i=wm GE' 2 , :--- •HE GLOBE' ' 1r.0102 ,•••••••••• . . , ,7 1.1 'L " ..er"47•••••. ,- ...'...: • ...-11,•• .1"-....-$7, , .1-..•:•, - - • - • -‘••• • . .2 5 - 21 to -- f 4- F --- ' - - -- 4. 'll3 to - • '-*, -) , -4,(3.10 200 300 4 50 • : ' ' ''.7.43- r,,,..5 month': 12 mouths. f . 06 . - - V m OO- ' ' * I: 43 ( ti ~. 6 00' - - - •20 CO l ynit i '. 8 0 0 . 1200 10 5 0 00 03 15 00 00 ...... ... 1 2 0 5 3,00 0 0 0 00 .......... 30 ,; ix bobs, t excee4 4 ft ° n° ............ tb 00 ....... ; ........ . . . .....,_ cOra• . Notic44, $ B- 5 .2 4 ' , z 4OO - "'"' ko:.rt aquoro. About that auj petkoo. can oe, Ase6pt. • ed with tho number of hoer --:' '71" "°" 4 " , . e....,‘...,ei11feg td'thate 4 -1 1 1 .• • ' .'.,. .. ed tin forbid and charged 4C. • • rafreThTtil t ( - 6 1' 1" 115., : .. - : •:- , tug of d144!, - Ilandllle, etc., . , I MEBSAGE 0r (1 4,.. Oiler ~Zasylvania. -- <tari -Mime of Represen - a, year s"p .Iv of Atli have had reaso Ittmighty God for -he earth has been oas tbriven E and with the injury suffered s of soino of_oue bOrder 1-4.10,1.144116-,.4l.4*dce.tarbitr t' . 1) 92.19 1 7e 08 '‘ a 41' ' ttnrit44'‘ the no pnfilrof fitikton e Ta tnent: — The kear ofos'ea:w)th-a - train of brilliant success op obtained by the armies of the Uni ted States, inspiring hope in every loy al mind that the accursed rebellion yeill'soon be crushed, and peace be re ltored,tO Our country. • • /lhe!balance in the 'Treasury, N'S'o o l 1863, Wns .$2,147,331 70 Ilectiffs ddring fiscal yearend - -ins, 14'ne. 30, 1864, . . .. Total In Treasury far fiscal year 4... Swill*. Nov. 30, 1864, $8,880,64 472 ' ;,,"The payntenta for the same pe riod hare been 4,938,441 09 Balance in Treasury, Nov. 30, 1864 - $1,042,203 63 The 'operations of the sinking fund during tbOael,/ear'have been shown by_ my preela- MittiOn-ef the 27th 'day of September last, as fldloyfts 'Ail olll o,.of debt of iro inmonwealth, •-• • • ridnced Att fullevre, viz: ,filte per cent. loan . nEsttfe ,Cosiunon wealth, . $268,308 03 Trititeet ,certificates - 1- „Aideenied, - 261 47 r= - 268,569 60 6o . '6iscil year - accounted fur in the state ment of the Treasury Department, embraces theitinto from flits' Ist of December, 1863, to Abe. 30th` of November, 1864. The sinking 'fend... year commenced the first ',lllonday in Beptemb'er,lB62, andclosed the first Tuesday in September,' Iliti4.--=_Thie will explain the 7 Alitcrepaney, between the statement of the :.41kitgairepartruerit as to the reduction of 0 0 - ,il,fre debt of the State, ring- the emte - odied In,the proclamation relative king AMA, Amt of public • ' ,d't of Penn .... , sylvanis, as • :it. stood' on tbe first day of Dec., '63 Deduct ain't, - • redeemedat the State tre,tuse rjr du Fring the fie * -1411l yr. end mg NOT 30, 1864, 11Z 'kiie , sper cent. \ stocks $10\722 73 four t n half a Tr. stoke 10,010 00 Interest . fteates, 2,276, 11 116.092 84 YOH° debt, ..LlSee. 1, 'G4, . , :ritided- debt, 1:. pee dent loans ordi- . nary, 400,630 00 }lee per cent; loans, ordi- _nary, 35,605,26'3 72 Four t a half ' per cantons r—lawns, ordi nary, 257,200 00 truftirk!!l debt, r tie - RelteEnotes in eiretdation, ntereet certi 'ficates out rntereit carti fientee Itoineslie ere ditore'. cer tifieites, 97,251 00 13,08052 4,448 38 724 32 115,510 Military loan par not 15th . May,-1801,' :Total .public ;debt Dec. 1, - 1864. • The Commonwealth holds bonds received ?rot the gale of public works, amounting to ten three hundred thousand dollars, ($10,300,000 00) as follows. -...rennaylvania Railroad Cora - nany bonds,- 0,800,000 00 1 - 1 •Iolin & Erie Railroad bonds, - These bonds are in the Sinking Fund, tinitreduce the public debt to U9,479,- 463;94.. • The tax bn tonnage imposed by the :',nets of 30th - April and 25th August, 1.664 i 4as_yielded something less than ~s2oo,ooo—a much less Burn than was anticipated.-, I recommend a revision -lof these - acts for the purpose of ren ;'!'ering-thiss source of revenue more ,piodOetive, and amending other do ' in-those bills. • The revenue derived from the tax on „tithing the year amounts to I:s7,'lptit under the . enabling - so many of. our banks lionat banks under the act ot uoti - ires's, that this source of revenue may be considered as substan: tially extinguished, and it will be nec essary in-some way to make up the de ficiency from other sources. The act of Congress authorizes the taxation by the State of the stock in 'the National banks in the bands of the laolders, not exceeding the Tato. of tax -ation 'on other similar property, and • lied of the della ieu ey may be this pr°- z vided for. 4930Ametintordiatat extinguished by Ile Sinking Fund during , the year is unusually email, which Is to be ac- BIM .te . 