Annual Mo—go of the Oemaar. -
To the Senate and House of Representatives;—
During the past year the people of this Common
mtlth bare had reasort to be grateful to Almighty
God for many blessings. The earth has been fruit
ful, industry 1 has thriven, and, with the exception
of the injury suffered by the citizens of some of out
border counties, through the disgraceful barbarity 1
of the Rebel forces which ravaged parts of them,
and burned the town of Chambersburg, we have |
no public misfortune to lament,! The year closes
"with a train of brilliant successes obtained by the;
armies of the United States, inspiring fame in every
loyal mind that the accursed Rebellion will soon be
crushed, apd peace be restored to ourcountry.
Om balsam in the Xnosary Movaabar 30,
IMS, w*»..~ *2, UT.331,'J0
4.T0-02
• . . —■ ■'■■■■ 111 ■"*
Tetol inTantnry lor fiscal mr ending No
vember $6,880,644.72
The payments for the him period here been 4,028,44109
Balanenln Treater? tf0raaber80,1864...... $1,942,203.63
The operations of the Sinking Fond during the
last year bare been shown by my proclamation of
the 37th day of September last, as follows
Amount of debt of Common
wealth* Tednced.
- Am follows, vs
five per cent loan of the
Commonwealth - $288,306.03
Interest certiflcatee redeemed 261.47
The fiscal year accounted for in the statement of
.the Treasury Department embraces the time from
the Ist of December, 1800, to the 80th of Novem
ber, 1864. The sinking fund ye >r commended the
first Monday in September, 1863, and closed the
first Tuesday in September, 1864. r This will, ex*
plain the discrepancy between the statement of the
public debt of the State, and the statement embod
ied in the proclamation relative to the sinking fund.
Amount of public debt of
Pennsylvania, as It. stood
bn the let day yf Dec., ’63
Deduct amount redeemed at
the State Inpenry daring
the fleeal year ending with
November SO, 1864, viz:—
PITS per cent, etoeke |IOi,OOOJDO
Tour and a half par cent.
etoeke 10,000.00
Interest certificate* 2^70,11
Public debt Dee. X, 1864.
Ponded debt, tU:
Btx per cent, loans, ordinary $400,630.00
Vive per cent, loans, ordinary
Poor and a half per cent.
loans, ordinary 258,200.09
536^46,093.72
Uafondsd debt, ris
Relief note# in circulation... $97,251.00
Interest certificates ontstahd*
In* 13.086,52
Interest cert’s unclaimed .4,448.38
Domestic creditors’ cert’s...., 724.32
$36^79,603.94
Military loan, peractlfith May, 1861 3^00.000.00
Total public debt December 1,1864 $30,379,603.98
The Commonwealth bolds bonds received from
the sale of Public Works, amounting to ten mil
lion three hundred thousand dollars [510,300,000,
as follows: , '
Pennsylvania Railroad Company bonds...
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad Company
bonds 3,500,000.00
These bonds are in the Sinking Fund and re
duce the public debt to $20,079,603.94.
The tax on tonnage imposed by the acts of 35 th
April and 25th August, 1864, Jtas -yielded some
thing less than $200,000 —a much less sum than
was anticipated. 1 recommend a revision of these
acts for the purpose of rendering the source of,
revenue more productive, and amending other de
fects in those bills.
The revenue derived'fiom the tax on banks dur
ing the year amounted to $639,606.67, but under
the enabling act of the State so many of our banks
have become National banks, under the act of
Congress, that this source'of revenue may be con
sidered as substantially extinguished, and it will
be necessary in some way to make up the deficien
cy from other sources;
The National taxation is heavy, and must pro
bally be made heavier, and the local taxes author
ized by unwise legislation, and paid by our people,
are excessive. In viewwf these circumstances, we
should endeavor to avoid increasing their burdens
by making undue appropriations for any purpose.
The act of Congress authorizes the taxation by
the State of the stock in the National banks in the
hands of the holders, not exceeding the rate of tax
ation imposed-on other similar property, and part
of the deficiency may be thus provided for.
The amount of debt extinguished by the Sink
ing Fund during the year is unusually small, which
is accpoUted for by the extraordinary expenses
-which have been incurred. Seven hundred and
thirteen thousand dollars [5713,000,] have been
paid to refund to the banks the money advanced
by them to pay the volunteers in Service daring the
invasion of the State in 1863. One hundred thous
and dollars ($100,000). have been distributed
among the inhabitants of Chombersbnrg suffering
by the Rebel destruction of their town. About two
hundred thousand [s2oo,ooo] have been expended
under the acts providing for the payment of extra
military claims, and in addition to these extraor
dinary outlays, the amount appropriated to chan
ties was last year larger than uspaf.
In my opinion this matter ofilohations to char
ities is fast running into a great abuse. Houses of
Refuge and Ijpane, Blind and Deaf and Dumb
Asylums appear to be proper subjects of State boun
ty, because their objects are of public importance ;
and to be useful and well and economically man
aged, it seems to be necessary that they should be
more extensive than would Be required for the
wants of a particular county. But in our system
ordinary local charities are left to the care of the
respective localities, and to give the public money
for their support is really to tax the inhabitants of
all the counties for thebenefit of one.
