BY DAVID OYER.
$ o t i ft].
OH, BE* NOT IWFIRST.
Oh ! be not the first to discover
A blot oil the ' .me of a tViond,
A flaw in the faith of a lover,
Whose heart may prove trim to the end.
We none of us know one another.
An t oft into error we fall;
Then let us speak w 11 of our brother.
<> speak not about him at all.
A smile or a sigh may awaken
Suspicion most false and undue ;
And thus wur belief may be shaken
In hearts that are honest and true.
n- w often tho light smiio of gladness
is worn by the friends that we meet
To cover a soul full of sidness,
Too proud to acknowledge defeat.
How often the sigh of dejection
Is halved from the hypocrite's breast.
To parody truth and affection.
Or lull a suspicion to rCst.
llow often the friends wo hold dearest,
Their noblest emotions conceal;
And bosoms the purest, s!(Merest,
Have secrets they cannot reveal.
Leave base minus to harbor suspicion,
And small ones to trace our defects—
Let ours be a noble ambition.
For base is the mind that suspects.
We none of us know one another,
And i ft into error we fall;
Then Ist us speak weli of our brother,
Qr sp.-ak not about him at all.
From the. Philadelphia Press
The SUte and the Pcnnsjlra&ia
Hailro.id,
"*>*• -••*-
cf?l report upon We Stato finances is a conclusive
evidence that our Commonwealth is in a fair way to
be relieved from the incubus of State debt. E very
successive year's addition to the sinking fnnd ac
count goes to vindicate more c't* \rly tb in ever the
wisdom of the legislative policy which carried
through the sale of the public improvements.—
That measure encountered very serious opposition,
as public sentiment throughout the State was radi
cal!. d.v ded, but at present lew or none question
its wisdom.
At The period when tbe charter for the Pennsv 1-
rai-i Railroad Company was under discussion in
the Sute Legislature, it was feared that tbe Main
Line of State Canals would suffer serious compe
tition, and this fear was potential enough to induce
the Legislature to insert a provision in tho act of
incorporation, taxing all freight pasted over the
new tine. Even then there was an intelligent mi
nority in both branches of the Legislature, who
doubted the necessity of imposing trammels upon
a noble enterprise, which had for its prime object
the direct development of the State's resources
The then heavy indebtedness of the Commonwealth,
and the generally entertained, though erroneous,
apprehension of a serious diminution oi the annual
revenue, bar, ly sufficient at that time to cover the
governmental expenses and the annual interest,
ient some color of plausibility, and of justification,
to the policy then determined upon. But the
reasons which operated at that period, ceased to
have any vital force from the date of the sale of
the public Works. So 9oon as the State ceased to
own them, there could he vo longer any competi.
lion, and us a matter of course,uo reasonable plea
whatever existed for the continuance of a tax made j
under a state of circumstances which had ceased I
to exist.
As additional confirmation of the justice of re- !
p< aling the tax, it is only necessary to appeal to i
the testimony of his Excellency Gov. Packer, who, j
ia his list annual message, ways, "That during the j
past three yours the State has not only met all her j
ordinary liabilities, including the • xptoses of gov- 1
eminent and the interest on har public debt, but*
has diminished her actual indebtedness tbe sum of ;
$2,236,882,15." He also shows that there was an
available balance in the Treasury, on the Ist day of
December, 18D. of §6Bl 433,08 His Excellency
still further States, "that for tho past three years
the tax on real and personal estate has been but 2|
mills on the dollar; that for the past two years and
six months the State has received no part of the
tax on tonnage dup from the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company; and that since July, 18'" 9, the interest
on the bonds held by the State against the Sun
bury and Erie Railroad Company has remained due
iid unpaid," and congratulates the Legislature on
the fact that, "without the aid of these important
sources of revenue, so great arc motion in the
public debt has been accomplished in ceropa.rutive
!y So short a period.'"
