Year: 1861

the amendment which | have offered-if you
refuse to let the people speak upon this mo-
mentous question: question of more conse-
quence to them, as | have said, than six mil
lions of dollars in cash Because it is q vast
increasing annuity, in peTpetuity as long as
| this railroad shall last. You may disregard
the will Of the people you may smother the
voices Of their honest representatives here
but sir, you cannot smother their voices at
the ballot box There they will be heard
speaking in thunder tones to the gentlemen
who represent the rural districts of this Com
monwealth. There can be 40 other result
1t would be monStrous to expect any other


Gentlemen on the other side, SO far as po-
litical consequences are concerned, can look
careIessy on, as | see they do, and allow US to
perpetrate this monstrous act of iniquity-
They are wiling to let US plunge headIong
over this precipice and into this abyss which
yawas before us. | hope, sir, as | have sad
that the House will pause this morning. Now
that the lean snake has gone through, is not
that sufficient for enc day. The gag has been
placed upon us.


Mr. LEISENRING. l would like to ask
the gentleman a question. Does he profess or
desire to make this political question


Mr.. TRACY. l desire to warn the Repub
lican party from the abyss which is before
them.


Mr.. LEINERS1NG. I merely wish to say
that if such is the desire of the gentleman from
Bradford it is not the desire of the Democrats
on this floor We do not regard this as po
litical question at ALL


Mr.. TRACY. Certainly not they do not
care how soon we destroy ourselves; ''the soon
er the better" say they; "go on in this road of
corruption; 90 on in this iniquity"


We have viewed with astonishment the ab-
stractions made from the National Treasury.
Those depredations were done covertly and in
secrecy; but will not the world be more amaz.
ed when they see this bold corruption, this sup.
erlatye iufamy stalking around these halls 10
open day.


II, sir, that fraud was an outrage, this is an
abomnation. This bill processes to be q "com.
mutation Of the tonnage tax" Why sir, it is a
fraud aad vilIainy upon its face. There is
no communication in it; it is the absolute wiping
out of that tax The bill does not commute,
but extnguishes that income altogether. To
whom does it give it ? To the most Opulent
corporation in this COmmonwcalth-a copper
tion powerful enough to control this Legisla
ture Itis said of the Camden aud Amboy
Railroad that it has New jersey in its breech
eS pocket. But, what is the situation of Penn
sylyania with these mammoth corporations
around us Do not gent lemen know that the
State of Pennsylvania is some thirty-seVen or
thirtv-eght millions in debt for the construc-
ti0n Of these works which are now to be swal
lowed up and given to the stomachs of these
serpcutS Do they not know it ? If they do
not, Mr.. Speaker, the people know 1t and
whether the proposition to submit this measure
to the people be adopted or not, at the com


ing election, the people will pass upon this
measure; and although my friend from the
city does not approve of it, | say again to the
Republican party, beware, here The reSpOE
sbiIity is with you. You have large MAORI
ty in this House; you are accountable for its
conduct.


Mr. LEISENRING The question which
| asked the gentleman few moments ago he
did not answer. Now, he has again appeal
cd to his Republican friends, and | desire to
know whether he and the Republican party
want to make this a political question. | would
like direct answer !


Mr.. TRACY. That is my answer to the
question. 1t is perfectly immateral what may
be my feelings on this subject but, sir, | do
again appeal, although | know, sir, that this
appeal will not prevail, because suppose that
no argument can have weight here. 1t is i'm
possible for argument to prevail against votes.
/ know, sir, that votes are to settle this Ques
ton: and | have not even hope that anything
which | may say here, will change a vote. l
appreheud that every member is already de-
termiued and every vote settled but | again
urge my amendment. If members here do re-
,rI tbo tboU do hold thot tho
people Of this Commonwealth have a just right
to be consulted in a matter involving S6,000,- !
0OO-they will stay their hands at this time
and consult the people at the October election
Then, sir, we shall come back here able to
act understandingly, as representatives should
act ready and willing to carry out the voice OF
the people as expressed at the election.


| do not intend, sir to detain the House be-
cause | know the House does net want to be
detained know that the majority are anxi- !
Gus to press through these two serpents direct
ly and together Therefore, sir | feel that |,
ia holding them, am meetng with no favor
here that nothing which may say upon this
floor 10 behalf of my constituents, will have
any weight But my most respected friend
Mr. BALD last evening took occasion to refer
to me most kindly and l thank him for it
He said he was an Improvement man-that he
had known the gentleman from Bradford of old
and had known him to be an Improvement man
and that we had acted in concert with regard
to public improvements. | am happy, sir, to
say that was the case. Bnt sir, when we acted
thus in concert, in favor of public improve
ments, we were not acting, as l think the |
gentleman is now acting, to plunder the public |
treasury for that will be the effect of this ac
ton do not say that it is the genteman'S
intention forbear to say anything against