It being alleged that the Atlantic and Qieat
Western Railroad Company has not in various par
ticulars, obeyed the law by which it was incorpor
ated, the Attorney-General [on the suggestion of
parties claiming to be thereby injured] has filed an
information in equity against that company, seek
ing an injunction to prev.nt a continuance of its
past, and the persistence of its intended illegal
course. .
Since my last Annual Message, on the report of
John A. Wright, Esq., that the Sunbury and Erie
Railroad was finished, I ordered the bonds remain
ing in the Treasury to be delivered to the Compa
ny-
It is a subject of just pride to the people of this
Commonwealth that this great work is completed,
and whilst it opens a large and weal thy part of the
State to the commerce of the seaboard, and unites
capital and enterprise within our boarders, it se- s
cores to the Commonwealth the payment of sums
doe her from the Company.
In my special message of the 80th of April last,
to which 1 refer, I communicated to the Legisla
ture, in some detail, the circumstances connected
with the advance by banks and corporations of the
funds to pay the volunteer militia of 1864.
It is not necessary here to recapitulate them at
length. The case was peculiar, and it i« believed
none quite like it has occurred. The call for vol
unteers was made by the authorities of the United
Stdtes ; but it being found that men could not be
got-under that call, the formpf a call by the State
authorities for the defense ofthe State was, with
assent of’ the President, substituted. The
United States agreed to fiimish the arms, subsis
tence, all supplies, but it was alleged that Congress
hadmade-no appropriation covering the pay; In
this state Of things, the emergency being great, the
Secretary of War telegraphed me thus
Washisotoh, Juk 22,1863.—T0 His Excel
lency, Governor A. G. Curtin:—Your telegrams
respecting the pay of militia, called out under yonr
proclamation of the 27 th of June, have been referr
ed to the President for instructions, and have been
under his consideration. He directs me to par,
that while np law of appropriation authorises the
payment, by the General Government, of troops
that have ;npt been mustered into the service of the
United Stat«/Be rocomiaencf to Coiagressto
make an appropriation for tb* payment of troops
called into State Sendee to repel -an actual inva
sion, including those of the State of Pennsylvania.
If, in :lu»tnoantiroe, you can raise the necessary
amount, as has been done in ether States, the ap
propriation will, be applied to refund the advance
to those who made it." Measures have been taken
for the payment of troops mustered into the United
States service as soon as the master and pay rolls
are made out. The answerof this Department, to
you as governor of will be given direct
ly to yourself, whenever the Department is prepar
ed to make answer,
[Signed]
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
The bank* anti other corporations refused to ad
vance the money unless I would pledge myself t.i
ask an appropriation from the Legislature to re
fund it. It will be noticed that the -pledge of the
President is clear and distinct, but notwithstand-i
ing the money was paid and'the accounts settled
and placed in the' hands jf the President before the
meeting of Congress, no such recommendation as
promised me was made, and fot that reason the:
bill introduced for that purpose failed. The men
were raised and placed under the command of
Major-General Couch and the other Un.ted States
officers in ibis Department. . The troops were held
in service longer, than the emergency for which
they* were called out required. Several of the re
giments were marched immediately into distant
parts of the State, by order- of the officers of the
army stationed in Pennsylvania, against my re
peated remonstrances.
They were returned, as wtjs alleged, to preserve
the peace and enforce the draft. Nearly, if not
quite, one-half the money wps paid to troops th t:s
held, and after the emergency had expired. Find
ing that the appropriation i was likely'to fail in
Congress, I laid the matter Before the Legislature,
just prior id = their adjournment, in May last, and
an Act of Assembly was immediately passed to
refund the money out of :the State Treasury,
which, as above stated, has been done. I ought
to say that the appropriation -by Congress'was vig
orously supported by all the members from this
State in both branches. Having done everything
in my power to procure the, payment of the just
claim of the State, I now recommend that the
Legislature take the sulyect into consideration,
with a view to induce proper action by the Presi
dent and Congress. -
By the act of 22d of August, 1864, I was au
thorized to cause an immediate enrollment of .the
militia to be made, -unless that recently made by
the United States should be found sufficient, and
to raise, by Volunteering or draft, a corps of fif
teen thousand men for the defense of our Southern
border. The United States enrollment being
found very defective, 1 directed an enrollment to
be made, which is now in progress under -the
charge of Colonel Ifmuel Todd, whom 1 appoint
ed Inspector-General. A draft by the United
States was then in progress, and it was not thought
advisable to barras* our people by' a contemporane
ous State draft, eyen if a draft hod-been practica
ble under the present law.
Volunteers Could not be obtained, there being
no bounties, and the men pot being exempted-by
their enlistment in that corps from draft Iby the
United States. Fortunately the United; States
'placed an army under General Sheridan, between
-us and the enemy, and thus provided effectually
for our defense. .■ With such an adequate protec
tion, as proved by the brilliant campaign of that
army, I did dot think it right to incur the expense
to ‘ the State of an independent army, and the
withdrawal of so many of pur people from their
homes and pursuits. Meanwhile arrangements
have been made with the authorities at Washing
ton for arming, clothing, subsisting and supplying
the corps at the expense of.the United States, and
an order has been given by-the authorities of the
United States to furlough such volunteers in the
corps so privileged not to exceed SUOO men. It is
my intention to raise 5000 men daring the winter
and I liave already adopted measures to that end.
, There may occur of irregular bodies of
the Rebels, and it is well to. be provided against
them. ; .
$288^69.60
368,569.50
$30,496,696.78
4X6,992J6
■439,879,603.94
116,510.22
46,800,000.00
$10,300,000.00
The number proposed to be raised and put into
actual service will, in my judgement, be sufficient,
and a regard to due economy requires that no
more than are sufficient should | be placed on pay.
The remaining 10,000 will be organized and ready
for service in case of necessity. I invite your im
mediate attention to the Very able report sjf the
Inspector-General, which sets forth the defects in
the law which he has discovered in his prepara
tion for carrying it into practical effect.
The State agencies at Washington and in the
Southwest are in active and successful operation.
I communicate herewith the reports of Colonel
Jordan, at and Colonel Chamber
lain, agent for the Southwest. The provisions of
the law requiring agents to collect moneys due by
the United States to soldiers, have been beneficent
A reference to their reports will show the magni
tude and usefulness of this branch of their service.
I desire to invite the attention of all our volun
teers, officers, soldiers, and: their families, to the
fitet that the State agents, will collect all their
claims on the Government.gratuitously, as 1 have
reason to believe that many are still ignorant of
that fact, and are greatly, imposed upon by the
exorbitant commissions charged by private claim
agents. ' ' ■
Under the act of the 6th of Mav, 1864, I ap
pointed Hon. Thomas fi. Burrowes to take
&large of the arrangements for the education of
the orphans of soldiers. * I communicate here
with a copy of his report on the subject He has
discharged his dnties' with commendable zeal,
fidelity and efficiency. I] earnestly recommend
.that a permanent and liberal appropriation be
made to support this just and worthy scheme of
beneficence. !
I recommend that an appropriation be made for
pensions.ro the volunteer -/militiamen (for their
families,) who were killed or hurt in service in the
year 1862 and 1863. Assoldiers sometimes ar
rive here who are insane, and who should be pro
tected and cared for, I recommend that provision
be made for their being putln the State Asylum for
tjie 1 Insane, at this place,.and kept until notice
dan be given to the. authorities of their respective
counties, who should be required to remove and
care for them. ] .
I feel it to be my duty to invite your serious
attention to the evils growing out of the system
of passing acts lor incorporation for purposes
which are provided for by general laws. We
have passed acts authorizing charters to be ob
tained without special legislation. These acts
have been generally prepared with some care,
and contain the provisions! which the Legislature
thought necessaty to protect the Commonwealth
and her citizens. If these general laws are not
found to answer such purposes, they should* be
amended and perfected.
!If any company desires to be incorporated with
greater privileges than are; conferred, or to be re
lieved from any of the conditions imposed by
these acts, it appears td me that it should be re
quired first to obtain a charier under the general
mws, and then apply to the Legislature for an act
making the changes which are desired. The at
tention of the Legislatnro will be thus drawn to
the specific object, and a judgment oarf be formed
of its propriety. I would also observe that great
evil results from the habit,Of granting privileges
to a corporation by mere reference to some former
private act relating to other corporations some
times without giving the date of these acts.
jAH these practices are had, and although they
pay sometimes be pursued by parties having no
bad intentions, jut they certainly originated in
the design of tire Commonwealth into
grants of privileges which tt was known could not
bej obtained if their extent were understood, and
thjey are often followed now for the same fraudu
lent purpose.
1 1 strongly recommend the repeal of the ach
passed :he 18th day of July, A. D., 1863, entitled
“an act relating to corporations for mechanical,
manufacturing, mining, and quarrying purposes.”
jits provisions are found 4o be practically to in
consistent with the due protection of the citizens
and with the just policy of the Commonwealth,
that it :Onght not to be allowed to stand longer on
00r statute books. I approved the act in question
with great reluctance, and subsequent reflection the field, and the preparation of election blanks re.
atut >im. Mtiflfiwl me of'its roiachiev- ; quired by law to be lent to the army ; the receipt,
eo« character.' filing and recording the returns of the soldiers
lalso recommend the repeal of anJact passed rotes; the enrollmeot of the yearly increasing
the 22d dav of July, A. D-, 1863, entitled “A number of Acts of Assembly, and of charters ob
ftttther supplement to an act to enable! joint ten- tained under general laws, and the making out of
ants and tenantsm common, and adjoining own- letters-patent for them—all these, together with
era of mineral jwidn in this Commonwealth, to the pterions heary duties of the office—form «t
manage and device the same.” • aggregate, the weight of which must ultimately
This act dthrirs foreign corporations to hold break down his few subordinates, diligent, teithnl
three hundred acres of land in this Stale for min- and enduring as they are. I recommend, there
ing purposes. It was passed, it is* believed for the fore, that provision be promptly made to meet the
purpose of enabling companies hear pur border, | necessities of the case. -
engaged in the manufacturing of iron, to hold ; It ia a»sobject of just congratulation that not
lands as ore banks. withstanding the distracted condition of the coun-
Bnt under the idea that the sinking of in oil try, onr system of edinmon schools continues to
well is mining, n is believed that companies have flourish. The report of the Superintendent, which
■already been organizied under the laws of other I herewith transmit, shows that there has been an
States, and that more will be, for the; purpose of increase of scholars during the past year. It is
holding land and carrying on the oil business in : important to secure as teachers a sufficient number
this State. It would be better to remove all of men of suitable education and ability, and with
doubt on this question by repealing the act. — a view to. this object, I suggest for your consider-
These companies, being foreign corporations, are atioa the expediency of making out of the school
not within the control of outlaws to the extent /und itself some provision for the support of such
that they ought to be for the pupdsea of taxation teachers as shall after a given term of service be
and regulation. ' , , come snperanoated or disabled while in the per-.
The immense developement of wealth in some fbrmance of their duties,
of ottr western counties, by the discovery of oil. Of*the funds placed in my hands by the acts of
has added vastly '(o the resources of the tom- the 16th of May, 1861, and the 4th ol May, 1864,
monwealth. " and to be appropriated in my judgment in military
I have made efforts to ascertain the value* of service, I have expended in the last year $6,124.68
this product during the last year, but have failed in support of the agency at Washington, np . until
in procuring information sufficiently accurate to the 30th of May last, for my personal staff and
justify me in 'estimating its amount. It is al- other military service, an account of which is set
ready vast, and is rapidly increasing. tied in the office of the Auditor-General
The productions and manufactures of the State No similar appropriation will be required at this
have become so diversified and abundant that session.
some measure should I be taken for an accurate A bill was introduced and pasted the House at
ascertainment of them, so that their lextent may the last session of the Legislature, providing for
be generally known, and also that the necessary the appointment of a commission to ascertain the
taxation may be intelligently, imposed. I re- damages done in the counties of Bedford, Fulton,
commend for these purposes, the creation of a Franklin, Cumberland, Tork and Adams, by the
Bureau, of which the Auditor-Generql and State Rebel army in 1864, which failed in the Senate
Treasurer shall be members, and the head of for want of time. I commend fo your consideration
which shall be a new officer, to be styled Com- the propriety of the passage df such a bill during
missionerof Statistics, or designated by any other the present session. It is just to the people of
appropriate tide. these counties who have suffered, as.well as to the
The act of 26th of August, 1864; providing for Government, that these damages should be fairly
the voting of soldiers, should be carefully exam- ascertained, and the evidence perpetuated, what
ined with a view to its amendment, and, indeed, ever may be the view to be taken, on future con
a revision of our whole election laws would seem sideration, by the United Stales or State Govern
to be desirable, with a view to the two .essential ment, as to the propriety of paying such claims,
objects of—l. The admission of legal and exclu- Major-General Hancock has been authorized by
sion of illegal votes at the polls; and 2d. Faith- the War Department to raise a corps of veterans
ful and correct, returns of the votes actually poll- to be called the First Corps. ; One of the regain
ed. I communicate herewith the opionion of the tions is that on application by the Governor of any
Attorney-General on the - conflicting returns for Stale, recruiting officers will be designated for
the Sixteenth Congressional .District, which will such State. I have been requested by Gen. Han
show some of the practical difficulties whieh arise cock to make such application; but have hitherto
under tha existing system. declined to comply with the request. It ap]«ars
Without undertaking to recommend the adop- to me that the families of men raised on the plan
tion of any particular plan, I submit the whole adopted by the War Depfutincut would probably
subject to your careful and earnest consideration not be entitled to the relief provided by onr own
in the hope that in your wisdom yon will be able laws for the families of volunteers. I hpye in
to divise some mpasnre which will produce the qnired of Seneral Hancock whether the proposed
result so essential to the existence of a free Gov- corps is to form part of the regular army or of the
eminent—that votes shall, be fairly taken in the volunteer force, and if the latter, under what act
first instance, and fairly counted and returned of Congress it is to be raised. He has referred
afterwards. the communication to the War Department, from
1 have endeavored since I came into office to
exercise as cautiously as possible the power con
fided to the Executive, and avoid usurping any.
I shall endeavor to persist in this course to the
end.
A new call has been made by the President for
three hundred thousand men. This renders it
proper that 1. should invite your attention to the
evils which have resulted from abuses of the sys
tem of local bounties which was begun in an
emergency, by the voluntary and- generous loyalty
of our citizens, before the passage by Ctmgress of
the enrollment act, aud has since been continued
by sundry acts of Assembly.
The result has been to the last degree oppres
sive to our citizens, and unproductive of correspon
ding benefit to the Government. In some coun
ties and townships it .is believed that the bounty
tax during the last year exceeded the average in
come of the land. The men of some of the poorer,
counties have been nearly exhausted by their vol
unteers being credited to richer localities paying
heavier bounties.
The system, as practiced, lowers the morale of
the army itself, by putting into the ranks men
actuated by merely mercenary motives, and who
are tempted to desert by the facility of escaping
detection, and the prospect of new gains by re
enlistment, a process which they expect to be able
to repeat an indefinite number of times. Of the
number of men for whom bounties have been
paid, it is believed that not one-fourth have been
actually placed in the ranks of the army, and even
those who have have probably trot on an aver
age received for their own use one-half of the
bounty paid for them. Immense sums have thus
been appropriated by cheats and swindlers, in
many cases believed to be acting in complicity
with agents of the Government.
An effort was made to prosecute some of the
partips concerned in such frauds under the act of
Assembly of 14th August last, and. they were
bound over by the Mayor of this city, but after the
witnesses bad come here on the meeting of the
court, they disappeared from the public eye. I
recommend the whole subject 16 your careful con
sideration, that the system may be purged of these
evils.
I am officially informed that the quota of this
State, under the recent call,'is 63,990, but I am
not informed of the principles on which the draft
is made. 1
It appears from the President’* Proclamation
that it is made chiefly to supply an alleged de
f.ciency in former calls. I am surprised at the
amount of this large deficiency, aild can only ac
count for the difference between the number of
men furnished by the State and the deficiency al
ledged to exist in the assignment of the present
quota, by the assumption that the men never
reached the army, although enlisted and mastered
after the payment of bounties by the local author!-
ties-to which they were supposed to be credited.—
It is probable that there are very few counties in
the State which have not paidTaxge bounties for a
number of men sufficient to fill the former quotas.
Taking the local bounties at the low average
of four hundred dollars, it is believed that it can
be demonstrated that the people of Pennsylvania
have been robbed of more than twelve millions of
dollars during the past year. This estimate does
not include the money fradnlently taken from men
who have actually .gone into the service.
The continuance of these monstrous and unpar
alleled abuses cannot be tojprated.
Certainly, more men are required to aid our
gallant soldiers in the field in crushing the Bebel
lion, and every consideration of patriotism and of
regard for our brothers who are now 1 in the face of
the enemy, oblidge us to spare«o. effort to raise
the necessary force. 1 ■
In June last, 1 gave letters to a committee of
the Prison Society of Philadelphia, requesting that
the members of the committee might be allowed
to visit and examine the prisons and poor-houses
throughout the Commonwealth. I transmit with
Jhis communication a copy of the report made to
'the by the Society of the result of their labors and
.commend the same to your attention, with a view
to the adoption of proper measures to reform the
Abuses which have been found to exist.
' In connection with this subject, I again call
your attention to the expediency of providing for
the receptiotiiiri the Penitentiaries of persons con
victed of murder in the first degree, and who may
be pardoned on condition of serving a limited
time therein. It has become a custom that an in
coming Governor should not issue a warrant of
execution in cases left unacted on by his predeces
sor, and it not unfrequenlly happens that even in
cases Which are recent, while some punishment
should be inflicted, that of death may appear to
the Executive to be too severe. The result is
that there are at this time, in the various prisons,
some eighteen or twenty persons under sentence of
death, and who may lie there for an indefinite
period of time. ,
The vast amount of additional labor which has
been imposed upon the Secretaty of the Common
wealth by the existing stole of affaire renders it ab
solutely necessary that the clerical force of his de
partment should be increased. The «n»kmg out
of commitekapg fcy oitr jaiy army of in
which I have as yet received no answer to it.
The following letters have passed between Gen
eral Hancock and myself on this subject;— -
Pennsylvania Executive Chamber, Harms
bubo, Pa., December 29, 1864.—General:—I
received your letter at the inoment of my depar
ture for Philadelphia on Monday last. I returned
this morning and hasten to reply.
Having no knowledge of the organization of
the corps you are to command than what appears
in the newspapers and orders, 1 will be obliged if
you wil[ inform me if it is to be regarded as a
part of the regular army of the United States or
as part of the volunteer service.
If it is part of the army of the United States, I
certainly have no connection with it as Governor
of the State. If it is organized as volunteers, be
pleased to inform me under what act of Congress?
I nejd not say, General, that I would be most
happy to Jo all my power, personally and officially,
to raise a force to be commanded by you. Can
we not raise you two or three regiments in Penn
sylvania, in the usual manner and according to
the act of Congress for your corps ? Of course I
would consult yon in the selection of officers, and
only commission where yon approved,
I cannot understand the importance of my
asking that persons be senj to Pennsylvania to
induce veterans to go to tfie'District of Columbia
to enlist. I certainly will do nothing to embar-.
rass the plan proposed.
We have benefits by general and special legisla
tion in Pennsylvania, which attach to the volun
teer and his family. While ! will do nothing to
deter the veterans of the State from entering yonr
corps, I hesitate to connect myself with a mode of
enlistment which may deprive them of such bene
fits, unless it is my duty under the law.
I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient
servant. 1 A. G. CURTIN.
Major-General Winfield S: Hancock.
Head-qoabters First Corps, Washington,
D. C., Decmber 31, 1864—T0 his Excellency
Hon. A. G. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania—
Sir :—I have the honor to acknowledge the re
ceipt of your communication of the 29th inst./
and have referred the same to the War Depart
ment. 1 thank you for your kind expression of
personal good will, and regret that there should
be any occasion for hesitation on your, part to lend
your official influence, as Governor, to the raising
of the corps as proposed by the War Department.
It is not within my province, perhaps, to discuss
the plan of organization, as 1 am acting under the
direct orders of the War Department, and my
own views, therefore, are of no practical moment.
I may say, htfwever, that I have no knowledge of
the organization other than what I have derived
from the orders and circulars of which I mailed
you official copies December 6.
I cannot see how volunteers for this corps from
your State lose any of the advantages attaching to
those for other organizations.
,Tbey are credited to the localities where they or
their families are domiciled, and count on the
quota of your State.
It should be bom in mind that this is an effort
to get men into service who am not subject to a
draft. i .
I have tlie honor to rnmain very respectfully,
yonr obedient servant.
WINFIEtD S. HANCOCK.
Maj. Gen, D. S. V., Com. Ist CorpsiT
The only act of Congressifor raising volunteers,
lam aware of, requires that the field and line
officers shall be commissioned by the Governors of
the several States. Themen in the Corps are not
,to be formed into organizations of the respective
States, and it is proposed that its officers shall be
appointed by the General Government. I know
of know act of Congress or of Assembly under
which men so raised will be entitled to pensions or
their families to benefits from the United States or
State Government. In addition, I will observe,
that without any feeling of jealousy, I ain still
not ready to participate actively in transferring to
the United States illegally the : right of appoint
ment vested in the State, and which the State au
thorities can exercise with more discrimination by;
reason of having a greater familiarity with the
merits of the citizens of their own State than the
United States authorities Can possibly have. T
will transmit any further communication that I
may receive on this subject] It will be perceived
by reference to the Correspondence thqt I have of
fered to raise, in the manner provided by law, two
or three regiments of veterans for Hancock’s Corps.
My desire is to assist the i Government tin every
legal mode in raising men; and' especially to fa
cilitate an officer—a native Pennsylvanian so
distinguished as General Hancock, in his efforts to
organize a new corps.
I shall throw no obstacle in his way on the pre
sent occasion; hut I cannot, certainly, be expected
to invite a violation of laws in carrying out a plan
which sacrifices the rights of the State under ex
isting laws, and would leave the men unprotected
by them so far as concerns * future provision for
their comfort and that of their families.
I will-further observe that it appears by the re
port of the Adjutant-General, herewith transmit
ted, that the State, under the system established by
law, has pot into the military service of the United
| States since the commencement of the war the fol
i lowing number i)f men, via t
Tioops Sent mo Service Dcktko 1864.
Organisation* for three yeara*'terma.......~....k J»JJJ
Organisations tor-qne hundred dap* term _7,570
Organisations for one year term... W*®®*
Volunteer recruit a..... „ .. 2n,6eJ
■ Drafted men and aubatitutee , 10^&1
Re-enlistments of Pennsylvania tolun
teera:—
Infantry. ..........
Cavalry
artillery
Accredited toother State*.
.„1*,863
; .'. 2,83*
... 799
Total..-
Troop* sent into service of the United State*
since the commencement of the Bebellion, includ
ing the ninety days' militia in the Departments of
the Monongabela and Susquehanna, in 1863 :
Daring the year 1681
do. do. 1663.-. ttjtW
do. - do. 1863 .
do. do. I*6* : T*l«2*
Boronlistment of Penueylveni* volunteer*. 17,876
Total.
The twenty-five thousand militia .of 1862 are
not included in the statement, j
I caU the attention of the Legislature to the Re
port of the Surveyor-General, herewith presented,
and commend the suggestions made by that officer
to your consideration.
This message is accompanied by foil reports of
all the military departments. They exhibit the
large amount of service performed during the past
year, and contain a full history of all the military,
operations of the State. Many valuable recom
mendations are made in them to promote the effl
ciency of our volunteers, and the comfort of the
sick and wounded, which I commend to your earn
est and immediate attention. It affords me great
satisfaction to hear my testimony to the ability, di
ligence and fidelity of all the officers in these sev
eral departments. ' ;
Before closing this message I desire to advert
to the delay which has sometimes oocured in the
passage of the General Appropriation- bill. It is
necessary that this bill should become a law, as
otherwise the action of Government would be stop
ped. To delay its presentation to the Executive,
as was done at the last regular session, till a late
hour of the night before the morning fixed -for the
final adjournment, is to deprive the people of their
right to have all acts submitted to the rivision of
the Legislature before becoming laws, in case the
Executive should not approve them.
If there had been time I should probably have
returned the appropriation bill of last year for such
revision, as when I had the oppertnoity of deliber
ately examining it, I found provisions which I
could not have approved; hut that opportunity was
denied me before the bill hod become a.law, and,
in fact, as the Legislature was on the point of ad
journment, the only question presented to me was
whether that bill should become a law, without
amendment, or the necessities qf the Government
remain unprovided for.
The gallantry of our soldiers in the field still
sheds lustre on the Commonwealth, and that their
merit is appreciated by a generous people is shown
by the continued and cheerful liberality with which
the men and women of the State contribute of their
means for their comfort and welfare. May the
blessings of God be on those brave men who stood
by the country through the dark hours of her trial!
* A. G. CUHTIS.
Excntive Chamber, January 4, 1865.
ALTOONA, PA
SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1865
THE DRAFT.
“How are you on the draft?” is now
the most common salutation, and in this
place it has more significance at this time
than it has had heretofore] That a draft
will be made, on, or immediately after,
the 16th of February next, is certain, un
less the. quota be filled ; by enlistments.—
How is the quota to be filled ? Only by
paying large bounties, and the longer the
delay the larger the bounty must be. It is
a question of monjy, and now is the time
to secure it, and also to secure the men to
fill it. There are many mep ready and
willing to go into the army, who will en
list to the credit of the place that pays
them a bounty, and they will go elsewhere
if a bounty cannot be had at home." The
Town Council helped our people out of
the last draft by levying a tax to pay
bounty. But they will not do so this timd,
A further tax is unjust, for the reason that
young men and those whp have no prop
erty, who are liable to the draft, and who
should pay the most toward the fund, get
off with a tax of only a dollar or two,
while men who are not liable, and even
widows whose sons are in the army, who
Own a small property, are-njore heavily
taxed to pay' for these young men who
should pay for themselves. It now stands
that if the men who are liable do not pay
their proportion they must stand the draft.
The committee, appointed 4t a meeting
of the citizens, to solicit subscriptions to
the bjounty fund, have been discouraged in
their! labors by the apathy manifested by
those!most directly interested,and they have
decided, and given notice accordingly, that
the subscription bc(oks have been left at
the office of Esquire Humes, where they
will be kept open until 9 o’clock this even
ing, and all drbo subscribe the amount re
quired of each man liable to draft, previ
ous to the hOur named, will receive the
benefits arising from the fund thus secured.
The benefits will be dispensed as follow#:
If all in the town who are liable to the
draft do not comeTorward and pay in their
proportion, thereby securing a sufficient
fund to clear the town, then the money
subscribed will be held in trust until the
draft takes place, after nducli those con-
tributore who are drafted will receive equal
shares of the fund, and they can take their
proportion and either go into the army, or
add to if and procure a substitute This
will entirely exclude those who will not
contribute to the; fund; aud it seems to us
the most equitable way of settling the af
fair. If a man will make no effort to
help himself, he d o ® B not deserve to be
helped by others. There are those who
are not liable to the draft who have sub
scribed much more liberelly than is de
manded of those who ate liable. They
have done so for the purpose of avoiding
a draft in the town, and it would not be
right that their money'Should go to benefit
of those who refuse to give anything to
ward the fund. The end of the matter is,
that those who help themselves will be
helped, and those* won’t, must stand out
in the cold.
.... 389
—17,870
—i, 91,70*
.;. 336,***
A few persons have got it into their
heads that the Bail Road. Compnny will
help to clear the town of a draft. It is a
delusion, from whence we know not, and
the sooner it is dispelled the better it will
be for those who are now risking their
chances upon it.
Step up to the Squire’s office and put
down your highest figure, an 4 receive the
benefit of the fund. -
The Legislature.— ;The Legislature of
this State met on Tuesday last and organ
ized by electing Wm.. J. Turrell, of Sus-
quehanna county, Speaker, and Geo. W
Hammersly, Clerk .of the ‘Senate; and
A. G. Olmstead, of Potter, Speaker, and
A. W. Benedict, Clerk of the House.—
On Wednesday the Governor’s Message
was read. Wo give it entire to-day.
List of Jcbobs. —Following is a list of Grand
and Traverse Jurors, drawtrfor January Term of
Court, 1865, commencing cin the fourth Monday
and 23d dav of the month
GRAND JURORS.
Bell William, Logan
Burkholder John, Antis
Carrotbers John B, Catharine
Crawford Henry, Franfcstown , _
Calderwood James M, Tyrone Borodfeh
Diehl Isaqe, Greenfield
Dilling.Heniy, Huston
Davis Samuel, Logan
Fonse John G, Huston
Harris Joseph S P, Woodberry
, Hyle John,' Woodbeny
Hicks Daniel, Allegheny
Isett Simon, “
Kephart Samuel, Blair
Lafierty Joseph, Logan.
Myers William, “
Mulhollaud James, sen. Antis \
Mart in Jacob L, Esq, Taylor
Medara Wm A, “
McCormick Robt H, Altoona
Patterson Geo W, (iaysport Bor.
ShifflerSamuel K, Taylor
Yingling John, Freedman
Zimmerman Joseph, Woodbeny .
TBAVEE.SE JURORS —FIRST .WEEK.
1 Ake Monroe, Logan , ■
Beck E A, Altoona ~
Bowser Conrad, Greenfield 1 ’
Campbell Nebemiah, Martinsburg
Coleman James, Logan .
Cannan William H, Allegheny
Dysart Alexander, Antis
Davidson William, Tyrone
Domer D A, Antis
Eckhart George, Freedom
Glasgow J P, Antis
Green Andrew, Logan
Gurat Ephraim, Woodbeny
Greaser George. Huston ■
Gamer Jacob, Woodbeny
Hamilton Wm S, Allegheny
Hyle Fredric, N Woodberry
Hamilton David,, Snyder
Hopkins Turner B, Hollidaysburg
Isett John D, Snyder
Hoofer William, Frankstown
Kessler George W, Altoona
Kopp George, Antis
Mulholland Hugh, Antis
McClosky Patric, Blair
Osterloh A F, Hollidaysburg
Oyer Daniel, Tyrone
Rhodes George W, Blair
Shaffer Fredric, Tyrone
Shade James, Allegheny
Spielman John D, Altoona
Stoner Daniel,, Huston
Stuff John H, Allegheny
Smarts John W, Woodberry
Smith David, Logan
StifHler Jacob H, Logan
Vaughn Alexander . ‘
Wilson Samuel G, Antis
SECOND WKIK,
Anrandt David, Huston
Bell Henry, Altoona -
Beard Simon, Gay sport
Brna Jacob, Frankstown
Clark John, Catharine
Cooper Samuel F, Woodberry .
