Lancaster intelligencer. (Lancaster [Pa.]) 1847-1922, April 26, 1871, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Lancaster 3ntelligencer.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1871
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION.
liend're Democratic State Committee or Pa.,l
Philadelphia, April 24, 1871. f
Tho delegates chosen to the Democratic State
Convention will ensemble in the Chamber of
the Rome of Representatives, at Harrisburg,
on WEDNESDAY, RAY 21, 1871, for the pur
pose of nominating candidates for Auditor-
General anti Surveyor-General, and for the
rontilderation of matters relating to the organ
ization of the party and the advancement of
Ito principles. The Convention will be railed
to order at 10 o'clock A. H.
Ity order of the Slate Committee.
W. Mu reEiLER,
Chairman
bummer Meeting of the State Editorial
Atli4OClntioll.
Arrangements are being perfected for
holding a Summer meeting of the Edi
torial Association of Pennsylvania at
Williamsport, The time fixed upon is
the second Wednesday of June. Just
at that season the country will be most
attractive, and a trip such as is proposed
cannot fail to be full of pleasure. It is
probable that an excursion will be made
to Watkins' Glenn, in the State of New
York, which is said to be one of the most
beautiful spots in the United States.—
Arrangements will be made with the dif
ferent railroads of the State, by which
editors will be passed free, with ladies
accompanying them. The meeting will
be one of a /mitt] rather than a business
character, and the prospect Is that it will
be largely attended. The Democratic
Editorial Association meets at Belle
fonte on the second Thursday in June,
and It is understood that It will adjourn
In time to allow members to join the
State Editorial Association at Williams
port.
The Address of the Democratic Members
of Congress.
We publish elsewhere the able ad
dress made by the Democratic members
of Congress, to the people of the United
States. It is a calm and dignified pre
sentation of important issues in which
every citizen, from the humblest to the
highest in the land, Is directly and
deeply interested. As the authors of
this document say, their presence and
official. duties at 'Washington, have en
aided them to become fully acquainted
with the actions and the designs of
those who control the Radical party.
They have acted wisely in issuing an
appeal to the people, 511(1 men of all
parties will give heed to what they say.
They very properly lay stress upon
the fact that General (rant has put him
self forward as a candidate for re•elec
lion, without even waiting for the en
dorsement of the party which elected
him, and they expose the means by
which he expects to control the Republi
can Convention, and to force his eleva
tion to the Executive Chair• a second
time. Under such circumstances, with
power given to him by which he may
place troops at the polls and suspend
the writ of habeas ,oripts iu any State
rd will, it is not strange that conscien
tMos men of all parties should be filled
with the gravest apprehensions for the
future petted of the tuition.
Itt addition to the power thus im
properly conferred upon a rash and
head-strong l'resident by a subservient
Congress, I ;intend ( ;rant exercises com
plete control over a multitude of office
holders, all of whom are chosen, not on
account of fitness or moral character,
but solely with a view to their willing
ness to serve as a 111(111S for perpetuating
4he power of their chief. Hence come
enormous defalcations which are over
looked, amounting to many millions of
dollars. To th , se facts the addresscalls
the attention of the people.
The manner in which the people are
robbed by an unjust and improper sys
tem of taxation, is clearly pointed out
and comfetnned in terms which will
awaken a response among the burthen
ed and plundered tax-payers. 'l'lle
wants of the farmer, the trader and
the mechanic, have all been overlooked
and disregarded by Radical Congress
men; in their eager pursuit of schemes
of personal aggrandizement and partb
man advancement. Nearly two hundred
million acres of public lads, which
should have been reserved for the ben
efit or the people, have been voted away
to great corporations, and the soldier,
have been neglected, while speculator , .
and lobby isle have been enriched.—
Against such wasteful management and
criminal dispersion of the national
wealth, the address of the Democratic
members ill Congress earnestly protests.
The unconstitutional laws which hush
been passed at the session of Congress
now happily ended, are shown to have
in view the single object of enabling
((eneral (;rant to perpetuate his rule.
For that purpose, in the language of
Senator Trumbull, "States have been
annihilated." Rights supposed to be
secure beyond assault. have been strick
en down, and all that is left to the citi
zens is mere sufrerance. Still the Dem
ocratic members have not lost hope in
the future. They call upon the people
of all the States to endure theills which
have been brought ul5Ol them for a lit
tle while longer, believing that the prop
er remedy will be found at the ballot
box in the next Presidential election.
The charges Which: malignant Radi
cals have been industriously making
against the Democratic party, are all
spattered - to the winds by this address.
It proves conclusively that no attempt
will be made to disturb vested rights or
to unsettle any of the issues which have
been determined in a proper and con
stitutional manner. 'File Democracy
will go into the coming Presidential
campaign upon great and living issues,
with a strength derived from reason
anti argument, which will be more than
sufficient to cope with the bayonets of
a candidate who will be forced to rely
upon a hired soldiery, and the merce
nary support of a horde of sala ied offi
cials. The issues set forth in the ad
dress of the Democratic members 01
Congress will be freely discussed i
every election district in the land, and
the whole people will be aroused to a
full sense of the dangers which threaten
our cherished institutions.
Tot.; new Apportionment of Senators
and Representatives, according to the
vote for Governor in 1509, gives the Sen
ate to the Republicans by one majority,
and the House to them by six. In the
Senate, however, owing to its present
political complexion, and the terms of
Senators now in office, the Democrats
will hold the power until 1574 provided
they succeed in carrying the districts
given to them by the bill. As we be
lieve the Democracy to be far stronger
now than it was in 1509, we not only
expect to hold our own districts, but to
make gains from the enemy.
In this apportionment a change of
four votes will give the Democracy con
trol of the House ; and with the popular
vote in our favor on the State ticket, we
will be able in all probability to carry
that branch of the Legi,lature. In this
respect the bill Is a vast Improvement
on that of 1564, for under that appor
tionment a change of at least ten is re
tit:l7A to give the Democrats the con
trol of the House. Under the old ap
portionment, Lancaster has two Sena
tors and four Representatives. Under
the new bill it will have one Senator
and three Representatives. Our mem
bers, naturally, were grieved at this.
The Border•Rald Clalms
The Senate Committee on these claims
has reported a bill providing for a care
ful revision of the claims by the Courts,
to prevent all speculation and fraud, and
the payment of the interest on them by
the State. The State becomes the owner
of the claims, and is required to demand
the payment of them, and the $500,000,
with Interest, already paid Chambers
burg, and when the claims are paid to
the State the claimants are to be paid•
,• 9 :
. 4.1. IC 11
• • W
C 1 1 T Ib. ... .
... -.. ,
...k m
we .4. ••
--
lias the State the Power to Curb Cor
poration'.
It Is not to be wondered at that rail
road companies should have received
almost unlimited privileges In the Uni-
ed States. For twenty-tive years every
State has been anxious to secure the
greatest possible development of its re
sources. Legislatures were ready to
grant the most extensive franchises to
any company which promised to open
up a new line for travel and the trans
portation of freight. The people had
not learned that great danger lurked In
the unlimited charters of powerful cor-
poratlons. They never dreamed that
the time would come when the creatures
of the State, having grown greater than
the State itself, would enter the halls of
legislation, dictate their own terms, and
carry out any decree they chose to make
by bribing a majority of the legislators.
At the commencement of the present
session of the Legislature of Pennsylva
nia, when certain rant:mid companies
combined to prevent the mining of an
thracite coal, thoughtful men and law
yers of experience were startled by the
announcement that these offending cor-
porations were only acting within the
limits of their charters. Men who had
been in the Legislature for years, law-
yers and shrewd politicians professed to
believe that they had not granted such
powers as were claimed. An examina
tion of the charters of the companies ,
and a reference to decisions of Courts of
last resort showed that the counsel of
the railroad companies, who advised the
action which resulted in a continued
suspension of work in the coal regions,
were fully aware of the power possessed
by these corporations, and that the limit
of their franchises had not been ex-
ceeded.
Whether the Legislature of this State
still possessed the'power to regulate the
charges for freight and travel on all the
railroad=, now acting under charters
granted by former Legislatures, we re
gard as still an open question. It may
be that the Supreme Court of Pennsyl
vania would hold such a general law to
he constitutional in its restrictions upon
the future action of all the railroads in
the Commonwealth. It seems to us that
the State cannot have been deprived of
the power to protect its citizens from
extortion by the thoughtless action of
the Legislature in the passage of laws,
which grant to corporations privi
leges which are intended to be
so used as to work injury, to the
people. Should such a general law
be passed great questions of public poli
cy would be arrayed against the selfish
claims of corporations, and the Judges
of the Supreme Court would be called
upon to assert the power of the State and
to protect the interests of the public.
But, it is not likely that any genera
law of the right kind will be enacted
until a different class of men are sent to
the Legislature. Railroad corporations
are too well-versed in all the modern
arts of corrupting Legislatures to allow
the passage of any act which they may
desire to defeat. For years past the
Pennsylvania Central has been able to
command the votes of a majority of
both branches of our Legislature fur any
proposition which its managers favored.
flow much more potent would a combi
nation of all the railroads in the State
prove to lie. The question is the most
important one which can command the
attention of a convention called for the
the purpose of revising the Constitution
of the State.
