FIRST ANNUAL MESSAGE ANDREW G, CURTIN, Governor of Pennsylvania, To Both Houses of the Legislature, READ, JANUARY 8, 1861. To the honorable the Senate and House of Represen tatives of .the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, It has pleased Divine Providence, during the last season, to give us abundant'crops, unbroken peace within our borders, unanimity among our people, and thus to enable this Commonwealth to do her full duty to the country, to herself; and to posterity. For thwe blessings we have cause to be grateful. The balance in the Treasury on the 80th Nov., 1860, was The receipts during the fiscal year end ing Nov, 80, 1861, were as follow : From ord'y sources, 8,017,645.67 Fromtemporaryluan under Act of Apr. 12, 1861, at 6 per cent. interest, and negotiated at par 475,000 From 6 per cent. loan under Act May 16, 1861, also negotiated at par.. 2,612,150 From society of Cih- cinnatus From United States on ae't military expenses From Pay Rasters and others, ret und ed 606,000 32,229.45 Total into Treasury for fiscal year end ing Nov. 30, 1861 And the payments as follows : For ord'ry purposes $3,144,480.34 For military expen ses, Under Aots Aprill2, 1861, and May, 15 and 16, 1861, 474,878.85 1,708,462 68 170,635.51 • ------ 2,853,872.04 For Ain't loan under Act April 12, 1861, repaid 376,000 6,873,352 38 Leaving balance in Treasury, Nov. SO, 1861 PUBLIC DEBT, FUNDED AND VNEUN. DED Received from tem porary loan, under Act Apr. 12, 1861 476,000 Repaid as above... , 375,000 Outstanding N0v.30, 1861 100,000 Florid from loan un der Act May 15, 1861. Am't of public debt, - funded and un- • funded, Nov. 80, .....87,868,847.50 Paid 'during fiscal year' 101,881.42 37,888,516.08 Beniaining unpaid, (exclusive of mill tap- loans above mentioned,) Nov. 80;..1881._....... RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF MILITARY LOANS, Receipts from mili tary loan und,r Act Apr. 12, 1881 476,000 " May 15 . 2,612,160 From Pay Masters and others refund ed 82,229.45 Paid for military ex penses, as above, 2,353,872.04 Paid fur redeeming loan, Act Apr. 12, 876,000 Unexpended of mili tary loans RECEIPTS - AND EXPENDITURES OF ORDINARY REPE- Balance in Treasury, from ord'rysources. Nov. 20,1860 Rece'd from ord'ary sources during fis cal year 881,488.08 3,017,645.57 3,699,078.66 Paid for ordinary expenses, as above 3,144,480.84 Unexpended of or dinary revenue... Rec'd from United States Gov. on ad t military expend. Rec'd from Society of Cincinnatus...... Balance in Treasury, as above.. . It will be observed that the fiscal year ends on the 30th of November, and the sinking fund year on the first Monday in September, which accounts for the apparent deficieney in the amount of debt paid as stated in the Treas urer's report, and by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. The State has on hand a sur plus of uniforms and equipments which cost about $160,000, which the United States have agreed to take and pay for at cost. Arrangements have been made with the general government for the reimbursement of the military expenses of the State since the 27th of July last. The bills as paid are forwarded to Washington and partial repayments have already been made. It will be observed that the receipts from or dinary sources of revenue for the year 1861 have decreased, but as payments have been made on some of them since the settlement at the end of the fiscal year on the first of December and more may reasonably be expected in addition to the payments to be made by the National Gov ernment as hereinafter stated the balance avail able in the treasury will be largely increased. It will also be observed that it has not yet been found necessary to call in all of the loan effected under the act of the 18th of May last. In some items the ordinary revenue of 1861 was in mrcess of that of 1860. The loan authorized by the act of May 15th, nu, was taken at parr This occurrence, most gratifying under all the then, existing circum stances of embarrassment, affords triumphant evidence of the confidence of the people in the stability and integrity of the Commonwealth and of their determination to support the Gov ernment. _ The operations of the Sinking Fund riming the last year have been as shown by my Procla mation of Oth September last, as follow,: Debt redeemed from 4th Septem ber; 1860, to Ist Sept.lB6l- - $300,801 01 Of stock' loam.' ......$300,000-00' " interest on eertifi- , cate's 3,330 Or " relief notes . 421 00 ' —5300,801 01 I refer to the reports of the State Treasurer and Auditor General for the details of the fi nancial affairs of the Commonwealth. The re ports of the Surveyor General and State . Libra rian 'will exhibit the state of the Dei.artments under their care. The Conindssioners of the Sinking Funddlit hag the last spring receitred trom Abe -Philadel delphia and Erie (late Sindiurti and Erie) Rail -road Company forty bonds of that Company.for $lOO,OOO each, ancl-11 , incirtgage - ad-=secure , the same executed in conformity with the third section of the act of. illarch the 70.,1861., That company has also deposited in the State'Tiesis ury its bonds to the amount of five millions of dollars, in accordance' with Oth .nectibik of the same act. On the 9th of May last I granted my warrant authorizing the State