Year: 1878




the Debt and support the Government,
| its Schools, and its Institutions, while
| the Executive of your State has said,
substantially, that your P u b C
| Schools are a luxury and a fraud by
you upon the public faith, faint up
| on the character of your children. and
| that your Schools, Literary and HUI


name Institutions. and even the State
! itself, should perish. unless the pro-


visions of the Funding Lill are car


ried out.


| This state of the case brings you


face to face with the great question OF
! SOvereignty,-thel life of the State and


the well-being of all citizens-which
can only be dealt with through the
agency of a Constitutional COnven-


ton. The very preservation of the
G. vern M n t, the support of the
! Schools and the necessary support of
your Humane and Literary Institu-


tiOns, and in reality your Freedom
and Civilization are at once imperiled.
! You are called upon to bear a heavy
| increase of present burdens-full so
| per cent. upon the existing rates of
! taXation-Or stand idly by and allow
| these evils to come, and with them
| the burning shame of direct repudia-
| tiOn of all other than the cOHSOL pOr-
| ton of the debt, the inevitable result
OF indctiOp, the policy of the FundeTs,
or else rise in your majesty and by
the inherent powers of Sovereignty
take directly in hand the situation,
and enforce such a R--Adjustment of
the debt as the equities and imperious
necessities of the Commonwealth, her
people, and her fortunes, with due re-
gard TO every just right and claim, and
the best interest Of the creditor, nu-
tually demsnd. By this decree the
court has to such an extent invaded
the hitherto well-defined powers of a
coordinate branch of the government
as to render your Legislature power
less any longer to deal definitely with
the situation, to afford that relief it
demands, otherwise, than 10 make the
heretofore stated necessary increase of
your taxes, which the undersigned
were elected, pledged not to do, and do
not understand it to be youl wish that
they should, if indeed, they were pre-
pared to advise you 10 so instruct your
Representatives


The disOrdered condition of affairs
and the perils which have suddenly
accumulated and now come to threat
Ell the life of our Government and
your freedom are such as to demand
that deliberate concern and immediate
treatment which a representative
body, fresh from the people, empower
ed to enact their sovereign will, can
only and ought to undertake to eXer-
else:


Therefore, we h e undersigned,
members of the General Assembly,
deem it to be their solemn duty to ad.
wise that you take measures to give
efficiency and effect to your will, that
hy public meetings, to he held as you
may elect. and the organization of
COMMITTEES for each representative
district, we advise that you declare the
following as the principles of your
faith in respect hereof, to be consist |
emily observed and earnestly promoted |
by your representatives:


]. The sovereignty of the Common
wealth as to her domestic affairs.


2 The right Of the people. through |
their representatives, to determine the |
manner and rate of taxation.


3. The right of the people, by and |
through their representatives, to con
troll the revenues of the State.


4. The right and duty of the repre-
sentatiyes of the people to maintain
and foster a system of Public Free
Schools.


5. The policy of carrying reform
and economy into every department of
the Government.


6. The right of the people to sit in
sovereign council upon the affairs of
the State-their own affairs-when-
ever SO they may desire to DO, and
that your representatives in the Gene
raj Assembly are instructed to provide
promptly for a CONSTITU U UTIONAL
CONVENTION, to be held at the
earliest possible day.


We feel, in asking your prompt and
resOlute attention to these matters. we
but echo the swelling wish OF the pop
ulaT heart, reinforced by the calm and
deliberate judgment of the great body
Of the Conservative and Patriotic peo-
pie of the Commonwealth, and that
in this presentation OF our action and
Of the situation and the demands of
he hour, we have but done our rep
duty.