By the new Constitution of Illinois
power is expressly conferred upon the
Legislature of that State, authorizing It
to make laws limiting the charges on all
railroads, and two acts having that object
in view have been passed. Tha first of
these bills divides all the railroads of
the Commonwealth into four classes,
according to their gross annual earnings
to the mile. Class A includes all rail
roads earning over ten thousand dollars
to the mile; Class It , those earning
between eight and ten thousand dollars;
class C, those earning between four
and eight thousand dollars; and class
I), all earning under four thousand
dollars to the mile, annually. The
maximum charges per mile, for passen
gers, are regulated as follows for class
A, t wo and a half cents; for class B, three
cents ; for class C, four cents; for class
D, five and one-half cents. No corpo
ration is to be permitted to collect mole
than half these rates for children under
twelve years, but may add ten cents
each to the fares of those passengers who
ottglect a reasonable opportunity to pur
chase tickets before entering the cars.—
The railroad companies are to post up
this act conspicuously, with- a table of
distances from each and eve - ii - station to
every other. Violation of the act is to
be visited with a penalty of five hun
dred dollars, and on the fifth conviction
the corporation forfeits its charter.—
The other bill deals with the more deli
cate question of freight. It prohibts
the collection of rates for a short dis
tance greater than those charged for a
longer distance ; it enacts that no com
pany shall charge more per mile for
freight over any portion of the road than
is charged for equal distances upon any
other portion of it. .No company is to
be allowed to increase its rates between
any two points, iu consequence of any
decrease of other rates required by the
first section, and the charges betweefr
any two points are never to be increased
beyond those charged on the same sec
on on the corresponding day and
mouth of the year 1870. Violation of
the act is to be punished by a tine not
exceeding Sl,OOO, and a single wilful
violation operates as a forfeiture of its
charter.
Of course, the railroads were bitterly
hostile to the passage of such enact_
ments and they may be expected to op
pose every obstacle to their enforcement.
Test cases will no doubt be taken up to
,the Supreme Court of the State, and in
all probability transferred to the Su
preme Court of the United States. The
result will be watched with much inter
est by the whole body of the people, for
there are very few who are not interest
ed in seeing the tremendous and danger
ous power of corporations curbed by
proper general laws. Such laws as those
enacted by the Legislature of Illinois
are just what we need in PennsylVania.
Joit:v A. HiEsTAND, Esq., of the El ,
(Wailer, has been nominated by Presi
dent Grant to fill the position of Naval
Officer at Philadelphia. He had no
difficulty in securing the position.
Simon Cameron is now absolute
master of the political situation in
Pennsylvania, and General Grant does
not dare to thwart his wishes.—
Besides, Jack was along with the Presi
dent on that memorable (routing trip
last Spring, and he and Grant took the
measure of each other in a friendly con
test over a basket of champagne.
Ulysses found that Jack was fully able
to cope with him in drinking, and he
has entertained a profound respect for
the editor of the Examiner ever since.
Jack (lid not land a single trout but he
managed to hook a remarkably fine
gudgeon. He fished to some advantage,
,ind we congratulate him on the result.
Joking aside, the appointment is a prop
er recognition of the claims of the se
nior editor of the leading Republican
newspaper in Lancaster county. The
nomination was promptly confirmed by
the Senate.
THE address of the Democratic mem
bers of Congress is rather an arraign
ment of the leaders of the Radical party
than a formal declaration of Democratic
principles. The members no doubt
wisely concluded that the laying-down
a platform of principles was work for
the Democratic National Convention.
In confining themselves to a presenta
tion of the misdeeds of the Republican
majority in Congress, the Democratic
members displayed sound discretion.
THE President has called an extra
session of the Senate to consider ap
pointments on the 10th of May.
Immigration
We publish elsewhere a synopsis of
the valuable report upon immigration
which has Just been made by the Chief
of the Bureau of Statistics. It contains
much useful information, and is calcu
lated to convince every one how much
this country is enriched and strength
ened every year by the influx of foreign
ers. It seems very strange to think that
a decade has scarcely passed away since
a political party had an existence In this
country based upon opposition to immi
gration—and it is literally astonishing
to remember that such a party was able
to carry elections in Pennsylvania and
other States of the Union. Henry A.
Wise,who met the Know-Nothing Ipariy
when it attempted to invade Old Vir
ginia, still lives. The campaign which
he made against that remarkable politi
cal organization was one of the most ex
citing this country ever witnessed. He
was then past middle age, but in full
mental and bodily vigor. From one end
of that Commonwealth to the other his
voice was heard-breathing eloquent and
bitter denunciations of the wretched
political heresy which had gained so
strong a foothold in the North and over
run the neighboring State of Maryland.
The eloquence of Henry A. Wise and
the moral effect of the'rira-rocc vote in
old Virginia checked the progress of
Know-Nothinglsm, and:the returning
reason of the American people soon
buried it out of sight. When the war
came, those:who had been bitterest in
denunciation of foreigners,were glad to
get some Irishmen or Germans to act as
their substitutes in the army of the
United Stales. The old leaven of Know-
Nothingism still lurks in the Republi
can party, and we see it cropping out
every now and then ; but the great bulk
of the American people have too much
sound sense now to oppose the vast in
flux of wealth and strength which flows
In a steady stream toward our shores
from all the civilized portions of the
habitable globe. We could dispense
with the heathen (lance until such
time as he collies of his own accord, but
we will not attempt to check voluntary
immigration again if our people remain
politically sane.
Southern Conservatism
The Richmond U'hig, under the head
of "The One Thing Needful," com
ments upon the concern manifested by
the New York World about "the few
Southern ultraists" who refuse to rec
ognize the fact that negroes are voters.
The Whig says: "These few amount to
but little more than a baker's dozen in
number, and in influence they are still
more insignificant." But then, as the
I rorld has manifested its kind interest
in the South, the Whig with proper
gratitude reciprocates, calling the
World's attention to the North, and asks,
" Are all Northern Democrats ready to
renounce their old prejudices—quit the
narrow Democratic gauge—and even go
with zeal fora liberal Republican, like
Trumbull, fur example, if by that expe
dient only the republic can be saved?
That is the vital question. The
proceeds to declare that while a few ex
treme men In the South may make ex
travagant speeches and supply the
enemy with capital, " the great and
controlling muss of the white people in
the South see their safety and the pres
ervation of everything approaching free
government to be wholly dependent on
the expulsion from power of that party
typified by Morton and Butler They
may not, and do not, expect that the
man whom they would prefer before all
others stands any chance of nomination
or election ; they will be content with
any one who can and will deliver us
from the present despotism. Are North
ern Democrats as well advanced? Are
they prepared to forego one of their fossil
Democrats ?—able and willing to rise to
the demands of the hour? We would
leave the entire selection of a candidate
to the North. If our individual views
could prevail, the South should send no
delegates and take no part in the Na
tional Convention, but leave the whole
matter to the North, with the earnest
prayer that they may select a man who
can break up the great deep of Radical
despotism. This is the one thing need-
ful ; without it a common ruin awaits
Lis; with it, though we may not attain
all we could wish, we shall be able to
breathe free, to look around us, and to
start anew, with hope and heart, to re
establish our liberties."
South I arolina Contested Election.
The contest for a seat in the House of
Representatives of the Forty-second
Congress from the Second District of
South Carolina, between C. C. Bowen
and It. C. De Large, colored, will, it is
believed, be decided in favor of the
former, as the Commissioners of Elec
tion of Beaufort county, in that district,
were tried in the United States Circuit
Court, in Charleston, last week, upon
an indictment charging tnem with hav
ing stuffed the ballot-boxes, falsified the
election record, made false returns of
the number of votes east, and committed
divers other acts in violation of the
United States Enforcement Law at the
lost election. 'Fhe jury found the pris
oners guilty, and Judge Bond sentenced
them each to two years' imprisonment
in the penitentiary, thus sustaining Mr.
Bowen's charge of fraud in that district,
and proportionally increasing his
chances for the contested seat. Be
tween the bigamist Bowen and the bal
lot-box-stuffing negro De Large there is
very little choice. Neither of them is
fit to occupy a seat in Congress.
The New Hampshire Legislature
One of the most curious political com
plications this country has ever known
is that exisiting at the present in New
Hampshire. The death of a Senator,
and the peculiar provisions of the Con
stitution, involve the election in doubt,
even when it shall go into the Legisla
ture. All now depends on the action of
two or three members of the House of
Representatives, who were elected by
Democratic votes, but who are claimed
as Republicans. Their votes will elect
the Senator from the district which
failed to return one on the popular vote,
and who, if a Republican, will tie the
Senate. They will also elect the fifth
Councillor, who failed of a popular elec
tion, and who will hold the balance of
power, and they will decide the choice
for Governor.