Treasurer to deliver to the' 'corripiny" one' thbusend Of said bonds, being to the amount of one million of dollars. This warrant wxs issued in conform ity with, the law, the five, per cent bonds men tioned in the fifth section, of the act (except those belonging to the State and. now in the Sinking Fund) having been previously surren dered and cancelled, and jtatisfaction entered on the Record of the Mortgage men tioned in said fifth section. Having re ceived notice froui the company that the bonds so delivered to the company or their proceeds had been appropriated in accordauce with the provisions of the law; on the 21st of June last I appointed John A. Wright as Com misbioner to examine and to report tb Ind. whe ther said bonds or tbeir proceeds had been ap propriated to the, purposes required by the act. His report has not yet been received by me. It is - Understood that arrangements have at last been 'made under which the direct railroad connection between Philadelphia and Erie will be completed within a short time. It, is impos sible to estimate 'too highly the importance of this great work to the Commonwealth, and espe cially to Philadelphia and Erie and the hither to neglected counties near its route west of the Susquehanna.- ' . By the act 'of the 21st April, 1858, for the sale of the State canals to the Sunbury and Erie railroad company it was provided that if that company should sell said canals for a greater sum in the aggregate - than three and a half millions of dollars, seventy-five per centum of such excess should be paid to the Common wealth by a transfer of so much of such bonds and securities as said Company should receive for the same and:payable in like manner. , The company sold the canals and reoorted that the share of the profit on such sale, due to the Commonwealth was $281,250 of which $250 was paid in cash and , for remaining $281,000 the Cianmonwealth received coupon bonds of the Wyoming canal company to that amount, being a portion of bonds for $900,000 issued by that company and secured hy.a mort-- gage of the Wyoming canal, formerly called the Lower North Blanch canal. These boudii bear au interest of six per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually on the 15th of January and July, and the interest was paid by the company.. to January last 'inclusive. The interest due ia July last has not been paid. Judgments hav ing been obtained against the company onsome of the coupons for the unpaid July interest, a bill in equity was filed in the supreme court by a bond and stock holder in which such proceed logs were had that by a decree made on the 2d September last the property and affairs of the company were placed in the hands of a recei ver. $681,433.08 6,748,525.02 7,424,958,10 $1,551,605.72 100,000 2,612,160 A plan has been suggested . for the assent of the stock and bond holders which contemplates a sale of the canal under lawful process and a purchase of the same for the purpose of forming a new company, of which the capital stock shall be one million of dollars, divided into twenty thousand shares of fifty dollars each, of which each assenting holder of a mortgage bond for one thousand dollars shall be entitled to eighteen shares, and , each assenting holder of fifty shares of stock of the Wyoming canal com pany shall be entitled to nine shares. Of course no officer of the Commonwealth had authority to assent to the proposal or in any way to affect her position. It is believed also that the plan is not one that ought to be assented to by the Commonwealth, and that under all the' circumstances, if the convenience of individual parties requires a change such as proposed, the debt due to the Commonwealth ought to be first paid or fully secured. I suggest that tile Act passed Bth of April, 1861, entitled, "Au Act concerning the sale of railroads, canals, &c.," should be modified so that in all cases in which a debt may be due to' the Commonwealth by the company as whose property a public work may be sold, the pur chasers thereof shall not be elm itled to the bene fits and privileges conferred. by the. Act, unless they shall have first paid the debt 'due 'to 'the State, or secured the same by their bonds to the Commonwealth secured by a first mortgage on the work itself. 37,868,616.08 ---- 3,119,879.46 -- 2,728,872.04 $ 390,607.41 I commend the subject to the immediate consideration of the Legislature, as an effort may be made at an early day to enforce a sale of the canal, and some provision.by law to pro tect the interests of the State would in that case be necessary. The wicked and monstrous rebellion which broke out many months ago, has not yet been quelled. Every sentiment of loyalty and'-pa triotism demands its effectual suppression. In my messages of the 9th and 30th of April last, I set fo th at length my views of the char acter and objects of the contest which is still pending. Subsequent reflection has confirmed me in the correctness of the opinions then ex pressed and to which I refer. In addition it ought to be understood, that looking to the va• riety and character of her products and indus try, her material interest alone would render the preservation of the Union from the pres ent assault upon it, indispensable to Pennsylva nia. She cannot afford to have a