3 u , • •pr.. • - • „ -• . • • • • WILLIAM LEWIS, Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XX. counted for by the extraordinary ex penses which have been incurred. Seven hundred and thirteen thotisand dollars ($713,000) have been paid to refund to the banks the money ad vaneed by them to pay the volunteers in service during the invasion-of the State in 1863. One llundred thousand dollars (6100,000)thitve been distribu ted amongTtlitOnhabitants of Chain• bereburg,knffering by the rebel destruc tiorOV:theirlown:: -:About two hub dri4hotitend dollars_(62oo,ooo)_have beefil:.:expended under the acts provi. :*ng'for the payment of extra military Claims, and in addition to these extra ordinary 'outlays, the amount appro priated to charities was last year:lar ger than usual. - In my opinion this matter of dona tions to charities is fast running into a great abuse. Houses of Refuge and insane, Blind and Deaf and •Dnnib Asylums, appear to be proper subjects of State bounty, because their objects are of public importance and, to be useful,and well and economically Mana ged, it [gems to be necessary that they should be more extensive than would bo required for the wants of a particu lar county. But in on; system ' ordi. nary local charities are left to the care of the respective localities, and to give the public money for their suppsrt is really to tax the inhabitants of all the counties- for the benefit of one. 4,733,313 02 The national taxation is heavy and must probably be. made heavier, and the local taxes authorized by unwise legislation:and paid by our people aro excessive. In view of these circum stances, we. should endeavor to avoid increasing their burdens by making undue appropriations for any purpose. It being alleged that the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad Company has not in various particulars obeyed the law by whieh it was incorporated, the Attorney General (on the sugges• Lion of parties claiming to be thereby injured) has filed an information in equity against that company, seeking an injunction to prevent a continuance of its peat, and the persistence in its intended illegal course. • Since my last annual message on the rnnnrh of John A. Wright, Esq., that tbo Sunbury an - •ished, I ordered the bonds remaining in the treasury to be delivered to the company. It is a subject of just pride to the people of this Commonwealth, that this great work is completed, and whilst it opens a largo and wealthy part of the State to the commerce of the sea board, and unites capital and enter prise within our borders, it secures to the Commonwealth the payMent of the sums due her from the company: $258,569 50 $39,406,59G 78 In my special message of 30th April last, to which I refer•, 1 communicated to the Legislature, in some detail, the circumstances connected with.the ad• vance by banks and other corporations of the funds to pay the volunteer mi litia of 1863. . It is not necessary here to recapitit ; late them at length. The case was pc euliar, and it is believed none quite like it has occurred. The call for volun teers was made by the authorities of the United States but it being found that moo could not bo got under that call, the form of a call by-the State au thorities for the defence of the State was, with the assent of the President, tubstituted. The United States agreed to tarnish the arms, subsistence and blWies but it. Was alleged that Con geal bad made no appropriation cov ering The pay. In this state of things, the er.oNeney being great, the Seere• retary or War telegraphed me, thus : WA:MIINGTON, July 22,1863. To His Exceittcy, Gov. A. G. Curtin : Your telegrams respecting the pay of militia, called out under your proc lamation of the 27th of June, have been referred to the President for in structions, and have been under his consideratiou. Ho directs me to say, that while no laW orappropriation au thorizes the payment, by the General Government, of troops that have not been mustered into the service of the United States, he will recommend to Congress to make an appropriation for the payment of troops called into State service to repel an actual invasion, in cluding those of the State of Pennsyl vania. If, Mile meenthno, you can raise the necessary amount, as has been, done in other States, the appro. priation will be applied to refund the advance to those who made it. Meas. urea have been taken for the payment of troops mustered into the United States Berviee, as Boon as the muster and pay rolls are made out. The an swer of this department, to you as Governor of the State, will be given directly to yourself, whenever the de partment is prepared to make answer. (Signed) EDWINM. STANTON. Secretary of War. .U 9,379,603 94 3et,26 ,OD3 $36,379,603 3,000,000 $39,379,603 3,500,000 00 $10,300,000 00 