Tilt: New York Evening Post, after
showing how the State of South Caro
lina has been robbed to bankruptcy by
an ignoran tmob of negroes led by North
ern scoundrels, suggests that if Federal
interference with the domestic concerns
of States could possibly be justified, It
would be in such a condition of atildrs
us that which South Carolina presents.
But unfortunately, adds the Post, the
interference now proposed is to be on
the side of the thieves and scoundrels
in this case. "The Federal Govern
ment is to be used, under the Ku-Klux
bill, not to redeem South Carolina from
its robbers, but to fasten upon the tax
payers the rule of the scamps who are
plundering it. The Federal power will
appear in the Southern States, under this
Ku-Klux bill, as: the ally of thieves, the
protector of swindlers, the guardian of
their plunder."
FORNEY is working hard to pay Grant
for appointing him Collector of the Port
of Philadelphia. He has been over in
Washington managing the negrovoters.
When the election was over he made
them a speech in which he lavished the
most profuse praise on Grant,land de
clared that no one else could be made
the nominee of the Republican party
for President in 1872.
GRANT made haste to sign the Ku-
Klux and Deficiency bills and then
took the first-train for St. Louis, where
he expects to have a jolly time. He
does not intend to go trout-fishing this
Spring.
Why the Ha-Klux Hill Was Passed.
Alabama and Kentucky are the only
Southern States which have Democratic
Governors, and no complaint in refer
ence to disorders comes from the peo
ple of either of them. All the rest of
the Southern States are under the con
trol of Republican Executives, and
there all the troubles which are report
ed seem to exist. But these Republican
Governors have not called upon the
general government for aid. In fact,
they either represent their States to be
perfectly peaceful, or report the outrages
which occur to be merely local, and
such as they can control with the help
of the authorities at their command.
What becomes of the arguments urged
in Congress in favor of the Ku-Klux
bill under such circumstances ? Are they
not all disposed of at once by a mere
statement of the facts?
The truth about this whole business
Is that the present Congress would not
have attempted to frame the Ku-Klux
bill had not President Grant insisted
upon such legislation. He wished to
have supreme and despotic power con
ferred upon him in order that he might
make sure of a re-nomination and in
crease his chances of re-election, and
the representatives of the Republican
party had not the manliness to resist
his demands. Many of the ablest and
most influential Republican newspa
pers in the country, urged Repub
lican Congressmen to vote against the
unconstitutional and despotic Ku-Klux
bill, but their entreaties have not been
heeded. The influence of Executive
patronage has proved to be more pow
erful than all the arguments that have
been addressed to the reason of Con
gressmen. Among other strong Radi
cal newspapers which have warned the
representatives of the Republican party
against the danger and the impolitic
character of such legislation, are the'
New York Post, the New York Sun,
the Chicago Tribune, Harper's Weekly,
the Springfield Republican, the Boston
Advertiser, the Portland Advertiser, the
Detroit Tribune, the Minneapolis Tri
bune, the Buffalo Commercial, the Phil
adelphia Telegraph, the Harrisburg
State Journal, and a host of others too
numerous to mention. These news
papers speak the honest sentiments of
the more reputable and conscientious
members of the Republican party, and
they show that President Grant is as far
from representing the wishes of the peo
ple in this bungling and unconstitu
tional legislation as in his San Domingo
scheme.
There is good ground for believing
that the President hopes to be able to
provoke insurrection and outrages in the
South. It is expected that the white
people of the Southern States will be
come so much exasperated by the action
of Congress as to fall into the trap
which has been deliberately set for
them. The Harrisburg Slat' Juitoud,
Governor Heary's organ, deplores the
passage of the Ku-Klux bill, and con
cludes an editorial on the subject as fol
lows:
We will never have perfected peace in
the South until we restot . e the citizenship
of Its deserving citizens. Men who are not
allowed to share in directing the govern
ment, cannot be expected to yield it much
support; and just so long as we refuse am
nesty to the South, for that period, will it
remaM in semi-rebellion. W e look, during
the coming Summer, for deeds of blood
and horror in the South, and for other vio
lence which will affect the entire country.
A small degree of wisdom and generous
patriotism would have averted this. '
That is a candid confession, which it
would be well for the people of Pennsyl
vania to remember when they see Rad
ical newspapers filled with exaggerated
accounts of disorders in the Southern
States. Nothing will be left undone by
the minions of the administration to
provoke quarrels. ( i ran t wants an ex
cuse to employ the soldiery of the Uni
ted States to secure his re-nomination,
anti to enforce his re-election. The Ku-
Klux bill is his own wicked invention,
anti his willing tools in Congress did his
bidding rather than loose their share in
the distribution of official patronage.
'There is consolation in the reflection
that the people of the North will refuse
to sustain a President who resorts to such
means to secure a re-nomination, and to
prop up his failing chances of a re-elec
tion. Grant's army will amount to
nothing when it Is brought into a con
test with the American people at the
ballot-box.
Opposition to Grant's Re-nomination.
The Republican party will not re
nominate Gen. Grant unless it is forced
to do so. The best men of the organiza
tion are all so completely impressed
with his incapacity, his want of tact
his nepotism, and his selfishness, that
they will bitterly oppose his being put
forward again. He has vast power in
his hands, however, and he will bring
the whole army of Federal office-holders
into the field as active champions of his
cause. The masses of the Republican
party are disgusted with the man, and
the New York Son only speaks the truth
when It says:
The masses of the Republican party will
never consent to the re-nomination of a mail
who has bestowed high offices for costly
gifts, has thrust all his own and Lis wife's
relations, down to third and fourth cousins,
into responsible and important places. and
has allowed his foolish old father to trade in
Federal offices at five hundred dollars
apiece. Still less will they allow the man
to be their candidate who, without author
ity of law, Las dared to take part in the civ
il war in San Domingo, and who has struck
down the oldest and best beloved Repub
lican Senator because he would not become
a party to the usurpation and the swindle.
Still the Sari knows very well that
Gen.Grantmay be renominated through
the instrumentality of theoffice-holders.
They are posted all over the country, in
every township and at every road
crossing, wherever there is a revenue
official or a postmaster—they area mul
titude almost innumerable, all owing
their places to one man. They are few
when compared with the mass of the
people,but they will be found to be well.
drilled and thoroughly organized,w hile
the masses of the Republican party, of
which the Sun speaks, may lack the
means of making their wishes felt or
their power respected, except at the
ballot-box. There they will be able to
express their opinion of Cram, and to
make that opinion felt.
Earning Ills Money
John W. Forney made a speech at
Washington the other night, in which
he nominated Grant for the next Presi
dency. This is particularly refreshing,
when we remember that but a few
weeks have elapsed since Forney left
Washington to take up his abode in
Philadelphia, vowing vengeance against
the President ; and how he refused to be
propitiated by the offer of the Philadel
phia Collectorship, and indignantly de
clined the paltry bribe; and how he was
only induced to accept the Collectorship
and its accompanying servitude to
Grant, by tine promise of the latter to
pay a $30,000 bill which Forney had
against the government for advertising,
but which had been rejected because the
advertising had never been authorized.
The New York Tribune thus touches up
the dead duck:
Col. Forney is so fresh from sharp ar
raignment or the Administration, that our
present high esteem for him would have
been better preserved if he had not made
haste, no soon after taking possession of his
Collectorship in Philadelphia, to re-nomi
nate Gen. Grant for the Presidency. We
do not think the time has come for nomi
nating the next President, and we are very
sure that new and grateful ollice-holders
are not the men to do it.
THE following Republican Congress
men voted with the Democrats against
the acceptance of the unconstitutional
Ku-Klux Bill as it came from the Com
mittee of Conference:
Messrs. Banks, Bingham, Blair (Michi
gan.), Conger, Cook, Don nan, Eam es,Far ns
worth, Edwards, Farwell, Fenkelnburg,
Garfield, Hale, Harris (Mississippi), Haw
ley, Hooper, M'Junkin, Packer, Poland,
Parker, Sheldon, Shoemaker, Smith, Speer,
Strong, Townsend (Pennsylvania), Turner
and Willard.
They deserve to be honorably men
tioned, and commended for the regard
which they have shown for their oaths
of office.
The Adjournment of Congress.
The Radicals of the House finally
agreed to most of the amendments made
by the Senate to the unconstitutional
Ku-Klux bill, and it was passed by a
strict party vote. This business being
fidished, Ben Butler managed to get the
floor and proceeded to blackguard Sen
ator Davis, Representative Farnsworth
and others for whom he cherishes feel
ings of animosity. Farnsworth replied
in language so strong and plain that the
Speaker had to call him to order. Mr.
Beck, of Kentucky, replied to Butler's
attack on Senator Davis, and while he
was still speaking in the midst of much
excitement, Speaker Blaine declared
the House adjourned. Thus ended the
first session of the Forty-second Con
gress. It would have been better for
the country if it had not met until De
cember. Nothing was done which is
calculated to benefit the people.