foreign pow er below or above or bounding her on the Dela ware, the Chesapeake or the Mississippi, and she will never acquiesce in such a result, what ever may be the cost in men and money of her resistance to it. 554,598.31 606,000 81,551,605.72 On the 9ih of April last I directed the atten tion of the Legislature to the necessity which existed for an improved military organization, and on the 12th of the same month the Act entitled "An Act for the better organization of the militia of this Commonwualth" passed, ap propriating the sum of $500,000 for the purpose of organizing, equipping and arming the mili tin. On the 15th of April the President, by proclamation, called for a military force of 75,- 000 men, of which the quota assigned to Penn sylvania was at first sixteen (afterwards reduced to fourteen) regiments to serve as infantry or riflemen for the term of three months unless sooner discharged. This call was enthusiasti cally; responded to by the people of Pennsylva nia. The first military aid from the loyal States, which the Government received at Washington, was a Pennsylvania corps which arrived there prior to the 19th of April. On that day the passage of other corps trom this and other States through Baltimore was imped ed by force and during nearly two weeks after wards the communication between Washinghm and the loyal States was almost entirely cut oft. On the 19th 1 received a •request from the iya,i Department that the troops preparing • Ptn llo o: l4ll i.gi:W a t 6449rilVh, tikdAtobcip aftertwon January B. 1b62 in this State should be." clothed, armed, equip ped, subsisted .aud transportedllyi the. State in consequetide of the then inability of the United states. This request was of course complied with, and twenty-five regiments, (being eleven regiments beyond our quota,) comprising 20,175 Men from Pennsylvania served for the term of three months under the President's procianta tion above referred to. As the•turnishing those volunteers witlhsupplies was necessarily under the circumstances .a .hurried operation, and as complaints were made in regard to them, and frauds were alleged to have been perpetrated, I appointed a: board of commissioners to investi gate the whole subject. A copy of their report with the evidence taken by them has been al ready laid before the public. It is the intention of the Auditor .General to open the accounts of such parties as appear by the testimony to . have been overpaid and this course has already:been taken in two of those cases. On the expiration of the term of the three months men in July, last some eight or ten thou sand discharged Pennsylvania volunteers were thrown into Harrisburg without notice and de tained here, waiting to be paid, for an average time of some ten days. Their tents, camp equip age ,and cooking utensils had been taken from them at Williailisport, , and they arrived here destitute, of all means of shelter and of preparing their food: The. Commissary of the United States furnished uncooked rations, and under the : circumstances of emergency I deemed it ne cessary to make arrangements.for aiding in the cooking and baking of the rations, and .also for furnishing 'meals to such of the regiments as arrived during the night or under circum stances requiring instant relief. The expenses attending these operations amounted so far as ascertained to ,$744 20, and .I. recommend that the Legislature make, an appropriation to pay, them. it ought to he stated that these expenses would have been much larger, but for the lib eral and patriotic effortsof tue citizens and espe cially the ladies of Harrisburg ; their free-hand cd hospitality and generous aid to our wearied and hungry soldiers, deserve remembranee and' gratitude. . At the special session of the Legislature which commenced on the 30th of April.laht, I recom mended the organization of a reserve corps, to be armed, equipped; clothed, subsisted and paid by the State, aed drilled in camps of instruct ion, in anticipation of the exigencies of the country, and by the Act of the 15th of - May last, such a corps was directed to be raised, and a loan of $3,00{),000 was authorized to defray the expenses of that and other military preparationtl. Men more than sufficient in number to form some ten regiments of the Reserve Corps had, previous to the::lsth of May been accepted by me in pursuance of a call on me (afterwards re scinded,) for twenty-five regiments, • and were then already assembled and subject to my con trol. Most of 'these men' volunteered for the Reserve Corps'and were immediately organized. The remaining regiments were rapidly recruited and the Corps was thus completed, and George A. McCall, of Chester county, was commissioned as Major-General, and assigned to the command of all the forces raised or to be raised under the provisions of the last mentioned act. The regi ments composing the - Reserve Corps were in stiueted in four camps in different parts of the State, until they were taken iuto the service of the 'United States. Two of these regiments, tinder thecorionands of Colonels Charles J. Bid die and Seneca G. Simmons, and two compa nies of artillery under the command of Col. Charles T. Campbell at the pressing in stance oi•the War Department were sent on the 22d of June last to the reliet of