Irorn these statements, it is evident that our
Commonwealth is financially iu a better position
tuan si*, has been for many years, and .hat there is
no good ground whatever for continuing the burden
"I the tonnage-tax upon the people wu use the
' en "*jlvaaia Railrotcf. It is well to bear in nund,
m examination of tehae satisfactory facts, that
lbe iU4n Line oi State improvements, previous to
Pansier, never produced a dollar of net reve
whereas they now figure, in the data we have
Tinted from the Governor's message, ae contri
titing a direct annual interest from their sale to
Pennsylvania Railroad oi $375,000.
Xh general argnmert against all legislation caj- 1
r" ed acl jwriuusly upon tbe interests of
! *<'6sia o wdl known, and its jastiof e© univer- !
A Wee.*!, Paper, ij>. , ito Literature, Politics, the Arts, Sciences,' Agriculture, &c., &c—Terms: One Dollar and Fifty Cents in Advance.
s.lly recognised, that it scarcely needs reiteration *
It is the universal law of trade that the consumer,
at last, must pay .11 the charges levied upon the
' goods he consumes. In the present case, there is
! a double imposition, because the farmers and man
ufacturers of the State are taxed upon all the pro
duce and manufactured goods they send ovei the
: line to market, aad are compelled to pay a second
tax again upon the return of the various articles
for which they have made exchange at the com
mercial centres of the seaboard. This necessarily
discourages industry, and retards the development
of the internal wealth and resources of the State.
Viewed in tbe light of State comity, Pennsylva
nia is placer! in the attitude of imposing "a regula
tion upon commerce," ia contravention of the
spirit, if not the letter, of the Federal Constitution,
by assessing an impost on tfll goods and products
of other States east and west passing over the
Pennsylvania road, and in every State in which
. c
they arc consumed. Even if this legislation be
consumed. Even if this legislation be constitu
tional, its inexpefidiency and injustice arc palpably
transparent. It is the imposition of a tribute,
calculated to provoke retaliation, and to destroy
the kindly relations which should ever subsist be
tween equal members of a great Confederacy.
In the present application of the Pennsylvania
Railroad thercjis, however, involved a question of
equity, which is certainly entitled to more than or
dinary weight. When the the act for the sale of
the Main Line was passed, it was expressly stipu-'
later! in that law that, in case the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company should become the purchasers,
they should, under certain contingencies, be forever
discharged from tho tonnage tax and all other taxes,
with certain specified exceptions. The Supreme
Court decided, subsequently, that the grant was
too broad, as it deprived the State forever the right
of imposing upon the property of the company the
same taxes levied upon the property of citizens.—
The company purchased the works under this im
plied obligation on the part of the State. The ,
company have not now asked to bo exempt iu any
way from tbe imposition of such taxes on the ir
property ami franchises as will place their works 1
upon an equality with similar improvements. In j
fact they now actually pay in ordinary State taxes
tbe sum of $30,000 a year, or §5,000 annually j
more than the interest at five per cent, of $1,500,- ;
000, the payment of which principal* under the
terms of the law determining the sale of the Main j
Line, was to forever thv cqjMMMjXgiiMßk;*
'KaUtWf for any taxes wtntevar for State purposes, i
Common fairness would demand that the original!
intent and purpose of tbe Legislature of 1857 '
should now be faithfully carried out by the removal j
of the tonnage tax.
Yet apart from these considerations, which are 1
enough to justify the repeal of the Ux uncoupled
with aay conditions, there are reasons furnished iu
tho bill, now before the Legislature, which place!
the subject in a still more favorable light. The i
company ask simply what is jnst and reasonable,
and what the State laith is already pledged in honor
to confirm.
By the terms of tlic present bill, tho company
, agree to pay the State on account of their pur
chase of the Main Lino the sum of $460,000 annu
ally, in lieu of tbe original sum of Jsloo,ooo, as
settled upoß by the act authorizing the sale. By
lhls means, the whole amount of principal and in
terest, dne upon the purchase, will be extinguished
by the 3lst July, 18' JO, thus voluntarily anticipat
ing tbe payment of $4,300,000, which would be
still outstanding at the period named, if only tho
original terras of the agreement wera carried out.