The New York Sun concludes an edi
torial on the adjournment of Congress
as follows :
To the Republican party, this aimless ses
sion, which was their peculiar bantling,
has been full of mischief. It furnished the
opportunity for Grant's silly war against
Sumner, which lost them the State of New
Hampshire. It has brought forward the
absurd and pernicious Ku-Klux bill, aim
ing to endow Grant with imperial powers;
and it has demonstrated anew the unwill
ingness of the Republicans to lighten our
crushing taxation. It has established per
sonal feuds in the party which will be long
in healing, and which may never be healed.
It has tended to general disintegration by
discussing every thing and agreeing on
nothing. The debates being aimless and
objectless by preconcert, the public have
gradually lost all interest in them, and for
the last three or four weeks all that has
been going on at Washington has been re
garded but as a wearisome buzz. We can
not recall a session which on the whole
has been en offensive in the eyes Mall sen
sible people as this.
The Ku-Klux 13111
The following are the amended sec
tions of the Ku-Klux Bill as they passed
filially. The other sections were pass
ed as published in the INTELT.IGENCER
heretofore :
See. 4. That whenever in any State, or
part of a State, the lawful combinations
named in the preceding section of this act
shall be organized and armed, and so nu
merous and powerful as to be able, by vi
olence, to overthrow or set at defiance the
authorities of such State, and of the United
States within such State, or when the con
stituted authorities are in complicity with,
or shall connive at, the unlawful purposes
of such powerful and armed combinations;
and whenever, by reason of either or all
the causes aforesaid, the conviction of such
offenders and the preservation of the pub
lic safety shall become in such district im
practicable, in: every such case combina
tions shall be deemed a rebellion against
the Government of the United States, and
during the continuance of such rebellion,
and within the limits of the district which I
shall be so under the sway therdof, such
limits to be prescribed by proclamation, it
shall be lawful for the President of the
United States, when in his judgment the
public safety shall require it, to suspend
the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus,
to the end that such rebellion may be over
thrown: Provided, That all the provisions
of the second section of an act entitled "Au
Act relating to habeas corpus, and regulat
ing judicial proceedings in certain cases,"
approved March 3,16133, which relates to the
discharge of prisoners other than prisoners
of war, and to the penalty for refusing to
obey the order of the Court, shall be in full
force, so far as the same are applicable to
the provisions of this section; Provided
further, That the President shall first have
made proclamation, as now provided by
law, commanding such insurgents to dis
perse ; and provided, also, That the pro
visions of this section shall not be in force
after the end of the next regular session of
Congress.
Sec. 5. That no person shall be a grand
or petit juror in any Court of the United
States upon inquiry, hearing or trial Many
suit, proceeding or prosecution based up
on or arising under the provisions of this
act who shall, in thejudgment of the Court,
be in complicity with any such combination
or conspiracy ; and every such person shall,
before entering upon any such inquiry,
hearing or trial, take and subscribe an oath
in open Court that he had never, directly or
indirectly, counseled, advived or voluntar
ily aided any such combination or con
spiracy ; and each and every person who
shall take this oath and shall therein swear
falsely, shall be guilty of perjury, and shalt
be subject to the pains and penalties de
clared against that crime, and the first sec
tion of the act entitled, •'An Act defining
additional causes of challenge and prescrib
ing au additional oath for grand and petit
jurors in the United States Courts," ap
proved June 17, 1862, be, and the Maine is
hereby ref..aled.
Sec. 6. That any person or persons hay-
ing knowledge thatany of the wrongs con
spired to be done and mentioned in the sec
ond section of this act are about to be coin
'flitted, and having power to prevent, or
aid in preventing the some, shall neglect or
refuse so to do, and such wrongful act shall
be committed, such person or persons shall
be liable to the person injured, or his legal
representatives, for all damages caused by
any such wrongful act, which such first
named person or persons by reasonable
diligence could have prevented, and such
damages may be recovered in an action on
the case in the proper Circuit Court
of the United States; and any num
ber of persons guilty of such wrongful
neglect or refusal may be joined as defend
ants in such action, provided that such ac•
tion shall be commenced within one year
alter such cause of action shall have ac
crued ; and, if thedeath of any person shall
be caused by any such wrongful act and
neglect, the legal representatives of such
deceased person shall have such action
therefor, and may recover, not exceeding
$5,000, damages therein for the benefit of
the widow of such deceased person, if any
there be, or if there he no widow. for the
benefit of the next of kin of such deceased
person.
Sr.c. 7. That nothing herein contained
I shall be construed to supersede or repeal
I any former act or law, except so far as the
same nay be repugnant thereto; and any
offenses heretofore committed against the
tenor of any former act shall be prosecuted,
and any proceeding already commenced
for the prosecution thereof shall be contin
ued anti completed, the same as if this act
had not been passed, except so far as the
provisions of this act may go to sustain and
validate such proceedings.
'fire repeal of the law which provided
that the first session of each Congress
should commence on the 4th of March
instead of the first Monday of Decem
ber, was wise and proper. There never
was any good reason for the change of
the old established rule. It was one of
the temporary devices of the Republi
can party, of which the country has had
more titan enough. It served their turn
during the time of Andrew Johnson,
but was found to be a source of incon
venience. Still the Republicans of the
House were disposed to perpetuate it.—
It was only repealed by a majority of
one, with all the Democrats voting in
the affirmative. We hope the time may
soon come when the last one of the
shifts and temporary expedients of the
Radicals shall lie wiped from the statute
books.
Tut:Louisville Courier-Journal wants
the next Democratic National Conven
tion to he hehn that city. It says that
Louisville " is to the eau ntry to-day what
Baltimore was to the country live and
thirty years ago, a middle point, an ac
cessible po nt, a point from which sound
ideas and good influences can take a
ready and radiating departure," and
adds : " What the Demcorntic party
needs is light; and if the North and
West will come here they can look di
rectly into the South and get a perfect
notion of the Southern situation, which
is again to be the bone of contention."
The St. Louis Times thinks St. Louis is
the on ' proper place for the Convention.
A HILL has been introduced into our
State Legislature which permits persons
to swear before a magistrate that they
will not use intoxicating liquors, and
which renders them liable to imprison
ment if they break their oath. We
know several cases which might be
reached by such a law. We do not sup
pose the oath would be kept, but im
prisonment would insure sobriety for a
time.
COLONEL JOHN C. EVERHART, of
Blair county, authorizes the Hollidays
burg Standard to withdraw his name
as a candidate for the Democratic nom
ination for Auditor-General. The busi
ness engagements of Colonel Everhart
positively preclude him from being a
candidate for the office.
THE bill restoring the Spring elec
tions has passed with the cities of Phila-
delphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Harris
burg, Lebanon, Williamsport, Mead
ville and Titusville excepted.
Oyu peripatetic President is off on a
little excursion. He has gone to St.
Louis to look after some real estate spec.
ulations. He intends to visit California
in September.
121111111:13
A big boy has bran discovered in Ly
coming county. He is 18 years old,
weighs (Faitbank's) and is 0 feet 9
inches in his shoe-pegs.
Philadelphia, according to the returns
of the assessors for 1871, has 450 church
edifices,
more than 100 in excess of any
other city on the continent.
A gang of burglars entered the works
of the foundry company at Ramapo, and
after gagging the watchman, blew open
the safe and stole $l,OOO. The company
offers a reward of $.500 for the arrest of
the burglars.
The Pennsylvania Railroad wood.-
shed, adjoining the ticket-office, in
Downingtown, is to be torn down, and
a neat and commodious stone passenger
depot erected on its site, and the ground
now occupied by the building known as
the " station-house."
Ruel N. Jefferis, West Bradford, pos
sesses a couple of eggs of respectable di
mensions—one, a duck egg, measuring
9/ inches around it from end to end, its
smallest circumference being 7i inches,
the other, a hen's egg, measuring 91
inches.
A large number of iron merchants
from the New England States, New
York and Pennsylvania, met at the As
tor House, Tuesday, to arrange a tariff
prices for "extras." James E. Walker,
of the Albany,lron Works, Troy,N. Y.,
was elected President, and John blis
ter, of the Duncannon Iron Company of
Philadelphia, Secretary.
On Thursday evening last at about 8
o'clock, one of the hands employed at
Weston & Co's tannery, in Manchester
township, Wayne county, named Robt.
Middagh, being on a spree, and refused
more liquor at the places in the vicinity
where that fluid is dispensed, proceeded
to a store, and buying a bottle of lauda
num, deliberately drank i IS COll tents and
died next morning.
Information wanted of James Taylor,
an insane man, aged about fifty-six
years, about 1 feet S inches in height,
had rather long hair, partly grey, wore
brown coat, grey pants, soft black hat.
Said Taylor wandered away from Hills
ville, Lawrence county, Pa., on Friday
31st ult. Direct information to Mr. Wm.
Taylor, Hillsville, Lawrence county,
Pa. Papers please copy.
In Philadelphia, a few days since,
Judge Woodward, while making his
way info the North Pennsylvania Rail
!road Depot, was surrounded by pick
pockets, who quietly relieved him of a
pocket-book containing 8.600 in cash and
a check furSl,7oo. The Judge soon after
discovered his loss, but in the meantime
the thieves had jumped into a carriage
avid were driven off.