Cola Wallace, at Curaberland,. and remained for about six weeks there, and in Western Virginia engaged in act ive operations. Towards the olose of July the whole Corps was called for under requisition, and taken into the service of the United States. • Within four days after the disaster at Bull's Run, eleven regiments of this fine body of men (armed, drilled, clothed, equipped, and in all respects ready for active service,) were in Washington. The regiments and companies from Western. Virginia and the remaining two regiments making the .whole number of fifteen, soon joined them there, - and they are all now in service under the command of Gen. McCall, Who has been commissioned as a Brigadier General by the United States. These fifteen regiments: contain. fifteen thou sand eight hundred and fifty-six men,: and con stitute a division cemprising three brigades, a regiment of Artillery and one of Cavalry..:The whole expense of raising, clothing, equipping, subsisting and paying the - Reserve Corps (including the expense of establishing and fit ting the camps of instruction, of recruiting, and supplying regimental flags, and the expensesof the campaign of the two regiments and compa nies in Maryland and Western Virginia,. -which were all defrayed by the State) has amounted to $855,444 87. This does not include the trans portation on.R•til &sulky as.the separation .of _that account would have been a work of great labor, nor does it include the pay of the two re giments during the campaign, but it does include all the expenses, which were heavy, ofteams and transportation, not, on Railroads, for the two. Regiments on- the :campaign above mentioned. Twelve regiments of the Reserve Corps were paid, subsisted, &c., by the State to the average date of 22, July. The two regiments in Wes= tern Virginia 'were paid by the State to the date of their departure from Harrisburg on that expedition. The Cavalry regiment was not paid by the State. It will be perceived that the whole average expense per man was $53;95. Previous to the 31st of April last, a regiment had been enlisted in the city of Erie from North western 'Pennsylvania. When, the call was made on me on' that 'day, for, 25 additional re giments, the-Erie regiment was ordered to march to Harrisburg. The call was rescinded, how ever, before the regiment reached Pittsburg, and I ordered it to encamp at that city where it remained until the 30th of June 6 The Na tional Governtnent declined to muster the regi ment into service—as all 'existing' nittiisions made on the State were more than filled. Much apprehension existed in the Western and Sttuth-western borders of the State, and it was deemed prudent to retain the regiment at Pittsburg to meet any emergency that might arise. After the passage of the Act of 15th May, 1861, it was expected that the regiment would form part of the Reserve Volunteer Corps; but as the men had been a long time from home .and remained inactive in Camp, they declined enterin g the service,. and were subsisted and paid up to the 30th of June by the State. Two regiments have since 'been enlisted from the sauce part of Pennsylvania at the city of E.ie, one of which has been at Washington in service since September, andAhe other is.now ready for marching orders—and it is due to the first Erie regiment to say that most of the men are now in service. Further :requisitions for sixteen regitnents of Infantry and two regiments of Cavalry 'were shortly afterwards made 'by the War Depart ment. Of these, sixteen have already been raised and are in the service of the United States, and the remaining two are in the course of organization . - -and nearly ready to march. In addition to • the •requisitions on the State, the War Department had given au thorities to numerous individuals to raise volunteers in Pennsylvania, but 'as'that system was found to, create much embarrass ment, a general order was issued by the War Department on the 25th of September last plac ing all such organizations under the control of the Governor, and shortly afterwards a requisi tion was made on the State to increase her quota to 75,000 men. Those independent or tanizations, as they were called, thus became eunsylvania regiments and as completod and sent. forward form part of the quota of the State. The State regiments have been numbered, and the Last to this date is numbered 116. Two of the three months regiments Lave continued in service under the later requisitions, and re tain their original numbers. Deducting the remaining twenty-three three months regiments, there are ninety-two regiments in service and preparing for it. We have also in service and preparing twenty-four companies - •The following table the' existing• Pennsyl vania volunteer force is given for informs tion: REGIMENTS IN SERVICE. 66 regiments of infantry of which 6 were rifle regiments, • 71,189 11 `regiments of cavalry 12,690 1 regiment of artillery 1,077 COMPANIES IN SERVICE. 7 companies of infantry, ....' .. . 707 6 " ‘• cavalry, 578 6 " " artillery, 936 2,221 Enlistments in - other than . Pennsylva nia organizations,. estimated, (the officers of which are in course of be ing commissioned,) 6,400 Total in service, REGIMENTS PREPARING FOR SERVICE. 12 regiments of infantry, 13 092 1 " " cavalry, 1,136 1 • " " artillery, 1,077 16,305 COMPANISS,PREPAR.Lbp you 18IMVICE. 