The banks and other: corporations refused to-advance the money; unless I would pledge myself to ask an ap propriation from the Legislature to refund it. It will be noticed that the pledge of . the -President is clear and distinct, but, notwithstanding the mon ey was paid and the accounts settled and placed in the bands of the Presi dent before the meeting of Congress, no such recommendation as promised me was made, and for that reason the bill introduced for that, purpose failed. The men were raised and placed under the command of Major s General Couch and tbe . Other officers in this De partment. The troops Were held in service longer than the emergency for which they were called out required. Several of the reghnepts were march ed imneediate4 , 47 . i l lta distant parts of the I State, by order of .the - ofileeri3 01 the army stationed in Pennsylvania, against- my rapeated• reinonetrances. They, were retail e l, as leas alleged, to preserve the peace and enforce the draft. Nearly, if not quite, one half HUNTINGDON, PA., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1865. the money was paid to troops. thus held, and after the emergency had ex pired. Finding that the appropriation was likely to fail in Congress, I laid the matter before the Legislature, just prior to their adjournment, in May !sat, and an act of Assembly was im mediately 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 Con gross was vigorously supported by all the member; from this State, in both branches. 'laving done everything in my power to procure the payment of this just claim of the State, I now roe ' oinmend that the Legislature take the subject - into eonsidoration with a view to induce proper action by the Presi dent and Congress. By the act of22d August, 1861, I was authorized to cause an immediate enrolment of the militia to be made, unless that recently made by the Uni ted States slwuld be found sufficient, and to raise by volunteerine• ° or draft a corps of fifteen thousand men for the defence of ,our Southern border. The United States enrolment being found very defectiveiT directed an en rolment to be made, which is now in progress under the charge of Colonel Lemuel Todd, whom I appointed In spector General. A draft by the Uni ted States was then in progress, and it , was not thought advisable to harass 'our people by a contemporaneous State draft, even if a draft had been practi cable under the present law. Volun teers could not be obtained, there be ing no bounties, and the men not being exempted by their enlistment in that corps from draft by the United States. Fortunately the United States placed an army, under General Sheridan, be tween us and the enemy, and thus pro vided:effectually for our defence.. With I such adequate protection as proved by the brilliant campaign of that army, I did not think it right to incur the expense to the State of an independent army, and the withdrawal of so many of our people from their homes and pursuits. Meanwhile arrangements have been made with the authorlins at Washington for arming, clothing, subsisting and supplying the corps ut ease of the United States, and 113211 ities of the United — Stateigi such volunteers in the corps as may be drafted by the United States. The corps so privileged not to exceed 5,000 men. It is my intention to raise 5,000 men during the winter, and I have al ready adopted. measures, to, that end. there may occur irruptions of irregu lar bodies of the rebels, and it is well to be provided against them. The number proposed to be so raised and put_ into actual service, will in my judgment be aufficient, 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 immediate attention to the very able report of the Inspector General, which sets forth the defects in the law which he has discov ered in his preparation for carrying it into practical effect. The State agencies at Washington and in the South-west, are in active and successful operation. I eptnmuni cute herewith the reports.of Col. Jor dan,-at Washington, and Col. Cham berlain, agent for the South-west.— The provisions of the law requiring the agents to collect moneys duo by the United States to soldiers, have been beneficent. A. reference to their reports will show the magnitude and usefulness of this branch of their ser vice. I desire to invite the attention of all our volunteers, officers, soldiers and their families to the fact that the State agents will collect all their claims on the Governwient, gratuitous ly, as I have reason to believe that many are. still ignorant of that fact, and are greatly imposed upon by the exhorbitant commissions charged by private claim agents. Under the act of the 6th of May, 1804, I appointed lion. Thomas H. Burrowes to take charge of the ar rangements for the education of the orphans of soldiers. 