Year: 1859

OF that great public highway are very encour-
aging A large amount of work has been done
on the line of the road during the past season,
and at this time, very considerable portions of
the road are graded and rapidly approaching
completion. 1t is the opinion of the president
Of the company, that, within two years the
work will be entirely finished, so that cars will
run from the city of Philadelphia to the harbor
of Erie


When this great enterprise shall be consum.
mated, and the desire of its friends finally ac-
complished the payment of the three millions
and half of the mortgage bonds, which the
State has received in exchange for the canals,
will unquestionably be secured-whilst the
railroad itself will prove of incalculable adyan-
tage to our great commercial emporium as well
as to the important, but long neglected region
through which it passes. Its construction will
undoubtedly add to the value of the real estate
of the Commonwealth many times its cost, and
devel, ,pe and bring into use the rich resources
of couatry which have hitherto remained as
as they were layishly strown by the hand of
nature. l have an abiding confidence that the
result will abundantly prove the wisdom of the
measure, which while 1T guaranteed the compile
tion of one of the greatest improvements ever
projected in this Commonwealth, it, at the
same time, divorced the State from the unpro-
6table and demoralizing management of her
railroads and canals.


Whatever differences of opinion may, at any
time, have been entertained in regard to the
propriety of the details of legislation outhori-
zng the sale Of the main line, or the branches,
it can scarcely be doubted, that the public
welfare, WILL in every respect, be vastly pro
NOTED by the transfer of the management of
the public works from the State to individual
owners


The short experience that we have had al
ready, proves cOnclusively that the Common
wealth is greatly the gamer, in a financial
point of view, and it has been equally demon.
strated that the people at large have been as
well, if not better accommodated, by the
change.


1t would, in my judgment, be public caIam-
ity, if, by the happening of any contingency,
the Commonwealth should be constrained to
again become the owner, and resume the man
agement, of ally portion Of the public improve
mentS.


The power of the General Assembly to pass
the act of the 2lst of April, 1858, relative to
the sale of the State canals, was questioned
before the Supreme Court of the State, since
the transfer of the canal and, after full argu-
ment, the constitutionality of the act was Sus-
tanned by the unanimous judgement of the
court.


Since the sale of the public works, and the
settlement Of the principal outstanding claims
against the State, it is obvious that there is no
further necessity for Board of Canal Com
miSsioness, or canal department. |, therefore,
recommend the abolition of the Board, and
that provision be made for the transfer of the
records to the Office of the Auditor General.


In view of the foregoing exhibit of our re-
sources and financial condition, it is apparent
that most interesting era has been reached
in the history of the Commonwealth Relieved
from the entanglng embarraSSmentS of an eX-
tensive system of internal improvements, the
means OF the State are now ample for all le
gtimate purposes and her public debt is grad
ually but certainly disappearing. From these
and other causes, governmental action has be-
come greatly simplifed, and the nature of the
subjects of its operation has changed in de-
gree no less remarkable


The almost entire disposal of the lands which
belonged to the State, has already dispensed
with one of the departments created for their
care, and will, ultimately, render the other un-
necessary, except for preserving the evidences
of their transfer.


The sale of the public works has relieved
the Executive branch of the government Of
many of its most responsible and most per-
picking duties, and in effect, dispensed with
one of its most formidable and difficult depart
ments.


In the same proportion, the action Of the
Legislature will, if the representatives of the
people be true to the interests repOsed, and
Sternly refuse to entaugle the public with those
numerous projects and enterprises which are
continually seeking its alliance, be simplilied
and economized, purified and strengthened.


And as it is as remarkable as it is propi-
tiouS, that an era which has relieved the State
authorities of burdens that consisted of either
of mere material interests, or the care of local
admnstration-comm the one to the To-
cal sovereignty of the people, and the other to
private or associated enterprise-should also
present for consideration and promotion intel
ectual and moral claims of peculiar impor-
tance.


1t is at this period in our history, that the
system of public education challenges the at
tention of the most unobserva1t. And | shall
be much mistaken in the cautious but stead
fast character of the people of Pennsylvania, if
their representatives do not make it the first
object Of their solicitude.


The animal report of the Superintendent of
Common Schools, will lay before you the pre-
sent condition of the common school system,
and of its operations during the past year
Your close and Scrutinizing attention is invited
to the details of that document.


Including the city of Philadelphia, it will be
observed, that there were in the public schools
of the State, during the year which terminated
on the FIRST Monday of last June: 62S, ,2ol pu-
pills these were instructed during an average
term of little over five months, in IL ,2SI
schools, by 1856 teachers, at total cost OF
s., ,427,63 Al.