1 company of cavalry, 109 4 companies or artillery, 624 Iu service, Preparing for •service, Pennsylvania's contribution, . 109,615 Faclu,,ive of 20,175 three months men now dis banded. The regiments preparing for service are in complete. Those that may not be filled by the 16th instant will be consolidated and sent for ward. Of the regiments in service,' the 11th and 15th regiments of Infantry are at An napolis; the 28th, 29th, 21st, 66th, 69th, 71st, 72nd and 106th regiments and one compa ny of Infantry are in the - command of Major General Banks, - the 45th, 50th, 65th, 76thand 100th regiments of Infantry are in South Caro lina ; the 48th Infantry are' at Hatteras Inlet ; the 108th Infantry and 11th Cavalry are at ,Fortress Monroe ; the 77th, 78th and 79thln fantry, the 7th and 9th cavalry, one troop of horse, one-squadron of cavalry, two battalis of artillery battalions are in Kentucky; the 84th and 110th :Infantry are in Western Virginia, as are also three companies of Infantry, lour companies of , cavalry, five companies of light artillery ; the 87th infantry are at Cockeysville, in Maryland; one company of artillery. is at Fort Delaware ; all the remainder of the vollinteers'are at or near Washington. "Upwards of 300 volunteers from Pennsylvania are now prisoners, but as arrangements have been made for the exchange of prisoners it may. be expected that they will soon be released. In compliance with the joint resolutions of the 16th of -May tast,-I have prociired -regimen tal flags for the Pennsylvania volunteers, and have presented them in person to most of the regiments. In other cases, the regiments being on ormear the Potomac, "have requested Mr. Cowan, Senator, and Messrs. Grow and Wright members of, the House of Representatives, from Pennsylvania, to present them in the name of the Commonwealth. The General Government requested that the States would abstain from purchasing arms, as their competition was fonad injurious in the market, and in view of the large expenditures of money Warming anciequipping the volunteer force of the State, provided for the defence of the. National Government, I, did not purchase any as authorized by the 28th section of the act 'of the 15th of May, 1861. The State has now quite as many arms as are necessary to arm all her volunteer organizations in existence ; but, influenced by the threitening aspect of our rela tions with foreign governments, I have directed the Adjutant General to procure arms as soon as it can be done on reasonable terms and without injurious competition with the National Gov erment. Arnie have been distributed among the border counties to all the organizations that have been formed to receive them. 1930 arms have been thus distributed. I have also ad dressed a letter to the commissioners of all the border counties, offering arms to them as soon as military: organizations shall be ifermed to receive them. , 136siaris: thus complying with the requirements of the 27th section of the Act of 15th May last, I have'deemed it prudent to offer five thousand arms to such military organ izations as' may be formed in' Philadelphia on a plan to be approved ;hyme as Commander-in- Chief. Muskets and rifles to a considerable extent have been furnished to the Pennsyl 7 venia , volunteens from the • State arsenal.-- Others have been sent by the United States authorities to arm them-. before leaving the State. In some cases regiments have gone without arms under 'assurances from the War- Department that they would be armed at Washington or Other near designated points, and that their immediate departure was requir ed. It was thought wise in these cases not to insist on the arms being sent before the regi ments marched, as this would have imposed on the government an 'unnecessary expense in freight, and would have been productive of de lays which might have been seriously detrimen tal to the public service. Forty-two pieces of artillery with limbers, caissons, forges, ammuni tion wagons, harness anthill. the necessary im• plements and equipments were furnished by the State to the artillery regiment 0: "the Re serve Corps. Ten of these were purchased by the State, and ;their cost has been refunded by the United States. Diligence has been used in col lecting arms throughout the State and rep tir ing and altering them in the most approved manner. The State has now 62 pieces of . artillery, of which 17 need repairs. 26,758 muskets and rifles, someof which are in ' the hands of mechanics being repaired, 1910 , are in the hands of volunteer corps throughout the State; 1930 in the possession of County Commissioners, and 1,000 with the reserve corps of Philadelphia. In addition to this the city of Philadelphia has 9 pieces of rifled artillery, and 4,976 muskets and rifles. The State has also in the arsenal at Harris burg 1,666 sabres and swordspild 1,957 pistols, and the city of Philadelphia has 440 sabres, and 326 pistols with the necessary accoutrement& There is also in the Arsenal at Harrisburg a large amount of accoutrements and ammuni tion for artillery and small arms. • The Adjutant General is successfully engaged in collecting arms throughout the State, and it is expected that the•number above stated will be largely increased. Probably, at