1 communicate herewith a copy of this report on the subject. Ile has discharged his duties with commendable zeal, fidelity and efficiency. I earnestly recommend that a permanent and liberal appropri ation be. made to support this just and worthy scheme of beneficence. • I recommend that an appropriation' be made for pensions to the, volunteer militia men, (or their families,) who wore killed or hurt in service in the'' years 1862 .and - 063. As soldiers I sometimes arrive here who aro insane, and who should be protected and car ed for, I recommend that, provision be made for their being placed in the State Asylum for the Insane, at this place, and kept until notice can be given to the authorities of their red pectivo counties, who shOuld be re— quired to remove and care for them. .1 feel it to be my duty to invite year serious attention to the evils growing out of the system of passing nets of incorporation, for purposes which are provided for by general laws. We have passed acts authoriling charters to bo obtained without special legisla tion. Those acts have been generally prepared with some care, and contain the provisions which the Legislature thought necessary to protect the Com monwealth and her citizens. If these general laws arc not found to answer such purposes, they should be amen ded and perfected. If any company desires to be incorporated with great er privileges than are conferred, or to be relieved from any of the conditions imposed by these acts, it appears to ins that it should be required first to cihtain Is charter tinder the general talus, gs and then apply to the Legisla ture for an act' making the changes which are' desired. The attentiOrl of -PERSEVERE.- the Legislature will thus .be drawn to the specific object, and a judgmentean 'be formed of its propriety. I would also observe that great evil results from the habit of granting privileges to a corporation by a Mere reference to some former private act relating to other corporations, sometimes without even giving the date of theee All these practices aro bad ; and al though they may sometimes be pursu ed by parties having no bad intention, yet they eertainly originated in the design of surprising the Commonwealth into grants of .privileges which it was known could not be obtained if their extent were understood, as they are often followed,now,foklie same fraud ulent purpose I strongly.recommend the repeal of the act passed the 18th day of July, A. n. 1863, entitled "4.n act relating to corporations for mechanical, manu-' facturing, mining, and quarrying pur poses." Its provisions aro found to be prac tically eo inconsistent with the due protection of the citizens and with the just policy of the Commonwealth, that it ought not to be allowed to stand longer on our statute, book. I approv ed the act in question with great re luctance, and subsequent reflection and observation have satisfied me of its mischievous character. I also recommend the repeal of an act passed the 22d day of July, ♦- D. 1863, entitled "A .furtber supplement to an act to enable joint tenants and tenants in common, and adjoining owners of minernl.landv in this Gem monwealth, to, marnige and develop the same." .- ' This act allows foreign corporations to hold three hundred acres of land in this State for mining : .purposes. It was passed, it is helieted, for the ptir pose of enabling, companies near our border engaged - in the manufacture of iron, to bold land as ore banks. But under the idea that the sinking of an oil well is. mining, it is believed that companieg have already been organ ized under the laws• of other States, and that more will be, for the purpose of holding lands and carrying on the oil business in this: State. It would be better to remove' all doubt on this zinestion by ropealing.tho net. These companiesMding W - giro. • • . , are not within the control of our laWs to the oxtent that they ought to be for the purposes of taxation and roe, The immense development of wealth in some of our western counties by the discovery of oil, has added vastly to the resources of the Commonwealth. I have made efforts to ascertain the value of this product during the last year, but have failed .in procuring in formation sufficiently accurate to jus tify me in e'stimating its amount. It is already i eat, and is rapidly increas• The • productions and mai.ufactares of the State have become so diversifi ed. and abundant that some measure should be taken for an accurate ascor• tainmont of them, so that their extent may be generally known, and also that the necessary taxation may be intelli gently imposed. Irecommend for these purposes the creation •of a Bureau, of which the Auditor