endows
the American citizen with freedom aud
power not possessed by the subject of any
other government. 1t makes him the peer
of his fellow man, whatever may be his rank
station, or position In life. To be deprived
of it by any means whatever, his bnasted
freedom becomes a sham-his especial and
exalted prerogative mockery and a farce.
What avails it TO the citizen that he is en-
titled to a vote, i. that vote is to be nullifed
by fraud? Such guards, then, should be
thrown around the polls as will effectually,
if possible, preserve them from the taint of
i single illegal vote. Not only should false
voting be severely punished, but false swear
itg to obtain vote, be visited with the
pains and penalties of perjury and with per
petual disfranchisement.


The people must be perfectly free to reg
ulate their public business iu their own way
and when the voice of the majority is fairly
and clearly expressed all should bow to it as
to the voice of God. They are the sover-
eign rulers, and their will must be the law
of the land. Corruption of suffrage in a re-
publican government is the deadliest crime
that can be perpctrated lit is assassination Of
the sovereignty of the people, and will be
followed by despotiSm, the motive power
of which will be money and perjury. And
if this privilege be tampered with, sooner
or later the sure and indignant popular con-
demnation will be rendered and condign pun
ishment administered. All good citizens, of
whatever political opinion, should lend their
aid for the accomplishment of any and ev-
cry measure that may tend to secure to each
voter, not only his right to the elective fran
chise, but the assurance that his vote will
not be rendered valuelcss by illegality, cor
ruption or fraud.


Every proper facility for the naturaliza-
tion of citizens of foreign birth should be af-
forded; but the Legislature, in its con bin
ed wisdom, can surely enact some mode to
prevent the possibility of a single vote be-
ing cast upon spurious naturalization papers,
and thus fully secure the purity of the cleo
tive franchise.


REVISION OF THE CIVIL CODE.


The commissioners appointed to codify the
statute laws of the State have diligently
prosecuted the work assigned them. and
with every prospect that it will be fully COM
pleted within the time prescribed by the
legislative resolutions of April s, 1868 and
in further compliance with them, they will
cause to be laid before each branch of the
General Assembly, at its present session,
various titles of bills, with brief abstracts
of the several sections of each, which have
been matured.


INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.


Among the subjects of importance to the
citizens of Pennsylvania is the establish
ment of an Insurance Department. Such
departments are In successful operation in
several neighboring States, by means of
which the interests of insurers are guarded
and promoted. SO careful supervision is
had over the transactions of insurance COM
panies that frauds are rendered almost i'm
possible, and spurious companies can have
no existence. The result OF the protection
thus afforded, is, that whilst foreign COM
panies, thus protected, do immense business
in this State, so little confidence is had in
those of Pennsylvania that their business is
almost entirely confined within the State
limits; and lately some of them have with
drawn their agencies from other States. be-
cause no risks will be taken, in consequence
of the inadeauacy of the laws to afford pro-
lection to insurers To this defect. more
over, may be attributed the operations of
the number of worthless companies which
have suddenly sprung up, without any solid
basis, and as suddenly expired, to the injury
of all whose confidence they obtained, and
to the dishonor of the Commonwealth
Whilst Pennsylvania insurance companies
transact little business outside of the State,
it is alleged that foreign life insurance COM
panies alone paid taxes last year on three
million eight hundred thousand dollars OF
premiums received in Pennsylvania, great
portion of which would be confined to this
State if the same protection was given by
law to its citizens as is afforded by other
States The report of the Insurance Depart
ment o: New York, published in 1867, shows
that the companies which were doing busi-
ness in 1866, in Pennsylvania, and also in
New York, had risks in force for more than
five Thousand million of dollars; and it is
believed that the risks in Pennsylvania COM
Danies which for want of q rroner Tnsur-