J hey also agree, under heavy penalties for nou
fulfiimeut of the engagement, to reduce the rates
of loc.il freights by deducting therefrom the amount
now chargeable for tonnage tax. And to prevent
tbe ;ossibil ty of any misunderstanding in regard
to the legislation asked, the bill contains the fol
lowing honorable and clear provision :
"Further, The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
f ioiii not at any time charge or colleet rates on any
desc;'ption cf freights from any Eastern or sea
board citie9 to Pittsburg higher than the gross rates
' lwrgod or collected from same points to any point
I west of Pittsburg. Nor shall the said Penn iyiva-
I nit Railroad Company at any time charge or col
| ect rates on any description of freights from Pitrs-
I burg to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, or
I other sea cord citi-rs higher than the gross rates that
mav laj charged from aay point west of Pittsburg
to the same points on the same description of pro
perty. The local rates from Pittsburg or Pbiladel
; phia to stations on tho line of tho Pennsylvania
Railroad shall at no time exceed the gross rates
charged through between Philadelphia and Pitts
burg ; nor shall local rates between any two stations
on the read between Philadelphia and Pittsburg ex
ceed the through rates as made lrom time to time
under the provisions of this act nor shall tbe rates
charged to any local points exceed those charged
to any point of greater distance in the same direc
tion trom the plaee of shipment."
This provision effectually disarms anv opposition
that could be reasonably urged against tho bill .on
the ground of its possibly acting partially for the
interests of any portion of the State. So just and
fair is it that the Board of Trade of Pittsburg, who
have hitherto been adverse to the policy, have oow
given to the measure the strength of their moral
support. Gov. Johnson, of Pennsylvania, was
chairman of the committee to whom the subject of
the bill was referred, and the favorable report of
tbe committee, who aro the most prominent men
in the business circles of Pittsburg, was ondorsed
unanimously by tbe Board at a very full meeting.
Tho company further agree to settle the contro
vorsy now pending between them and the State, by
advancing the whole sum in dispute, being the
amount of tax accured since August, 1857, to nine
railroads of tbe inierior, now in an unfinished
condition, but which, under tbe stimulus of aid
thus guarantied, roust become profitable to the
counties through which they pass, and thus con
tribute largely to the income of the State by be
coming tax pa>:ng enterprises.
These considerations entitle tho bill proposed to
the candid, impartial judgment of ail patties. We
regard the proposition as fair and and equitable
alike to the State and to tbe company. Tbe whole
temper of tbe times is against all unjust discrimi
nations calculated to disturb tbe free movement of
BEDFORD, PA.. FRIDAY. MARCH 1, 1801.
. commerce. To continue the tax is to offer a pre
| miutn to the rival railway lines ot neighboring
States, which directly compete with our OWD. It
is to simply burden Pennsylvania for the direct
benefit of her competitors. Such a policy is utter
ly at variance with sound political economy, with
common justice, andwith uvery sentiment of State
pride*
iloesiicks Hears from Daiaphoof.
Mv miad is much relieved. I have beard
from Daaphool— from the original Damphool,
I of whom 1 have for some time past lost track.
I have had my fears that ha had been elected
President, anl was the individual who had been
boss of the country at Washington under the
I oaine of Jame3 B'tafcanan. Jauins has done so
many things to warrant the belief that he i? my
old friend under au assumed name, that I often
! trembled iu my cdiiorial boots at th-3 thought
i that I bad been instrumental in bringing him
| before the people. I cannot say that James I
himself has done so much of anything to relieve I
himself from suspicion, but I hvo hid a heavy 1
load taken from my mind by the receipt of a i
document wbioh sets the whole matter at re t.
James Buchanan is not Daraphoo!, that is, nor
ths Damphool; he has, I have no doubt, been 1
nearly related to the family," and doubtless :
could "read his title clear" back to the great
progenitor of all Damphools, a gentleman of
the name, I think, ot Adam, who lived in the
town of Paradise, county and State tu the depo
nent unknown*
But the great Damphool is in Charleston, !
South Carolina. He is a soldier there; be is
serving in the trenches, or the batteries, or ;
whatever other place South Carolina puts her I
chosen sons, lie has many relatives there, ia '
fact I believe that every man iu South Carolina ;
is connected with the Damphool faintly by tiloo i f
or marriage. However, i wiii let the letter of ,
my friend tell big story:
"CHABLEF FEW, Jan. 20, 1801.
"Mr DEAR OLD DOESTIOSS:— Did you think
J was lost? Did you riiiuk 1 was played out? j
Had you any wiid idea that I wag gono whore j
glory waits me? I don't suppose you'd have
fretted mueh about it, for there are plenty of j
us left. The Daropbools are well represented j
in tbe country: no danger that the raee wilt j
speedily become extinct. But here 1 am, sec- !
viug South Carol'" • **, v>. I getting *?4y fe-Sgfet
my old Uncle Samuel, or any other man. South I
Carolina is all right; South Carolina can whip
Uncle Sam; she isn't afraid to try England sin
gle hauded; in fact, there is no doubt that, if ;
she thought proper, she could manage Russia
with her artillery, and flax out Austria with >
her dragoons, at tbe same time that h*er icl'an- j
try were giving France and England a co-part
nership drubbing
"As for you Northerners, why, you don't
kuow what we intend to do; tun I've "no objoo j
tiuu to telling you so much of vur plans as will j
give you a slight iDsigbt into our intentions.— !
After we have taken possession of Washington, j
and burried tbe batch of Wide Awakes wo shall ;
have to slaughter there, then we shail step along j
to Baltimore and Philadelphia, and take those j
little places. When we have burned the pile j
ot Wide Awake* and Republicans that wo shall j
kill there, wc shall run to Now York and help j
ourselves to some sweetmeats
"We shan't burn tauoii of the town, os a
good uiany of us thick of rem lining there and
making it our rasidouoe during the yellow fever
season at the Soutb. Piokens has promised mo
my choice of mansions in Fifth avenue, in con
sideration of certain serviced I have rendered.
Pickens asked my advice about bow to dispose
of the Wide Awakes we shall have to put to
sleep and the Kepubhcana we will have tokijl.
Pickens has rosolvad-io make pretty clean work
with all you Northerners. We shall kill about
40,000 men the first day; and as our uian will
most likely be tired out with their day's busi
ness, they won't want to go to work to bury
you all, and I'ia afraid that to burn such a
iargo pile of you would taako the air unpleasant
to tho ladies. So 1 proposod to Piok<*Ds to
have a lot of ships ready, pile our dead ene
mies aboard, take tbein out about twantj-five
wiles to sea, and sink them. Pickens liked tho
notion; anil, in return for aiy ingenious propo
sal, he has promised me the choice of houses
in the city. I baveu't exactly deotded about it
yet; but I shall do so to-night. Most of our
other fellows have already aeleoted their houses,
and Pickens's private seoretaries are making
out the deeds.
"There is a good deal of gambling done
among the obaps for these fine pieces of eligible
property. I know one fellow—Bsplin ty name
who had a deed of the house buiit by Harsa
parillu lownsend, on the Fifth avenue; he was
playing poker last night; it was a big game; all
the fellows were rich, and things wore lively.
Iha game not exulting, Bupiin had three
kings and a pair of actus, he got wild, hud of
fered to bet anything and everything; one of
tho tabic, to whom Pickens had apportioned tbo
Pennimau property on Madison Square, put
that properiy up; Squiggs bet Tiffany's estab
lishment; Jenker anted the A&tor House. This
was just what Bapiiii wanted; be bad been
lucky the day before, and had a pocket full of
New York deeds, so tie went in strong: ho bet
ihe Uas tout House and eight fine residences in
West Fourteenth street butter; .looker oame to
tune, and put up Bali & Black's jewelry con
cern, and three wholesale dry goods houses in
Warren street; JSquiggs matched it with Stuart's
•team candy establishment, the Herald office,
attd a couple ot schooners, then he went tho
St. Nichoms hotel butter. Hapiin came op
with Guntber's great tur house, <iud four large
jewelry concerns in Maiden Line; Jeuker re
plied with the Atlantic dock property nd tbo
Third avenue railroad, and wanted to go Tyng's
church, the Chemical Bank and the Uuion
ferry better, but here Baplio said ho was broke,
and demanded a sight for his pile. Ho had it,
and that's all the good it did him. His kings
and aocs nowhere, fbr Junker bind a 'flush,'
1 and little Squiggs raked the pot with four niue-
I spots.
; "Such a eenes are common. I dare say the
i whole of Manhattan Island has changed hands
a dozen times over. Pickens deed* are consid
ered perfectly good and sound.
'.I have not gambled much in that sort of
property; but, as we have concluded to save all
the women, I have speculated some in pretty
girls. 1 have already won forty-Dine girls
under s'xtcjen, aud eighty-three young ladies
antler twenty-two—half of them blondes, half
brunettes, all to be plutup, baro fins teeth, nd
to ha good siugers; I am fond of ronsio; these
are all to be delivered to roe ou or before the
j 7th of March.
i "YVs "iQ goirifj to take some of your promt
| nent Abolitionist* and anti-Southern man alive.
: and have a little fun with them afterwards;
f'.okeus, when ho found he was getting short
: money, sold 'privileges of siaughtesd at a
j &< v go premium—these are orders entitling the
i holder to certain of the prisoners, to dispose of
j as he shall choose. These orders are also gm
--j j i-d for very extensively. Tbe 'privilege of
j slaughter' bearing Greeley's nuaia was sold,
' originally, for §4OO, and was afterward lost in
! tocbre, then iost again in poker, being wan by
; a tallow ou three queens, who holds the order
I o<jw. He says he is going to skin Greeley alive
in front of tbe City Hall, on some Suoday
morning io March. Bets are made that Gree
! 'ey dies before he's half skinned; but the fel- '
! lew who own* him—who hag a groat deal of,
prao'.im—says he can skio bios so expeditious- !
<} that Horace Will hold out and holier to lbs
last shred of hide.
"Beecher w*s won by a man wii"o swore he'd ,
drown huu like a dog; this follow, however, bet ■
h-tn on a horse race, and iienry Ward was j
Saved from a watery gravo by an Alabatnian,
v- -0 has invited all his friends to see hiui burn j
: Bt'cobor alive, amid the ruins of Plymouth \
Church.
"You see, old Doesticks, we'v3 got things j
ail fixed. Tbe privilege of killing you was
sold to a Georgian, who said he was going to
rut your heart out tad give it to bis cat; how- j
elver, 1 coaxed hint to play a social game of j
euchre, and woo you on a Mono baud;" you are j
now mioe, aud i don't think I'll kill you for i
old times' saka.
..■#* Wlwfc our trtverf gets-ftp into tbe New Enj?>* f
land States wo shall make a oiean sweep; kili |
every body. Wo have contracted with a Bell-i
Kverette Yankee to bury the folk*, he's going
to urn 'em for manure, and is bound by his '
cutitraot to put them three feet under. So you
peremv6 that Pickens and the reet of us have
got the programme all rnidg out.
"Yours, etc., as of old,
"A DAMPHOOL." I
Besides this letter, tliera was, in the *ame ,
envelope, another, written ic pencil, whioh rau j
as follows:
"DBAR DOBSTICKS:— The other let'er wag '
written for the committee to see; this isforyour
privafe eye:
"1 want to get away: 1 want to oonac to New
York; I have been pressed into this service; I've
got tho rheumatism sleeping out of doors; aiy
back aches Irom tho musket dull, and my feet
ate olistered from constant marching. Can't
you du something for me? 1 haven't got 'nary
red,* Pickens 'assessed' it ali out of mo, acid
all the rest of us. Try aud help me, there's a
dear old boy.
DAMPHOOL."
I have no reason to doubt tuc authenticity
of tbe first one of my letters. It was evidently
written by the original South Carolina Dam
phool. I have my doubt about the last one, as
I don't believe my Damphool would want to
leavo the South; that's the very place for him,
ail his friends are there, and there should he
remain in the midst thereof. If 1 hear more, 1
will communicate.
Skeptioally. DOESTIOKS, P. B.
GEN. JOSEPH LANE.— Joe Lane wrote a
tetter to his wife, giving his views of the state
of tho Union. Here is the letter as reported
for the Kankakee Gazette:
Nu orieose, ian. 10, 1861.
Dear Gaue, 1 write to tell you that i have
dissoluted, in koromon with tue Bowtb. We
are afeard of Jeeros Buckinao, he Is 2 korrupt
far as, & we have resolved to thro him on the
tender Mursy of tho North, i oan't tell when i
wil cey you, tbe Cuntry nods my service, and i
won't giv her up. U rite, ael the cow and got
aoinc roonoy, fur i expect a office now.
k'our husband, Jo LANE.
THE CHALLENGE.— A Judgo being chal
lenged by a General, tho following dialogue
ensued:
General—Did you receive my nolo, sir?
Judge—Yes, sir.
General—Well, do you intend to fight me l
Judge—No, sir.
Geneial—Than, sir, I considet you a pitiful
coward.
Judge—Right, sir, you knew that very well,
or you never would have challenged mo."
Appropos of driaily weathor and muddy
feet:
"That muddy day I ant tier,
When she tripped along the street,
And, with crinoline half lilted,
Showed a dainty pair of feet."
A crnsty old bachelor suggests that'dainty,'
in the La; hue, should be 'duty'—the old rep
robate.
How pleusa-it it would be to have .something
like tue tollowmg over one's grave: :
Under this cypress
IS ma an ml uy a high press sp
Ot i no; e
Too iucdiy I trusted,
To a U3 at that Ousted
And hlew me sky high.
la Act lor {he Commutation of fhe
Towuage Tax.
The following is tho bill pas-sad by the
j Hou<e, and now boforo the Senate:
j WHEREAS, By a provision of the Act toin-
I eorporat# the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
j appioved the 13th of April, eighteen hundred
| -nd forty-eight, a tax or duty wag imposed cn
; all tonnage loaded or received at Harrisburg,
, Pittsburg and intermediate pc<iat, and carried
or conveyed on the Railroad of said company
rnre than twenty miles, which said fax was
intended to compensate for any probable dimi
nution HI tha receipts of the Slain Lino of the
Public Works, (then owned by tho Slate) by
reason of the construction and operation of
tho said Railroad.
<in<i whereas, It wra provided in the third
section of the Act for the sale of the M (in
Lino of the Public Works, approved the six
teenth day of May, eighteen hundred end fifty
seven,jhat if the Pennsylvania Railroad com
pany should become the purchasers of the siid
woiks, the said company, in addition to the
sum u f seven millions five hundred thousand
miliars (§7,500,00) the pr'ce limited by tbe
said Act should pay the suui of one million
five hundred thousand dollars (1.500,000) in
five per cent, bonds of the company, and the*
thereupon the said company, and the Harrts
hurg, Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster
Railioad company should, in consideration t
thereof, bo discharged by the Oommoowealth j
forever from the payment of alt taxes upon j
tonnago or freight carried over said Railroads, !
and the said Penn*}ivariia Railroad company
should be released fro ID fhe payment of all
other taxes or duties ou its capital stock, bonis
divi b-nds or property.
! And whrreas, It was subsequently decided
j by the- Supreme Court of tuis Commonwtnhh,
j that while the Legislature had lull authority
| to repeal the pr9visions, of the sa>d Aet>, by
i whion the said tonnage tax waa imposed, ytt,
! inasmuch as part of the said last mentioned
>eeiiorj in the Act for tht? talo of the Main
Liue placed i-iTUm property of the said cain
pnuy beyond the re.eh of the taxing power, it
was, therefore, to that extent, uocatistitul iooal
and void.
And whereas, It was tho clear intention of
ihs L-\'>i : ;*tiirc, 'v the said Art for vise salt of
i j M =iu Lino, in case the asid Pennsylvania
Railroad company should become tbe purcha
ser of -.he same, to exhonerate ami release the
said company from further liability for tho
payment uf said tonnage tax, and for the ad
ditional consideration thereiu named, all other
tax s: and s :he said tonnage tax now fails
indirectly on flour, grain, cattle, iron, minerals
aud other domestic products, transported on
one liue of improvements, while sim'lar pro
ducts, transported cn other i'mes, are ex
empt from the same; and as the reason for the
imposition thereof ceased to exist on tbe sale
of the work# it as intended to protect, the
right of the Btats any longor to demand tho
payment of the said tax is denied, and s -id de
mand has led to litigation between the Statu
and the company, and will probably involve
the parties iu litigation with citizens of other
States, to the injury of our internal trade and j
commerce, which it is the duty of the govern- I
mcui to encourage end protect, by all lawful j
means.
And whereas, The said company has propo
sed a compromise and final settlement of the
question, by paying into the Treasu y, in com
mutation of the said tonnage tax aud in dis
charge thereof, such additional sum semi-annu
ally, over and above the instalments of princi
pal and the interest on its debt to the State, as
may be required to make said payment amount
to four hundred and sixty thousand dollars
(§40.0000,) annually, until the year 1890,
at hisa time the entire balan *e of the
tbe principal aud interest shall be paid in full;
and by paying, also, in addition to the said
semi-annual instalments, alt other taxes on
their property to wuich they may hereafter be
liable under the general revenue laws of the
State, and agree to make reduotions for trans
portation of local trade, as hereinafter provided
and to aid, also, in tbe oonstructihu of certain
laterai railroads, the completion of which is
essential as a means of facilitating the gttile
lurot and improvement of valuable districts of
tho Commonwealth yet undeveloped,"
And whereas, In the opiuion ef luis Legis
lature, it is expedient to accept the said prop
osition, and to relieve all agricultural, mineral
and industrial products, and other property
passing over any railrood, canal or sl.ekwater
navigation in this Common wealth, from tho
payment of tonnage tax or duty to the State;
therefore
SEC. 1. Be it enacted by t/ie Sennit and
House of Representatives oj the Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, in Genera! Assembly
met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority
of the same, .That it a majority of the Direct
ors of the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
who, for the purposes of inis act are hereby
vested with all neodful authority, shall at is.
meeting called for the purpose, resolve to ao
cent the provisions of this Act, and shall au
thorize tbu .secution of a written contract uu
dcr its corporate seal wit.i the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, to pay into the State Treasu
ry on account of its indebtecseas to the Com
monwealth, by reason of the purchase of the
Main Line of the Public Works, on the thiity
first days of January and July in every year,
until the ihuty-first day of July, eighteen
hundred and uinety, inclusive, such tuoi, in
addition to the interest on its bonds owned by
the State, aud to addition to its annual liability
to the State <Q account of purchase money for
(■•id tine of improvement*, as will inorease each
semi-annual p.,inent oa account of said debt
atid iii utv-t to the sum of two huadfoi ua i
tinny tL..u---ti.i dollars, (230,000) and the ag
gregate oi uti such p*yui9oU to the sum of
thuiueu millions five hundred and seventy
VOL. 34. NO. 9.
| thousand dollars, §(13,570,000) and shall
spree to pay, on the said thirty-first day of
! July, eiphteen hundred and nicety, into the
Treasury, the balance then unpaid of the prin
cipal and interest of said bonds, and shall fur-
I tber agree to reduce i'x local charge for trans
portation of grain, flour, cait'e, iron, minerals
| and other property, as hereinafter provided;
| and if the said company shall, in the manner
! aforesaid, on or before the fir.u day of July
next, make and enter into with tba Common
wealth of Pennsylvania a written contract to
that effect, and shall on or before said day de
liver the sait in the office of the Auditor
(ieoer 1, then and in such care, sod in consid
eration thereof, the Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania shall not at any timo hereafter lay,
impose, levy or collect any tax or duty upon,
or in respect to freight or tonnage passing
over tbe soli Pennsylvania Railroad or tba
Ilarrishnrg, Portsmouth, Jlount Joy and Lan
caster Railroad, or any part of them, or either
of tbem, unless a lik3 tax sball at tbc same
timo be imposed, laid Or levied upon ai! other
railroads or railroad companies of this Com
monwealth; and all laws imposing taxes or du
upon freight or tonnage upon the railroads,
canal* cud slackwater navigation companies,
for the ugoot the Commonwealth, he and they
are hereby repealed, and ao farther or other *
proceedings shall bo had or taken on the part
of tLo Commonwealth to enforce lie collection
of any tax or duty, or obligation given there
for, or judgment recovered, or. obtained, in
pursuance of any existing laws on tonnage
carried or conveyed on the saiiroad of said
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, or oa that of
any other company incorporated by this State,
and the said companies shall bo by the proper
officers of the Commonwealth, exonerated, re
leased and relieved from every lien end liabil
ity to the State on account thereof.
2. That from ami after the passage of
'his Act, all railroad, canal and slackwater
navigation companies incorporated by this
State, and liable for the payment of taxes on
duties on tonnage, imposed by aDy laws here
tofore enacted, shall make a reduction of their
charges for transportaiion on their loeal
freight, as fixed by their respective toll sheets,
on the first day of February, one thousand,
eight hundred and sixty-one, equal to the full
amount of the tat or duty chargeable upon
sorb freight or tornby e Uw aforesaid
the present winter rates between first day of
December and th a first day of May, shall be
| considered as fixed at 90 cents per hundred
lbs. for first class, 75 cents per hundred lbs.
for second olass, 60 cents par hundred lbs. for
third class, and 40 cents per 100 lbs for fourth
class. Summer rates between the first day of
May and first day of December in each year,
shall be 75 cents per 100 lbs. for first class,
450 cents per 100 lbs. f>r second class, 50
cents per 100 los. for third class, and 40 cents
per 100 lbs. f r fourth class, on all trade car
ried between Philadelphia and Pittsburg, and
a failure on the paft of either of said Compa
nies to make such reduoiien, shall render the
Oaip.oy so neglecting liable to the Common
weal;b tor double the amount of the tonnage
tax heretofore chargeable against them upon
: irade—auu every such Company shall, within
thirty days alter the passage of tbi3 Act, un
der u like penalty, file in the cffiie of she Au
ditor General, under the oath of the Presi
dent or other proper officer, a toll-sheet of
the,r rates of ohirges for transportation of
local freights, upon t'ie first day of February,
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, ac
companied by a statement of the reduction to
be made in pursuance of this Act, and the said
rates as so reduced shall be the highest rates
that an be charged for th t traospjrtatiou of such
freight and tonnage by any Company accepting
the provisions of this Act: Further , the Penn
sylvania Railroad Coaipauy shall uot at any
time charge or collect on any description of
freights from any eastern or suaborrd oitiea to
Pittsburg, higher than the gross rates oharged
or collected by the same route from same
points to any point wtsi of Pittsburg; nor
-hall the said Pennsylvania Railroad Company
charge or collect rates OD aoy description of
freights from Pittsburg to Philadelphia, Baiti
more. New Fork or otbot seaboard cities, high
er than the gross rates that may be oharged
by the setae route from any point west of Pltts-
Pit-sburg to the same points on the same de
scription of properly. The local rates from
Pittsburg or Philadelphia to stations on the
line of the Penusyluiiii* Riilroad shall at no
time exceed the gross rates charged through
between Philadelphia and Pittsburg; nor shall
local rates between any two stations on the
road between Philadelphia and Pittsburg ex
need the through rates as made from time to
time under the provisions af this Act, ncr
shall the r.tes charged to aDy local point ex
cecd theso eh.rgcd ti any point of graaterdis
taeco in too same direction from tho place of
shipment: And Jurlher, all shippers of wen
era proiuots, uoder through * Ml.s af lading,
from any point west of Pittsburg, to the sea
board cities, shall have the privilege of dispo
sing of their property at Pittsburg, by giving
timely notice, before its arrival at that point,
to tho transfer agents of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, end by delivering up their
through bills of lading, thus releasing the
Pennsylvania R.ilroad Company from all lia
bility ou account thereof. If the proprrty is
not sold at Pittsburg, the owner, consignee or
shipper of Slid property shall havo the right
to deliver tho sauie to tho transfer sgeuey of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Crmpany at Pitts
burg, and forward the same withir. ten days
after its arrival at Pittsburg, under the
conditions and rates of the original through
bill of lading.
KEO. 3. That tho Pennsylvania Railroad
company-shall be liableMo taxation tor all
S<ate parposea, an 1 the sfni Company shall
p y the same rate of taxation whiab is MOW
or amy hereafter be imposed by auy general