The Democratic Standard, at Holli
daysburg, Pa., is authorized and re
quested by (291. John C. Everhart, of
Martinsburg, to say, that, whilst he is
under many obligations to the Demo
cracy of Blair county for their kind par
tiality in naming him as their choice for
the office of Auditor-General, his busi
ness and other relations are such as to
positively preclude his being a candi
date for that office.
On Thursday last, Mr. Henry Weeks,
mate of the bark Mary C. Dyer, lying
at Meade-street wharf, Philadelphia,
returned to his vessel at about half-past
nine o'clock, when the steward, sup
posing him to be a thief, shot at him
with a pistol, wounding him in the
hand and also causing a flesh-wound in
the side. The steward is a yocng Chi
nese, named John Sigh, and had been
instructed by Mr. Weeks to shoot any
robbers who might attempt to come on
board. The Injuries of the mate are not
at all serious; he started yesterdey for
his home at Marion, Massachusetts.
On Thursday night last, at about a
quarter of 12 o'clock, the engine-house
of the Chester Valley Railroad Compa
ny, located at Downingtown, was dis
covered on fire. In a few minutes the
engine-house was a wreck ; nd the roof
fell in with a crash. The building was
of stone, having a slate-roof, the inte
rior of which was of iron. It is sup
posed to have cost from to a ir. 4 1000.
The locomotive known as " Mars," was
in the house at the time, and from the
humming sound within, like escaping
steam, it was feared that the boiler
would burst, but such proved ground
less.
A little daughter of Mr. Rupp, 8 years
of age, residing at Moyer's Forge, in
Exeter township, Berks county, last
week, accidentally swallowed a brass
ear-ring, which lodged in the upper part
of the wind-pipe, produced spasms and
finally death in two days. During the
child's illness it was able to eat and
sleep, but breathed and spoke with dif
ficulty. It was brought to this city,
where one of the physicians advised the
opening of the windpipe with a surgical
instrument to remove the obstruction,
as emetics would not do it, but the
parents would not consent to the opera
tion.
On Wednesday afternoon, towards
night, Mrs. Catharine Moore, aged
about :15 years, wife of Wm. Moore, re
siding in Reading, left her home, and,
with but one exception, has not been
seen since She walked out to see her
step-sister, Mrs Seidel, on North Sixth
street, where she stopped but a short
time, and, on leaving, told Mrs. S. to
see Mrs. Seiders, a sister, and tell her to
take care of her two little girls. The
missing woman then left, and has not
been seen since. Her husband lodged
information at the Mayor's office this
morning, and a search is being made for
her. Domestic difficulty seems to have
been the cause of all the
For the Intelligencer.;
N CASTLE, April :it, Is7l
Messrs. EllitOnS —Our difficulties have
not so far been adjusted. We had high
hopes a few days ago that a resumption
would take place in n few days. Judge
El well, of Columbia county, was appointed
umpire by the unanimous consent of the
A. 13. T. and the W. B. A. That we thought
was a step in the right direction. The busi
ness part of the county expected something
good would result from the action; but it
did not bring about the desired result. The
Onion of Schuylkill county should take
things into their own hands, make a basis
to suit themselves, and a hoofs that would
be satisfactory to the operators, let the
other coal counties do the same, and busi
ness would soon assume a more healthy
appearance. The coal-lields of Schuyl
kill county cannot be surpassed by any in
the State. This valley, situated at the base
of the Broad Mountain, is raid to be one
of the finest coal-basins in America, some
of the veins are forty and fifty feet thick,
others are ten, fourteen and many smaller
ones. The coal which is taken out of the
mines is as hard as glass, and is free from
that bony and foreign matter which is
found elsewhere. >til ors of dollars have
been invested in this valley in machi
nery, sinking shafts, slopes, and building
breakers, all of which is no a; lying idle.—
Those living outside the coal-liehls can not
comprehend how the members of the \V.
B. A. can hold out as long as they do,—it
being now almost four months since active
operations ceased,—there are a considerable
number of men at work at every colliery
on what is termed deod work, such as driv
ing gang-ways, sehutes, headings, and re
pairing. 'the Hickory Coal Company have
about fifty men at work all the time, and
have had ever since the suspension ; they
have one of the finest collieries, perhaps,
in the county ; it has cost them about seven
hundred thousand dollars to make it what
it is. A BOSLOn company owns
PENNINOToNVILLE, A pril a, 1871
Messrs. Editors:—A correspondent writ
ing from Penningtonville to a newspaper
published in a neighboring borough de
clares that our village is asleep, and if
were not for the ring of the anvil in front of
his own door and the snorting of the iron
horse, we would be neither seen nor heard
—we would be a dead-letter; that our citi
zens are afraid to spend a dollar in support
of charitable institutions, and unwilling to
give employment to our young men, itc.
We beg leave to contradict the statement
of this correspondent. We have a beautiful
village, and business-men giving employ
ment to as many as the times demand, and
not a man who has not given his dollar or
dollars towards charitable institutions. We
have as good and useful men in our town
as live anywhere; we have our fine
churches, with services regularly every
Sabbath; we have our warehouses, with
live, wide-awake men carrying on a good
trade; we have our school-houses, and
competent teachers put in them by a good
and intelligent Board of Directors ; and our
houses of accommodation for the travel
ling community, kept in the best and or
derly manner; and it is not for an organi
zation comprised of boys and girls to say
anything to the contrary. They are not
able to judge for themselves, neither are
they capable of rousing our town from its
supposed lethargy. We are willing to have
our share, but hope we may not have too
many customers of that society which ap
pear to be flourishing in our midst, and of
which the correspondent of the Union
would have us believe he is a member.—
Let us acknowledge the honor due to our
village and t those who are trying to pro
mote Its bet a
t interest.
The Apportionment.
The bill for the Apportionment of the Leg
islature as wecondense it below has passed
the Senate and the House, and will undoubt
edly be approved by the Governor. The
vote in the Sonata was 27t0 4,Messra, Warfel,
Billingfelt, Allen and Findlay voting nay.
In the House the yeas were 67 and the
nays 30.
consists of thirty-three members, and tLe
districts are as follows, each having one
Senator except the thirteenth, which hes
two and the twenty-third which is given
three.
1. The let, 2d, 3d, 4th, 7th, Bth and 20th
wards of Philadelphia
2. The 9th, 10th, 13th. 14th, 15th and
29th wards of Philadelphia
3. The sth, 81.13, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th
and 18th wards
4. The 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d, 23d, 24th
23th, 27th and 28th wards of Phil
adelphia
5. Chester and Delaware
9. Montgomery ....
7. Bucks and Northampton
S. Barks
0. Lancaster
10. Schuylkill
11. Lehigh and Carbon
12. Dauphin and Lebanon .
13. Luzerne, Monroe and Pike.
14. Bradford. Susquehanna, Wayne and
Wyoming
13. Columbia, Lycoming, Montour and
Sullivan _
1
16. Cameron, M'Kean, Potter and 'Dora 1
17. Snyder, Perry, Northumberland and
tniou 1
IS. Clinton, Cambria, Clearfield and Elk 1
19. Cumberland and Franklin 1
20. Adams and York 1
21. Bedford, Fulton, Blair and Somerset 1
22. Centre, Juniata, Mifflin and Hunt
ingdon 1
23. Allegheny ,
24. Indiana and Westmorelam! I
2.5. Fayette and: Greene 1
26. Beaver, Butler and Washington...... 1
11. Clarion, Armstrong, Jefferson and
Forest 1
2S. Lawrence, Mercer and Venting° 1
29. Crawford I
1
30. Erie and Warren
Total 33
THE HOUSE OF REPREHENTATIVE. ,
consists of one hundred members. The
City of Philadelphia Is divided into 10 Dis
tricts, each electing one member.
I. The Ist ward and the Ist, 2,1, 3a, 4th,
sth, Gth, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th,
10th and 17th divisions of the 20th
ward..
2. The 2tl ward and the Ist and 3d di
visions of the 3d ward
The 4th ward, tho 3d, 4th, sth, oth,
7th, Bth, oth and 10th divisions of
the 3d ward
4. The 7th ward and the 7th, Sth, Ilth
and 14th divisions of the 20th
ward
5. The sth and Gth wards
0. The Stli and 9th wards, except the Bth
division of the oth ward
7. The 10th ward, Bth division of the
oth ward, and Ist division of the
15th ward, and the Ist and 2d di
visions of the 14th ward
S. The 2d, 3d, 4th, sth, oth, 7th, oth,
lath, 11th, 12th, 14th, rah, 10th.
17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st di
visions of the 15th ward
' 9. The 13th ward and the 14th ward, ex-
cept the Ist and 2d divi5i0n5........1
The I lth and 12th wards 1
11. The 29th ward, the 2ath ward and the
ath and 13th divisions of the 15th
wards,
12. The 10th ward, and the 4th, sth, sth
and 10th divisions of the 17th ward,
and the Ist and 3d divisions of the
20th ward
IS. The 3d, 4th, sth, iith, 7th, 11th, 12th,
13th, 14th and 10th divisions of the
20th ward, and the 6th, 7th and
9th divisions of the 17th ward
11. The 18th ward, the 4th division of the
25th ward, the Ist, 2d and 3d di
visions of the 17th ward .