General and State Treasurer shall be made members, and the head of which shall be it now offi cer, to be styled Commissioners of Sta tistics, or designated by any other rp propriate title. Tho act'of Angust.;lB6l, pro viding for the votingof soldiers, should be carefullyexamiued, with a • view to its amendment, and, indeed, a revis ion of our whole election laws would seem to be desirable with a view to the two.essential objects of, 1. The admission of legal and exclusion of il legal votetrat•the polls; and, 2. Faith ful and correct returns of the votes actually polled: I communicate here with the opinion of the Attorney Gen eral on the conflicting returns for the 16th Congressional District., which will show some of the practical diffi culties which arise under the existing system. Without undertaking to re commend the adoption of any particu lar plan, I submit, the whole subject to your careful and earnest consider ation, in the hope that in your wisdom you will be able to devise some meas• ure which will produce, the result. so essential to the existence of ,a free goV ernment; that, votes shall be fairly ta ken in the first instance, and fairly counted and returned afterwards 1 have endeavored since I came in to office to exercise as ,cautiously as possible the powers confided to the Executive, and avoid usurping any:_. I shall endeavor to persist in this course to the end A now call has been made by the President for 300,000 man. , This ren ders, it proper that .1 should invite your attention to the ev i ils which have re, ulted from abuses of the system of local bounties which Was begun, in an emergency, by the voluntary and gen erous loyalty of our citizens, before the passage by Congress of the en'rol moot act, and' has since been eolith'''. ued by sundry nets of Assembly. The result has been to the last degree op pressive to our citizen's,. and unproduc tive of - corresponding benefit to the Gevernment. In some counties and townships,it'iebelieVed i that the boun ty tax during tho, last year exceeded the average income derived from the land, The large'iums Oland iu some places in - the competition' for men, have demoralizetlinany, of oar people, and the most atrocious frauds" connee .ted with the system haVe beetime o°m m". Th e men of some of thii poorer counties have been nearly' exhausted by their volunteers being -credited to richer localities puyiyig heavier. boun- . ties. The system as ',practiced-lowers the morale of 'the army ltsolf hy . put ting into the rank - S men actuated ' merely moue ler.) , motives, and ivtlo , .. . , 1 , . C . nro tempted to desert by tho facility of escaping detection, and the prospect of now gains by, :re•enlistment, a pro cess which they expect to be able to ropeat,nn indefinite number of times. Of the number of pion for Whom boun ties have been paid, it is believed that not one fourth have been actually plac ed in the ranks of the army, and even those who htive joined it, have proba bly not on an average received for their own use ono•half of the bounty paid for them. Immense sums have thus been appropriated by cheats and swindlers, in many cases believedto be acting in complicity with agencioi of the Government. • An effort was• made - to prosecute seine of 'the parties concerned in such frauds under the act; of Assembly of 14th August last, and they wore bound over by the Mayor of this City, but after the witnesses had come hero on the meeting of the court, they disap peared from the public eye. I recom mond the whole subject to youre•tre— flit consideration, that the system . may be purged of these evihi. I am officially informed that the quota of this State, under the recent call, is 66,999, but I am not informed of the principal on which the; draft is to be made. It appears from the President's proclamation that it is made chiefly to supply an alleged defiCiency in for— nor calls. I am surprised at the amount of this large" deficiency, and can only account for the difference between the number of men furnished by the State and the deficiency alleged to exist in the assignment of 'the pros— ont quota by the assumption that the men never reached the army, although enlisted and mustered after the pay ment of bounties by the localities to which they were supposed to be cred ited. It is probable that there are very few counties in the State which have not paid large bounties for a number of mon sufficient to fill their 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 thus been robbed of more than twelve millions of dollars during the past year•. This estimate does not i • . • '. taint - 0 .