least, 5,000 muskets and rifles and several pieces of artil lery will still be collected. The care which has been bestowed upon the comfort of the volunteers, and the goodness and sufficiency, of their supplies of all kinds, and the excellent arrangements of the Medical Department under the control of Surgeon Gen eral: Henry H. &kith . , are proved by the fact that:more than .60,000 men have been for -vari ous,:generally short periods at Camp Curtin since the 19th of April last, and that down to the letJannery inst. there died but forty-nixie men at that camp, viz., forty-four from. sick ness, two kbelonging to regiments from other States.) who had been injured • o railroads, two accidentally killed ;in Camp Curtin and one shot in Harrisburg. To facilitate the making of_ allotments of their pay by our volunteers in the field for the support of their families at home, I appointed Hon. Edgar Cowan, Thomas E. Franklin and E. C. Humes, Esqs., commissioners to visit the camps of our men on and south of the Potomac, and also James Park and M. W. Beltzhoover, Esqs., commissioners to visit those in Kentucky and elsewhere iu the western country, to call the attention of the troops to the system of al lotment and to encourage them in adopting a practical plan for =Tying it into effect. The several reports of these commissioners are highly satisfactory.' For details on the several subjects connected with the military operations of this State, I re fer to the reports of the Adjutant General, Sur geon General, Quarter Master General, Commis sary General and Paymaster General which ac company this Message. The duties imposed on me were so onerous that I foUnd it necessary to invite the temporary assistance of gentlemen on my staff to aid me to perform them. In this capacity, Cols. Thomas A. Scott, Gid eon J. Ball and John A. Wright contributed their valuable services from the middle of April until they were called away by other du ties. Col. Scott remaining until he became con nected with the War Department, Col. Ball untitthe Lt of June and Col. Wright until the 23d of July ; for the time thus devoted to the service of the State they have refused to re ceive any compensation. Cols. Joseph a Potts, A. L. Russell, •J. Brown Parker and Craig Biddle were in service up to the 20th of December. The Department of Telegzaph and Transportation was under the exclusive control of Col. Potts. The system and economy of its management show hOw faithfully and well he fulfilled his office. It is but just to all "these gentlemen that I should bear testimony' to the untiring zeal and fidelity with which•their duties were per formed. 84,956 87,177 93,677 16.038 93,677 16,038 The quota of the State having been more than filled, and her Military force organized, I was enabled on the twentieth of December last, to dispense with a personal staff, and the temporary arrangement which had been made for its employment was then closed. By the 13th section of the Aet of the 15th of May, 1861, 1 was authorised to draw my war rants on the Treasury fur a sum not exceeding $20,000 for . compensation to such persons as might be required to serve the country in a military capacity, &c. Of this fund I have drawn from the Treasury $8,500, out of which I paid the compensation of my personal staff, also other expenses of the military department, and the actual expenses of persons employed on temporary service, none of whom received any further compensation, and expenses of the commissions appointed to investigate alleged frauds, &c., and the expenses of establishing military patrols on the Maryland line and five hundred dollars on secret service. My account is settled in the office of the Auditor General up to the Ist of December. On that day I had expended $6,400, and except some incon siderable payments made since, the balance remains in.my hands. The report of the Auditor General will exhi bit the items of the account. An account of military expenditures by the State on behalf of the United States, as far as the same had their been ascertained and settled by the accounting departments here, was made up to the Ist day of September, 1861, and pre sented on the 12th of that monttr.at the Trea 6ury Departtnent of the United States tor settle ment and allowance. The sum of $606,000, has been received from the Treasury Department on that account. The repayment by the General Go vernment of the expenses attending the organ ization and support of the Reserve poips, may not be provided for by any existing act of Con gress. As these expenses were incurred by the State for the benefit of the General Government, and have been productive of results most im portant to the welfare and'even safety of the country, it would be right that an act of Con gress should be passed providing expressly for their repayment. It lie,s, with the Legislature to adopt the proper means for directing the attention of Congress to this subject. Assurances have been received from the Treasury Department that the examination of the military accounts of the State will be pro ceeded in without delay,.o that the State may receive a credit - for the balance due, in time to apply the same towards the payment of her quota of the direct tax. Assuming the completion of- this arrangement, if the State