15. The Ist, 23, 3d, 4th, sth, 6th, 7th,
10th, 11th, 12th. 13th, 14th, 15th,
16th, 17th, 19th, 19th, 223, 233, 24th
and Pith divisions of the 19th ward,
and 10th of the 20th ward
16. The 223 and 21st wards 1
17. The 233 ward, and the Ist, 2d, 3d,
sth, 6th, 7th and Bth divisions
the 25th ward, and the Bth, 20th,
and 21st divisions of the Bith waril
10. The 24th and lath wards
The counties are awarded:representa
tives as follows:
Adams
Allegheny, outside or Pittsburgh
The Ist, 2d, 3d, 4th, sth, 6th, 7th, Bth, 9th
and 14th wads of the city of Pitts
burgh
The 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, lath, 17 th,
18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d and 23d wards
of the city of Pittsburgh 1
Armstrong 1
Beaver, Butler and Washington 4
Bedford and Fulton
Berks
Blair ..
Bradford 2
Bucks
Cambria
Carbon and Monroe
Centre
Chester
Clearfield
Clarion and Forest
Clinton, Lycoming and Sullivan
Columbia
Crawford
Cu in berland
Dauphin and Perry
Delaware
Erie
Elk, Cameron and Jefferson
Fayette
Franklin
Greene
Huntingdon
Indiana
Juniata and Mifflin
Lancaster
Lawrence
Lebanon
Lehigh
Luzerne
Montgomery
Mercer
Northampton
Northumberland and Montour
Pike and Wayne
Potter and M ' Kean
Schuylkill
Snyder and Union
Somerset
Susquehanna and Wyoming,
Tioga
Venango ......
Warren
Westmoreland
York
=DI=
The Official Count—The Result Still to
HARTFORD, April 21.—Pursuant to ad
journment, the Board of Canvassers met
to-day, and made the official count with the
following result:
English
Jewell
Scattering
Cheshire vote I disputed
Of the scattering votes six are for J. E.
English and J. English. If twenty•three
be added to Jewell ou Cheshire vote, there
will be a tie, not counting the six scatter
ing for English, or twelve majority for
English over everything if they are
counted. •
Of the other State officers, Morris Tyler,
Republican, is elected Lieutenant-( foyer
nor by a majority of 192.
David I'. Nicholls, Republican, Treasur
er, 250 majority.
Owing to informality in the returns and
ncorrectly spelt habit+, the canvassers
cannot declare that any one has a majority
for Secretary of State or Comptroller. The
Legislature will, however, elect Hiram
Mapleton, secretary of State, and James
W. Manning, Comptroller, both Republi
cans. Votes manifestly intended for them
would give Appleman 101 majority', and
Apinniug 250.
Val!!!!=!!12=1
The stroke of apoplexy which caused the
death of Ex-Senator Howard, of Michigan,
attacked him while he was assisting some
workmen in cutting down a large tree
which stood near his house, and almost
upon the line between his lot and the one
adjoining. It was necessary to make the
tree fall in a certain direction, so that it
might not fall upon his neighbors house or
his own. For this purpose a long rope hail
been attached near the top of the tree, and
when the tree had been nearly chopped off
at the base, Mr. Howard and the workmen
were tugging at the rope to make the tree
fall as they desired. Mr. Howard said:
" Now then, a long pull, a strong pull and
a pull altogether," and was exerting his
physical strength to the utmost, when he
tell down unconscious. The exertion of
tugging at the rope had burst a blood ves
sel in the brain, which had superinduced
an apopletic attack. During the afternoon
he partially recovered conscioutiness,when
it was discovered that his right side was
paralyzed. In this condition he lingered
until his death.
Verdict for Libel
CHICAGO, April 20.—The Chicago Tines
has had a verdict of $2,500 given against
them for libel. It published a story, setting
forth that a certain man returning home,
from an absence of a year or more, found
an infant in his wife's arms, and killed
himself from grief. Thin is the third trial.
The former verdict was $3,(00. Some time
ago the same paper published a story of a
certain policeman returning home and find
ing another man's pants before the bed con
taining a large sum of money. For this
Joke it was sued for libel and had to pay
$2,000.
Settlement of the Flab gneetlon.
A special despatch to the New York Her
ald says that the Joint High Commission
has agreed as a basis of settlement in the
fishery question, that " American fisher
men may cast their nets anywhere in Ca
nadian waters, without reference to dis
tances from shore, and fish for anything
but shad or salmon; the Canadian tiisher•
men to enjoy the same privileges with
similar restrictions relating to shad, salmon
and shellfish, in any American waters
north of the 39th parallel." It adds that "a
committee arbitrament is to be appointed,
to meet at Halifax to decide the sum to be
paid by the party most benefited to the
others."
The Border•Clalme.
Tho following Is the Report of the Special
Committee of the Pennsylvania Senate on
the Border-Claims ;
The Select Committee to whom was re
ferred the petition of 500 citizens of Chem
bersburg, praying for some legislation to
make compensation for the extraordinary
losses of property sustained by them dur
ing the late war, make the following re
port:
That they have considered the subject
matter of the petition referred to them and
generally the question of losses by our
citizens of the southern border during the
war, by reason of depredations upon their
property by the Confederate and Federal
forces, and particularly by raids of the
former, and will proceed to state their con
clusions upon the several points involved
in the question of public responsibility for
those losses, with the grounds upon which
their conclusions rest. Their report is
made thus broad, because they understand
that their investigation was not intended
to be confined to the Chambersburg losses
alone, but to extend to all the losses which
occurred upon the Border which heretofore
have been subjected to examination under
the authority of the State.
The first question to be considered is,
whether the United States are liable for the
losses upon the Border, either by reason
of a direct constitutional obligation or by
reason or particular facts connmed with
the several invasions of the State, or by
both.
By the fourth section of the ou rt i arse
of the Constitution of the United States, Ulm
provided that the United States shall pro
tect each of the States of the Union against
invasion. This guarantee is cOopled with
two others—the one for protection of the
several States against domestic violence
upon demand of State authorities, and the
other to secure to them Republican forms
of government. Against every form of ex•
brunt and internal danger, accompanied
by violence, this comprehensive section id
guarantees was intended li, protect the
States, and the obligation assumed by the
United States under it has but one ex press.
ed limitation, which is, that the interposi
tion of the Federal government against do
!nestle violence must bo invoked by the
Legislature of a Sotto or by the Executive
thereof when the Legislature can not be
convened. No one can doubt, upon reading
these guarantees of the Constitution, and
duly considering the general objects for
which the Constitution was made, as an
nounced in its preamble, that complete
defense to the States wits promised and
intended thereby, and that an obliga•
tion of self-defense which, in the at'
settee of the Iconstitutional vompact, would
have rested exclusively upon the several
states was thereby charged Ilium the Fed
eral tioverninent. It is not necessary to
insist that the Slates respectively parted
with the right of defending themsel vu's
against external danger, when imminent,
or against actual invasion, but unquestion
ably the whole dote ofdelendinglllolll was
imposed upon the ilnited States. Nor can
it be doubted that this obligation and duty
of the United Slates to protect each State
against invaaien is not confined to cases tit
j invasion by a foreign enemy. The guar ii'
tee is expressed in general language soil is
without lint nation. An Ora State
from another State or association of States
I is as much provided against as all invasion
from abroad. This is the clear conclusion
Lo be drawn from the language of the guar
anteo and from considering the known
reason which dictated its insertion in the
Constitution. I levee Judge S'ory, in his
work upon the Constitution, Section 1,015,
in speak trig of this guaran ter, declares
" that the latitude of the expression here
used seems to secure each State not only
against foreign hostility, but against amid
! nous or vindictive enterprises tit its moire
powerful neigh lairs."
It is beyond dispute that the United
States did not keep this guarantiq , of de
fense upon the several occasions when our
Border was struck by the enemy during
the recent war of the rebellion. The guar
antee won not kept and duties under it per
formed by the United States, 111111 by rea
son of their default, our citizens were as
sailed in their peaceful homes and their
property appropriated, or wasted ullll
(.011,1111110d. They were completely junto
cent of all blame. They had performed all
their duties both to the State and Federal
Governments by contribution of taxes, by
voluntary assessments upon themselVeA in
aid of the clam mon defense, by the raising
of troops, and by complete obedience to all
the laws of the land. Hut their just claim
—their absolute right to protection and de
fended against external violence -M44 not
maintained by either of the governments
to iv Lich they owed allegiance.
It is true, as a general principle, that
"protection against invasion is due from
every society to the inlets eOllll/oSillg it."
(Story on Con., sec. ',els.) This correla
tive of allegiance rests upon every State,
and in the absence of compact or treaty be
tween States is exclusively a State obliga
tion. But under our system of dual gov
ernment the case is widely different, as al
ready shown. Primarily, this obligation
unquestionably rests 1111011 the United
States, and was assumed, by them in the
Federal compact fur full and valuable con
sideration. Tfin contribution of Stile
strength to the Union, and the assumption
of numerous and onerous duties to the Fed
eral Govern Went of each Stale constitutes
the solid foundation upon which this Feder
al obligation rests. It follows that a State
nifty demand this protection for its eilizems
front the Federal Government in every
possible case, and hence, in no case can the
answer be made by,or in behalf of that Gov
ernment. that the Slate is bound to defend
itself
If, then, any obligation or duty rests up
on a State to protect iLs own people against
invasion, it must be considered as one to be
discussed only between the State and its
own citizens in viewof,the peculiar relations
which subsist between them. The United
States cannot assert any such Slate obliga
tion or duty in the face of their own clear
guarantee contarrtirt in the fourth article of
the Constitution.
In default of the constitutional protection
of the State by the United States against
invasion, and of an actual defense of the
State by herself j in consequence of such
default 1, can any one doubt that the outlay
incurred by the State for defensive purposes
would constitute a just demand against the
United States? In such case ought not the
guaranteeing party to make good the out
lay incurred by reason of his default, and
when the State makes her demand for re
imbursement would it not be most un re.ol
- and unjust to repudiate or reject it?
But can losses incurred by the State or by
her citizens in consequence of a breach of
the guarantee, be put upon a different foot
ing from the outlays incurred by the State
in self defense? In each rase the defaultof
the guaranteeing and protecting party Is the
cause and foundation of tine dernimil. The
Committee can discover no liinitatian inn
such case upon the responsibility of the
United States except their inability to re
spond to the demand. It is admitted that
war ravages may be so extensive as to render
Indemnity to innocent sufferers impossible.
The burden may be too great to be borne,
and cannot, therefore, be accepted or as
Sltted. Rut in the present use the plea
of bankruptcy or inability cannot inn, -
posed.
It is to be observed that the guarantee in
the Constitution Is one in favor of the sev
eral States in their eapari ties as parties to
the compact, and it Is therefore to be as
serted by the States and not by individual
citizens in all cases of it, violation. 'fence
it is proper and becomes necessary, inn the
present instance, to examine tine relation
and intercourse between the State and the
Federal Government during the war, and
the conduct of each in relation to the he
tense of the State. Inifl the .itate perform
all her duties to the Federal Govennment,
and is she in a position to claim that the
guarantee in question should have been
kept? The answer to this question is fur
nished by the statutes of the Common
wealth and by the public records of the war.
The State furnished her due share of
militia and volunteers under the several
calls made by the President of the 11nuol
States and she submitted without wan
plaint to the vigorouseseeution within her
limits of the conscription act of March,
1801, and its several supplements. iie•r
due share of troops for the public ,erviee
was furnished by her or drawn from her
under United Slates laws nuol Presidential
proclamations throughout the war; and inn
11 1
addition thereto, in several rases Of mum
! geney, she furnished to the United States
her ow•n defensive force. At the urgent
demand or the War Department she allow
' ed her Border to be uncovered to the stroke
of the enemy, when, by a more selfish pol
! icy, she could have secured tier own pro
! tection at the peril of the common interests
involved in the struggle.
But it is a material consideration in pass
ing upon her conduct 11.4 a member or the
Federal Union in a time of unexampled
difficulty and danger that she did not rely
wholly upon the United States for her pro
tection from external danger. In addition
to a prompt, zealous and complete per
formance of all her duties to the common
cause, she made adequate provisions for do•
fending herself, and would have wholly
relieved the Federal f :twerp went from the
performance of practical duties to her un
der the constitutional guarantee, if that
Government had not interfered with her
defensive arrangements and taken front
' ner her defensive force.
The report then proceeds to review the
measures taken by the State for the defense
of her citizens. The Reserve Corps seas or
ganized at a cost to the State of 63,f 100 ,0 00 ,
and transferred to the Federal Army im
mediately-after the Bull Run defeat, thereby
exposing our borders to the enemy. Inn
1803 tine militia were called out to defend
the exposed portions of the State, and the
money advanced to pay them. The Legis
'attire subsequently legalized the payment,
and authorized a loan to meet it. Inn 1864
six regiments were organized for Border
defense, but were called to tine Potomac to
re-inforce Hunter, after his defeat, and the
destruction of Chambersburg was the re
sult. An extraordinary session of the Leg
islature was called, and $3,000,000 more ap
propriated for defense; but the war soon
after closed, and no partof it was expended,
and the money paid for the Reserve Corps,
and for the militia in 1663, was repaid to the
State by the General Government. The
State, in'the opinion of the Committee, dis
charged her duty faithfully, but her borders
were exposed, and her citizens suffered
spoilation, because her defensive troops
were transferred to save the Union armies.
The report then reviews the various acts
of Assembly front 1861 to 1868, in all eight
different enactments, providing for the ad
judication of the claims and for the pay
ment of a portion of them. They show that
the ultimate payment of the claims by the
General Government was steadily kept In
view by the State, and that the State has
recognized her duty to procure an adjust
ment of them for her citizens.
'rho report concludes as follows : •
Under the several acts above-mentioned
the Border Claims have been examined and
ascertained under the sanction of State au
thority, and the evidence of their amount
and character Is upon tile in the office of the
Attorney-General. Sonic of those ascer
tained under the earlier assessments have
boon paid by the United States, and upon
those located In Chan:borsht:l7 half a mil
lion of dollars has been paili out of the
State Treasury under the act of 15th of Feb
ruary, 18613. Speak Mg generally, the
and justice of the liortier-elalms have
been assorted In the strongest possible
manner by the State Ilovernment, and tile
whold scope of State action concerning
them points to their ultimate adjustment
anti payment.
The losses, which are the subject of the
present inquiry were mused by successive
raids In 10113 and IFni, by the advance
ant operations of Lee ' s arms' in lienand
! hydloprechttlonsand appropriations of prop
erty at several (lines by Federitl troops. As
to the latter, it Is to be noted that the militia,
by wlmni some or the littnutges were occa•
, stoned, were mustered into the United
States serViet3 before their ad sauce to the
Ilorder,and ismstittited a part of the Federal
forces. Tile ltggregato amount of the chtinis
cannot, with WO mcuns of information at
hand, be exactly staled. In the racial ro
t ports nit file in the Auditor-(lent ral'soilice
I some of the claims are dupliiiated ; some of
of those reported upon under the act or ISro:
icing contained in prior reports. lint the
sum total of the claims ,vill not exceed two
million eight hundred 11101141111 d Ihlllars,
31111 they Sc Ili lIC sulljr r t to such rl l %
may be thought proper in ease of and when
, ever their Mud payment and settlement
shall be provided for. It is lwlieved hint
they are held entirely by the origitull claim
ants—that they have not been assigned id
transferred to other parties.
The duties Nvliielt the Stale owes to her
01511 eiLiZtill , l ill the present else may lie
nutile the subject or dt•tmt, That she
should take prompt :mil iillectual :tenon to
or to secure to them a reasonable
intleinnit,v for their losses, ought to be
ad
mitted by all; lust the partioular line iif
action to be pursued by It, may lie open to
question She has already advanced id
paid half a Million of tiollllrl , 1110111 (he
1•13iIIIS tinder the :tot of Istiti, and has there
lore n direst pecuniary interest to that
1111111111 a in tinfoicing them against the Fed
eral t lovernment. Ina beyond this inter
est of her own, it is believed to lie her dilly
to provide for ci to obtain Itother
tiny to her people. SM. IF,I,I.oiLl,•11o0
1111 1 111, and she alone eau clami tin thvir
br
hall on her own the guarantees of the
l'onstitution.
It remains to impure w hat immediate 111
direet it any, call he furnished Icy the
State to her chtinsants. 0110 cannot assume
the payment of their claims nl the tort.
public deli. to lie met by her 1,1.31t0r,
lecuuse tIIC iistitotion forbids the
creation of a debt such magnitoilii, Not
by reason of aw , ther prov,!!!!” or tht ,
t.titott!.t, !•:t!, .1,1! lul her err, Lt to 11...
ill ,tity
11113,1, tray appropriate 111. 1 11eV 1 . 13 Itli her
treasury to pay the claims, in N‘dnilii iir ui
part, or may divert part of her revenue to
1.1t 1 i11. 1 ,3,1 to 1111 1 S1111:11114 1 111111 111.1 apply 11
to the saint , ohjert. feuding Hitt appll4, -
tO 13 1 1113 , 111 111.11 her by thin Foh,•11.1
Government. for indemnity and before that
application shall 111.1 . 411111,111 . 1 i sc ill, she limy
atilmipriate motley in toil of the claimants
tir In extinguishment 111 their 111411311114.