- My taken .from men who have actually gone into thU service. The continuance of these monstrous and unparalleled abuses cannot bo tolerated. • Certainly more men are required to aid . our .gallant soldiers in the - field in crushing this rebellion, and every consideration of patriotism and of re. gard for our brothers who are now in the face of the enemy, obliges us to spare no effort to raise the necessary force. In June last I gave letters to a com mittee of the prison society of Phila delphia, requesting that the members of the committee might be allowed to visit and examine the prisoners and poorhouses throughout the Conimon— wealth. I transmit with this commu nication a copy of tbe report made to me by the society of the results of their labors, and commend the same to your attention with a view to the adoption of proper measures to reform the abusos which have boon found to exist. In connection with this subject, again stall your attention to the expo dincy of providing for the reception !n the :penitentiaries, of persons con victed of murder in the first degree, and who may be pardoned on condition of serving a limited term therein. It has become a custom that an incoming Governor should not" issue a warrant of execution in cases left unacted on by his predeoessor i and it not unfre— quently happens that even in eases which are recent, while some punish ment should be inflicted, that of death may appear to the Executive to be too severe. The result is that there aro a; this time, in the various prisons, some eighteen or twenty persona under senter.ce of death, and who may lie there for an indefinite period of time. The vast eh - if:hint of additional labor which has been I,Mposed upon - the Sec retary of the Commonwealth by the existing state of affairs renders it ab solutely necessary that Abe clerical force of his department should be in creased: The making out of commis- sions for our large army of volunteers in the field, and the preparations of eleetion blanks required by law to be sent to the army—the receipt, filing and recording the returns of the soldiers' votes—the enrol ment of the yearly increasing number of acts of Assembly, and of charters obtained under general laws and the Making out of letters patent for them those, together with the previous heavy duties of the office—form an ag gregate, the weight of which must ul timately break down his few Subordin ates, diligent, faithful and enduring as they are. I recommend, therefore, that provision bo promptly made to meet the necessities of this ease. It is a subject of just congratulation that notwithsanding the distractiad condition of the country, our system of common schools continues toflourisb. The report .of the Superintendent, Whichl herewith transrait i showe that there has been an increase of scholars during the past year. It is important to secure as teachers a 'sufficient num ber of men of Suitable education and ability, and with a view to this object, I suggest for your consideration the ex pediency of making out of the School fund itself. some provision for the'suP port of suoh teachers as shall after a given term of service become superan nuated or diiablcd while in - the perfor mance of then' duties.` Of the fund placed in 1 . 9; hands' by the ants of the 16th lifq, MAIO the 4th of May 1864;' and to' be iris ted in to pdgnaelit in TERMS, $2,00 a year in advance. service,l have expended in the lastyear 86,124 68 in support of the agoacy at Washington—up until the 30th of May last, for personal staff and other military service, an account of which is settled in the office of the Auditor General. No similar approyriatiou will be re quirecl at this session. A bill was introduced and passed the House at the last session of the Legis lature providing for the appointinent of a commission, to ascertain the dam ages dono in the connties of Bedfot'd,. Fulton, Franklin, Cumberland, York and Adams, by the rebel army in 1863, which failed in . the Senate for want of time. , • • - I commend to your consideration the propriety of the passage of such a bill during the present. session. It is just to the people of these counties who have suffered, as well as to the Government that these damages should be fairly ascertained and the evidence perpetuated, whatever may be the view to be taken on future consideration by the United States or State Government as to the propriety of paying such claims. Major General Hancock bap been authorized by the War Department to raise a corps of veterans, to be called hie First Corps. One of the regula tions is that on application by the Gov ernor of any State, recruiting officers will be designated for such State,. I have been requested by Getieral Han cock to make such application, but have hitherto declined to comply with the request. It appears to me that the families of 11011 raised on the plan adopted by the War Department 'would probably not be entitled to the relief provided by our own laws for the fatnilies of volunteers. I have inquir ed of Gen. Hancock whether the pro— posed corps is to form part of the reg— ular army or of the volunteer force, and if . the latter, under what act of Congress it is to be raised. tio has re ferred that communication to the War Department, from which I haveas yet received no answer to it. , The following letters have passed between General Hancock and myself on this subject: PEN NSILy,ANIA EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, TX.N.E.N.MURG Vit.. Dec. 29th, 1864. GENERAL received your letter at the moment of my departure for Philadelphia on Monday las. I return ed this morning and hasten to reply. Having no knowledge of the organi zation of the corps you are to corn. mand than what appears in the news papers and orders, I will be obliged if you will inform mo if it is to be regar ded as a part of-the regular army of the United States or as part of the vol unteer service. * .• If it is part of the army of the Uni ted States, I certainly have no con nection with it, as 6-a Vernor of tho State. If it is organized as volunteers, bo pleased. to inform, me under what act df Congress? I need not say. General, that I would be most happy to do all in my power personally and officially to raise a force to be commanded by you. Can we not raise you two or three regiments in Pennsylvania, in the usual manner and according to the act of Congress, for your corps ? Of course, I would consult you in the selection of officers and only commission where you ap proved. . I cannot understand the importance of my aslting that person be sent to Pennsylvania to induce veterans to go to the District of Columbia to enlist. I certainly will do nothing to embar rass the plan proposed. We have benefits, by general and special legislation in Pennsylvania, which' attach to the volunteer and his family. While I will do nothing to deter the veterans of the State from entering your corps, I hositate to con nect myself with a mode of enlistment which may deprive them of such ben efits, unless it is my duty under the law. I am ; General, very respectfully, Your obedient servant. A. G. CURTIN. Major General WirlYinrai 11A.Neoc1 Headquarters First 'Corps, Washington D.C.,Dec. 31,1801. M His Excellency Hon. A. G. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania : Sin:—l have the honor to,acknowl edge the receipt of your communica tion of the 29th inst., and have refer red the same to the war Department. I thank you for your kind' expression of personal good will, and regret that there should be any occasion . for ,hesi tation on • your part to lend your offi cial influence, as Governor, to the rais- . ing of the corps as proposed by the War Department. • It is not within my provinee, per haps, to dismiss the plan of organiza tion, as.l ant acting under the direct orders of the War Department, and my own views, therefore, ere of no particular moment. I may say, how ever, that I have. no knowledge of the organization other than what I have derived froin the orders and circulars of which I mailed • you , official copies December sth. . I cannot see how volunteers for this corps from your State lose any of the advantages attaching to those for other 'organizations. They are credited to the localities "where they or their families are domi ciled, and count oh the quota of your., State. • It should be born irt mindo that this is an effort to get men into service who are pot subject to a draft. .1 have the honor to remain, very respectfnlly, yonr obedient eervent. WiIiFIELD S. RANCOCK, Major General U. S. Volunteers,• eom rnanding FsrstXctrps. . . . The only net, of. Congress fbr rais ing volunteers that I san aware of, re quireiS that the' fleld and line; offLgette . shall be emtnissioned by the JOB PRlNTllicit; 9)MOBI .. . ...... .......,. ..., HE “G.T.A)B.E- J0. 13 . - OrrlOlC'' 4 'the most:complati . of any toi the aiiillitiiiill4 PP"' *ernes the zertetample fectUtife ear ppromptly elemetlec the Pet! style, esep ypiotyot Jab grtottog, !vit. 1 ,1 ":77.' UAW]) . BILLS; ' . . ' - • •- •'• ' - • • PROGgAmn.LES, ..-: ~. ~ • . ... .. . ... Ct.BBB, CIRCULABS; B.tLL Ticktts, tAiltt,§; &o:, NO. 28. cam A.ND eaawaa ISTECUISXISpI ROMS, AT LIMO' DOOR, STATIOSEST,S SOHO BTORS nors of the several States. 'he Men in thi s corp s are not to•be fbrmed into organizations of- theTespective States and it is proposed thatits officers shall be appointed by the general; govorn ment. I know of no act of l.longrenei or of Assembly under whiCh men iv , raised will be entitled to pensions or their families to be benefits front the United States or State Government; In addition, I will observe that 'with out any feeling °flea/Way, I am still not ready to participate actively in' transferring to the. United States Me gaily the right to appointment vested in the State, and which the State au thorities can exercise _with more_ did— eritaiiiation by reason of - -having greater familiarity with the 'merits of the citizens of their own State, than the United States authorities can pos sibly have. I will transmit any fah. - tber communication that I may re-' rceive on this subject. It will be . ,per . " eeived by reference to the coriespen deuce, that I have offered to raise, lit the manner provided by law, two or three regiments:of vetearns for REM. cock's Corp. htydissiro is to aural the' Government in every legal modein raising mon, and especially - to tate an officer a native Perinsylviniari-i -so distinguished as *C4enbral cock, in his efforts to organiz.e nem: - corps. , . • . • I shall throw no obstacles in hic way on the present occasion, but I cannot, certainly, be ek...peeted to vio. : • lation of law in carrying oat a.plan. which sacraficos the rights of the State. under existing laws,_ and would leave the men unprotected by thein, so far as concerns future provisiim for their. comfort and. that of their- fztthilies: I will further observe that it ap• - pears by the report of the Adjutant. General, herewith transmitted, that the State, under the system eatablisti ed by law, has put into the military service of the" United States since the commencement of the war, the follow ing number of men, viz: Troops sent into service during 184.; Organizations fur three years' term, Organizations for one hundred days' term, Organizations for one year term, Volunteer recruits, Drafted men and substitutes, Recruits for regular army, Re-enlistments of Pennsyl vania Volunteers. Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, - Accredited to other States, 91,704 Troops sent into the service ofthe MUM States since the commencement of th'e• rebellion, including the ninety days' militia in the departments of the Mpn• ongahela and Susquehanna, in 1863 :. During the year 1861, 130,594 do do 1862, do do 1863, 43,046, do do 1864, 741326 Re-enlistment of Pennsylvania volan teem, 17,876 The twenty-fire thousand. militia. of 1862 are not included in this. Btlt,to , - moot. I call the attention of the logien,. titre to the Report of the Surveyqi , General, herewith presented, and cent: mend the suggestions made by that officer to your conElideration, This message_ is accompanied, by full reports of all the military departments. They exhibit the amount of. Service performed during the past year, and contain a full history of all that:milita ry operations of the State ; Many valuahle recommendations are made in theca,: t'o POraote the efficiency of our volunteers, andtbe comfort of the sick and wounded, which I commend toy our earnest and in - mediate Atlyee tion. It affords me, e t reat Satififfiatitm to hear my testimony to, the ability; diligence and fidelity of all the or t. c'ere in these sevefal departmeiite. Before closing this message I desire ; to advert to the delay which bas tieniett times occurred in the paassge of the general'appropriation bill..lt is neciiii sary that this bill should becomes:l4 l / 2 ;i, as otherwise the action of Goiariamen;t would be stopped. - To delay its; pres r entation to the Executive as wae:ciehe at the last regular session---4141ii tatei Ithur of the night before the morning fixed for the final idjeurnment, 'is to deprive the people of, their right tot have all bills submitted to therevision. of the Legislature before, bechiniiyo laws, in case tlie Exeoutive Weald:not, approve therm If there had' hheri - I sholld probably;have, returned ,ifies. aPProprition 9,fles't year for finch revision, es when I had the oppori4. Jolty of deliberately examining it; found provisione - *bleb I Could , have approved 'but that'. opPertu= nity was denied me hefora had become a . 110; and in Pia the Legislature Was On 'the "liitAnt•at adjournment, the only qu'eritiott re seated to me was whethei -. ,,tfa4 should become a law without aniers:l meat or th 9 ufmseities of `;the moat remain unprovided for. , The gallantry &our soldiers in tTie field still sheds lustre cm, I,to 'co, wealth, and that tlfeit•merit rs qipift ciateltby a genermistit' Sh9wo r by the continued mid eheerffil libeol l ity with which the men and WoMen 451 1 the State contribute ,of their means. .May thetheir comfort and welfare. I latkr the bleesing of God be on those brave men who have steed by the: through the dark hours of ,her the eio2m}4. PI ; -, ~~ - MI Pc►b"l`E~iS~ DILI, 11E04 9,867 MEI 16,094 26,567 10,651 2,834 7 . 39 • '• 389. 17,876. 33G,444 0 3
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