shall assume the direct tax for this year, a saving of fifteen per cent will accrue to her, and no present in crease of her taxation will be necessary. . Whether - this credit be given or not, I re commend that the payment of the direct tax be assumed by the State. In case the State assumes the payment of this tax there should be such revision of the tax laws as will hereafter equitably apportion the burden amos the various interests now subject or that can properly be made subject to taxation. The saving of fifteen per cent. to the people of the State by the assumption is a mat-. ter worthy of thought, but a more important consideration is that it will enable you who re present all the varied: interests of the Common wealth to apportion the tax in such manner as to bear. equally upon all. Our revenue laws had imposed on real and personal property as its full proportion but little more than one third of the taxes needed for the ordinary ex penditures of the government. By the act of 15th May last, the tax on this species of property has already been ,increased one-sixth. Should the State refuse to assume the United States tax the whole burden of it will fall upon these in terests, interests too, most unfavorably affected by the war, whilst other kinds of property and other sources of revenue, judged by our laws able to pay nearly two-thirds of the present revenues of the State, would not be called on to contribute one dollar of additional tax. The militia system of the Commonwealth is very imperfect.. I recommend the establish ment of a commission to frame and report a system more adequate to 'the exigency of the times. • I earnestly recommend to the legislature that provision be made for the military instruction of youth. The appointment of a military in structor in the normal schools, would in a short period give teachers -to the common schools who would, be competent to train the boys in attendance'on them. It would in 'my opinion be wise also to provide for the purchase or leasing by the Commonwealth of a building for a military school, and for employing competent instructors at the expense of the State,requiriog the pupils to defray the other expenses. No pupil should be admitted to this school without having passed a thorough examination on mathematics and all fitting subjects of instruc tion except the military art proper . . I respect fully urge this subject on your early considera tion, as one of material perhaps vital import ance. ' I have taken measures to direct the efficient attention of the General Govehiment to the fortification of the water approaches on the sea board and the lakes, and arrangements are in the course of being effected which it .is hoped will be satisfactory in their result. I send with this message a copy of a com munication from General Totten, chief of the Military Engineer Department at Washington. I have also represented to the Secretary of the Navy the necessity for floating defences on the Delaware, and have his assustnce that they shall be prepared at the earliest moment. I have had a correspondence with the au thorities and some of the citizens of Erie on the subject of the defenceless•condition of that city, and the part of the State bordering on the Late. On examination it is found that there are no detence, ou the lake, and that the ordnance at the city of Erie was withdrawn by the National Gyve; ument in the summer of 1861. The Secretary of the Navy, on a request made, directed that the crew of the United States steamer Michigan should not be dis banded, as has been usual, and that vassal will remain in the harbor of Erie during the winter. Should the National Government unexpectedly fail in its duty providing adequate defences at our assailable points, East and West, I ear nestly recommend that the Legislature take prompt means for that purpose. We should be admonished, by recent indications from abroad, to be prepared for our own defence, as well as for the suppression of domestic incur. rection: In selecting a site for a National Armory, if the pubic good be alone considered, Pennsyl vania will be preferred, as she affords the cor n . bined advantages of a central position, abun dance of material and skilled mechanics, and a people of undoubted loyalty. I commend to the attention of the Legisla ture the report of the Superintendent of the Public Schools, the flourishing state of which and the rapid progress of education are subjects of just congratulation. The reports of the Lunatic Hospital at Har risburg and of Western Pennsylvania, of the Houses of Refuge at Philadelphia and Pittsburg, of the Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb and f,tr the Blind and the Northern Home for Friend less Children at Philadelphia, and of the Penn sylvania Training School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded Children at Media, show that these nqpritorious charities are well administered, an I recommend th.tt the countevance and aid of the Commonwealth be continued to them. Under the joint resolution of 16th May last, commissioners havebeen appointed to revise the revenue laws, whose names will be forthwith submitted for the advice and consent of the Senate. It is hoped that the commissioners will be able to report during the present session of the