1111 1 power or the Iwo t0tt,,,,, to do It., is
1 . 01111111 . 11 . , and their exercise 1.l the power
Is Wholly within 1111 1 if 111 , 13'1•11. 1 11. it is 3
Cleat' I. r, but 1310 to 14 , 4.7(1•11 . 15yth 11 . 1 1 11 •
t`fri•Cti al all, under it roll t•t!,,to of relit—
sentativii duty, and in hill viiixv .4;111 those
considerations of ex pi liency awl piste.
which pertain to the question.
Ilitt either us 1110 representative of I.lll'
people, or ill 111. f olcn rlgilt 11+ the holder of
coal ul (Ito :•%talt , I id, ernmeilt should
promptly press upon the Fuderul (;overli
Init . ill the recognition and 11111151 aeon or
these 1181111 S 11 author Or
. 01,11313 1 to Ow
511111 1 , 1111 , 1 of 1 1. 1 1 i11 1 1 . 31 0111111,31111111 alder the
(.11stillittoll or 1110 I'lliteii
.‘.
It. !um.,
4', It. 111 ., 1..%1.1:W,
i
St.
The committee 1(1.133 3 I tllll 1.111,115111 g
Bill:
AN :\,'r 14 4titthori/44 the liquidation of
damages stiNtannal hy the cllixrus 111
Peto,ylvania during the late 11414011 a m.
Haines of the ('lli/.ens 441 the 444411111 n, 141
York, 'oniherlan4l„ \ 4144 in, 14 . 44,440:1111,
ton, B e d 14,4•41. and Perry, for 14A tra”rtlin:try
losses sustained during the 1'1.111.111141, us
14151111i1•411,1 115' I.llll4overitl 111•14 111 A441'111 hay,
approved lath 441 A 141411, A. I. 1 , 1,2; 4.1011 4.4
April, A. I)., 14:1.1; 1. - 41.11 441 Vela - nary, A. D.,
I slim, and 91.11 of Aprll, A. 11., 1:444 , 4444, he sill,
jeeted to a earefill 1,141,1 141' 115411941m0,
sioners in the county of York, two in the
•44unly 1f Franlilin, two in 11444 4444411i1v 4.1'
Adalna, IWO in 11111 14111111 11, 44 1'1,11,111.1..
1/11111 111111 1 1 1.1 . fy, and two in the v 44411111445 44i
l' l llll.llll 111111 Itedlor4l, to he appointed by
the Courts 4411'4.1111114441 11441,44 d 4,041 sever:
ecainties, and 1144. 4;44,44,1144r shall 11.114111
competent 1944111101 to relay-441a the gov
ernment in the recision 4.1' maid claw, be
fore the several ,•011111114 , i"114, 11141 the 411111
41114111144i11114 511411 re-esllllllllo 111111 TO all
11.1ioatv all of sold elnillls, and may ro s jert
~r 4141,1,1i-4h any now Oil 1110 114 0411111 y 111115"
retinire, hut 1144 t. 1111414141' 1110111111111111. 11115•
• 0944epting theelaini 111141444,114 W R1'1 . 111411
rd l'inir4•ll, repro-milled hy S. IL, 14 . 4444114,
whik4l4 shall I.44alintahly 4441411444441 ; Rod
any claims lchirh may 111,111
or Iranslerred 1,111,.,,,riginal 4'1441441.111, 4 .1444
assignee or present 1,11 marol the same 4441144:1
be required to 111111:0 sal.l4laetory p 1441 11.1
the 111110111 a 1114114115' 1/4111 1,1 . 1110
4'lllllll, 111111 1110 11111111111 t 04 1,1111 shall
• 1111 .V 4141141 /11111 1111 111.11., ; 111111 it
anv 111 . 1111. If an aasigth 41 elann shall fail
to wake such proof satialaclory, the rlainl
shall ho rejected ; and 114 4110 1411111111541011-
ers re-adjudicate said claims they shall en
dorse their approvid thereon for the amount.
lallowed and return the elaitna 1.110 A int
iLor•tioneral.
See. 2. 11 shall be 11144 41111 . 4; of the 1:44v•
ertiOr /11141 SLIM, .1 1 1,11411 r, 1.1/ 144110 111 141411
1:111111111111. Wllll4O 1•11111I1 'hall II • 11111,4,4441 1,4
hereinbefore provided, or to 1114, her or
their proper repreaentative, a 44441.1 Olean. or
rertiticatem to the aoloont allowed on 5a4411
4.1111111 ill 1.111. following lira :
4a4NIII44NWEALTIE i,F PENNSYLVANIA.
I.• 11evi.vierrf1 1 ,, 11,,
Then is 10 Certify that - has
lie in the office or the A 11111 tor 1 iellerill
a duly approved and registered claim her
the sum - - 11..11a44. payable to
- - or bearer, as provided by the
not entitleil all act 1 7 1111(1,r ire the 11.11111111.
tion of damages sustained by citizens of
l'ennsylolllllll during the late rebellion,
approved A. U.,
Is7Land sin
per conturn interest. payable to the bearer
of this certiliettni se.llll.lltinially on the Id
days of .1 My and .1 iontary of 1,111 year
the Treasury of the Stitt,• as provided by
the aforesaid art of the f ientiral Asnewbly
of l'enesylvatiiii.
In Witillei's IN fiercer We 111100 177,1111 to set
our handm and the seal of the State the,
day of A. 1.1., 1.71.
Which certificates shall b- sfguer by the
tlovernor and StateTreaserer, and be VI/1111 -
tersigned 111111 registered by the A editor
(lateral, and lie eon lit front all taxes (ix
ceipt, those imp...slid liy the laws of the
Statea.
It shall be the duty of the State
Tree -Slifer, upon din passage or I.IIIS ale., to
appropriate the stun of 11110 IluDdretl
,erent.y thousand dollari,onitml any 111011eys
in tile treasury not otherwise appriipriated,
and sitiell ' reastirer shall annually hereafter,
until the certificates aforesaid shall be pahl
by the Vetted States, appropriate a like
sum, or SO 11111011 thereof as may be neces
sary, to pay the interest on the certilleities
hereinloilbre authorized, and the necessary
expenses thereol, to a special fund to 1.,
designated 115 the " Fll 1111 tier the L 111111.1.1
Lion or War Damages, - 111111 1,111 1 ,1 Sal 1
1111111 the Slate Treasurer shall pay the ill •
terests on said certificates from the first
day .1 ' January, A. llb, 1 , 171, Selliliallelially
itil the first. days c,l.July 111,11 Jaitilitry
each year, al lire rate of mix per Celli 11111
per 11111111 to the holders of stud vet un
catos, and receive receipts theredor and me
the sates in his office.
Stai. -1. ' llls State 111 . Pcntimylvittlia
upon the acceptance or the ~I.othiil,ll. by
the chiireants, become the ("viler of ...II
111111 It shall 1,(21.11, duty rif the lmv
vritor or the State 10 demand the payment
of the 4111110 by the general government for
the ilhe 111111 /1,10 ' 11.14 the State, aria also the
payment of live hundred thousand dollars,
with the accrued interest thereon, paid ill
rho State on said chinos ruder the net ap
proved bith February, A. lb 181111, :Old ear
interest paid ell said certificates, and to se
lea such agents fir the purpose. as way be
necessary, and upon the pitVlllolll
Of any portion Or 1111 Sall! 011111115 by the
General Government, the money so re
ceived shall lie appropriated by the 1/over
nor to the "Hind fur the liquidation 111 4034
damages, " and be applied first to tire pay
ment or the outatatatutt; CerlifiCateS, itaa
next to the chum of the :State tor the money
allettfiCeil 011 Said Chilies. If the Stan,
shall receive from the Genet al Govern
ment, at any time, I,u a•count of said claims,
an amount insullicit . nt to redeem all of said
certificates, the State ' Treasurer shill! ad
vertise Mr twenty days for proposals tor
the redemption of the amount of certifi
cates of the "fund for the liquidittion of war
damages, " can redeem, Mel accept. the low
est proposals for the same, but none should
be redeemed above par, and it . the State
shall receive at any time from the (101100111
Government a sufficient amount to redeem
all of said certificates at par, the State
Treasurer shall give thirty days ' notice of
his purpose to redeem them, and at the ex
piration or thirty days ' naive on all ot
said certificates shall cease: Provided, ' Phut
the aggregate amount of said certificates to
be issued tor said claims shall not exceed
the sum or two motions (luta twntirett
thousand dollars.
SupremdCourt Re-
Legal Tender Alc
vermesi 11 , 1 FOrtill ' er ACIiOII
The Supreme Court, after a protracted
session of several hours, decided, by a vo'e
of live to four, to reverse the former decis
ion of the Court on the question of the Con
stitutionality of the Legal-Tender Act.--
Where contracts were made prior to the
paseage of the act in 18132 the decision will
also declare the Constitutionality of th e
Legal-Tender Act. Justice Davis voted
with the majority. The opinion of the
Court will probably not be delivered until
October next as there is not sufficient time
to prepare it at this term. The Court will
therefore only declare the decision, as was
done in the Milligan case, without render
ing opinions. Chief Justice Chase, with
Nelson, Clifford and Field, dissent.