Clabangh Andrew, Altoona
Duncan Samuel E, Tyrone
Dilling George, Huston
Diehl John, Jnniata
Estep John, Antis
Peagley George, Snyder x
Palkner Daniel, Nbrth Woodberry
Garland David, Snyder
Garbill John, Greenfield
Hileman Joseph, Frankstown
Hilcmaii Joseph B, Altoona
Isett George D, Catharine
Irvine O M, Allegheny
Isett John, Tyrone
Dang William, Woodbeny ’
Lingenfelter Henry. Preedom
Lowe John, Gaysport
Medara Daniel," Antis A
McClain Thomas, Tyrone
McKierman Edward, Woodberry
MpCune Seth R, Frankstown
Patterson George (ofThos,) Woodberry
Boyer Newton, . «
Stifflor Peter, Freedoms
Stokes William, Tyrone
Szink Jacob, Altoona
Taylor Josef*, Snyjjer
Thompson Isaac, Huston
Vaughn Willfam, Allegheny * ,
Wilson William, Tyrone
Wertz Jacob, Blair ■ .
WeSt John C, Hollidaysburg,
; Nkw Papes.—We are in receipt of the first
number of the Christian Family Companion, pub
lished by H. R, Holsinger, Tyrone, Ptw It is s
eight page paper, about half the fuze of the
Tribune. It is devoted to the. interests of the Gcr
tnan Baptigt Church, generally known u “Dunk-
The subscription prize i« $1,50 peranum-
jutooaa
I .ob-Al. 3C
’L'kk
of their br«threnfrom°o«gp
ponied hftlwlrwhe*,^^
celebrated 8t John’s Day d
king <*«**•* ■«*!*
H o»e.t#t«kP 4 M,^
to their HaUamMpenuheaw
Of the sapper We BC * ree “
was so grand. The Hill «
almost everything wo ever
thing* w* never heard of. XI
and boiled rock fish, turkey '
wlt h cranberries roast duck »
onions, goose, pmrie grotuc
partridge, Button, beet, be*
and there wyts potatoes—svre<
and roast, hoininy, beans am
followed — well, there was si*
puffs, and jellies and jams, an
and nuts and fruits, and pre
generally, ,that We cannot en
table literally groaned bent
Messrs. Miller never do thing
efforts to please on this oci
and duly appreciated. .
On retiring to the Haß, att
tire party seemed dispoaed l
one of pleasure to all. Wit
man’s buff, charades, etc., t
as on eagles wings. Old at
in the merry making., Old J
hairs.and rheumatic limbs aj
the youth of sixteen, while t
part of spectators, with noth
acheing sides which langhte
grand old time, long to be
return of the, day. which shi
party is anxiously
gyrWo copy the folfowi
Guidon,” a paper published
12th Pa. Cavalry, at Bfarpen
ing only that wo think the
the time Sergt. Stiffler was
nellsburg! It should be J
1863, as we know there was
Rebels at that place, previou
tysburg, but not afterwar
rigltly. gome of our citizens
that time :
Sergt. William J. Stiffh
Cavalry, Blair county,
Banker Hill, Va., Jan. 1, 1
.Prison at Andersonville, I
Hews bf the same was coin n
[pany commander on the 21
[kindness of a Ist Sergt. sth
| Sergt. Stuffier was one of
[the call of the President fo
[rebellion. He was amemia
[infantry, three Jnonths servi
[the Service on the 7th Dec.
[ 12th Pa. Cav. He served
[with his compony'nntil Jul
[skirmish at McConnellsburg
[in the left shoulder, three i
[was again fit for duty, at i
[joined his Regiment, and t
[ Jan. 1, 1864, when in a ha
[ with the enemy near Bnnl
[ overpowered, wounded am
[ for four months and eight
[ and barbarous treatment
I death alone released him
[ him the country has lost as
I met the enemy bn the fiel
I beloved by all who knew hi
I rents and friends have onr
I He has gone from among
I ashes.
A Queer Case, —The
joined item came to our c
: and has been noticed in a
[but being imable to obtair
reality of the Case, we refi
[anything in relation to it.
lever, received a history of t
(of .the parties, 1 from a relia
I place. It appears that wit
■organized in this place, (fo
price,') in the summer' of 1
Heft a wife and small famil
■of Antietam he fell, was
iterwards had bis body disi
■and re-interred in the sold
[A year afterwards she mat
[time a child was born, the
[Huge. When the call for
Hng filled tip, last fall, the i
[and is now in the army,
[first husband returned, alii
[taken prisoner at Antietam
be bad been held by the A
■hange at Savannah. Ol
In a queer fix; but all nil
Krho was once killed, twi
fears in Rebel prisons; an
k certainly entitled to bis
fer than fiction/’ The q
tied in the Cemetery ?”
i Died took his Ismce
bwing from the Pittsburg
k’t:—David Ditsch, wh
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne a
Severely injured on'Thun
ing caught between two c
fed in coupling. . He'linge
-death put an end lq bis s
(was about twenty! yearn
a resident of Altoona, wl
aide. Coroner Clawson
(body, when the jnrr entii
[party and the employees
[a verdict of “ accidental
Look out ton P amici
ey requests ns to give not
[indebted to. him, and ha
[and settle their accounts
[this time he will publish
[the amounts due, as a w
[chants, and to the pobli
[who are persistently dish
■after. A few such exas
■would undoubtedly be t*
WOLI & PxTKKgOJI.-
sr two since, to drop in
named firm, and found
thing in the grocery an
proprietors agreeable a
can recommsndjhe hou
cedes, as we beHdva the
[able asthe itrkett will