Legislature. Considering the greet labor imposed on them, and the vast. importance at the present time of an ahle and efficient per formance of the duties of the commissioners, I suggest that the compensation provided for by the joint resolution should be increased to an adequate amount. It was evident, long since, that it would be impossible for the banks to continue to redeem their obligations in coin, in the face of the large issues of paper, the necesttity for uhich was imposed on them and the government by the exigencies of the times. No surprise, there fore, was felt at the supension of specie pay ments by the banks, which took place on Mon day, the 30th of December last. Under the circumstances, I recommend that they be re lieved from all penalties for this breach of the law. Pennsylvania has made great efforts to sup port the Government. She has given more and better clothed, and better equipped men than any other State, and has far exceeded her quota of the military levies. The sons of our best cit • izens, young men of education and means fill the ranks of her volunteer regiments. Their gallant conduct, whenever an opportunity has been afforded to them, has done honor to the Commonwealth. The universal move ment among our people, signifies that they are loyal to the Government established by their tatheis, and are determined to quell the present insurrection and preserve the Union, and that they will not tolerate any plan for either the dissolution or reconstruction of it A. G. CURTIN. Fxscurrvs CEtemEssn, Harrisburg, Tan. 8, 1861. 1 A Model Proclamation—What a Vir- ginia Guerrilla says. The Wheeling Intelligeker has the following We are indebted to Senator Cattier for an original copy of the subjoined rare contribu tion to the world's literature tap production of a captain of a gang of roubers and horse thieves in thd Allegheny mountains. It was found in the possession of one James R. Par sons (familiarly known as "Tanner Jim") who was wounded and captured somewhere near the Pendleton county line, by it company un der- Lieutenant F A. Cattier, of the bec‘n,d Virginia, who have been scouting in that re pion with a view of breaking up the gang. "this 10th day of Oct 1881. "I hear By Notify all men that dont Be long to the dry Cork Company such as Robes lyres theays and falce dispatch Barrowes that has usurped the power of the officers this dry fork Company and I all sow Notify such men never to set toot of the soil of said Dry fork Such as Read White Blue and many other that I could name if necessary at other ways shulder thear wepun and defend this Country in which they ar leading Enmey in on us at the time Wee Need them they fley to south to Reffuge and leav us to sta• d Bef r the miserable mis creants and hereliogs of the North to purpu trate thear dark deed on A portion of our country wee will oppose them with all the means that the god of Batle can place in our power But not to defends those Robes to pur pitrate thear- dark deeds and us stand the Blunt Now man come in this Company and Control them on les sent By proper Athority from them in A Command if they du the wadgeous of sin is thtil And the sadeious of such is death. "Wadgeous" for wages is 'stupendous, so is the variation "wadeinus." The "god of Batle can place in our power" is very fine. Much depends on his ability to furnish "means," it appears. If he should chance to be hard up it would'nt be near so well with the "dry fork ers" as if he should have plenty. Sampson is very jealous of his authority, and makes death the penalty of impertinent interference with it. Slidell Sea-Sick--Mason Consoles him with Brandy• The Boston Traveler tells this story: "We bear that Mr. Slidell was terribly sea sick in the tug Starlight, while on his way to Priticetown. Mason was entirely free from the disorder, and upon hearing of the sufferings of his friend, sent him a tumbler of brandy, which had a favorable r ffect, and fur which Slidell expressed his heartfelt thanks. In 1,88 than ten minutes after the four rebel commis sioners were received on board the Rinaldo, she was under weigh, and probably cleared the cape before the gale commenced, She steered to the eastward, and is probably bound to Halifax." liVrrxrm the past Three weeks some of the southern cities have antlered from conflagra tions to an extent without a . parallel. We give below the most disastrous fires, with the dates of their occurrence : Dec. 12—Charleston, Dec. 17 —Greenville, Ala., Dec. 22-11 - astiville; Tenn , Jan. I—Richmond, Total, Tn:s.English papers calculate-on the despatch of the French government re;:chinz Washing ton before Mr. Seward sends hit. reply to Lord Lyons in regard to the demand of the British government. The papers express the hope that the French despatch will reach Washington in time to influence the reply of Mr. Seward. Tns London Thnes has a criticism of Secre tary Chase's financial report, and expatiates at length on the extraordinary exteusion of the tiorrowing system, declaring that it exceeds anything in England's history. Faaace is about to send reinforcements to the squadron off Mexico, and also the squadron off the northwestern coast of America. " SAMPBO:4 ELZA." $8,000,000 50,000 800,000 65,000 $8,915,000
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers