JIE DOLLAR PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. TOWANDA : fllornmn. Jtonnarg 'BS? THE EVENING HEARTHSTONE. Gladly now we gather rouinl it. For the toiling day is done, Ai d the gay and solemn twilight Follows down the golden sun ; Shadows lengthen on the payment. Stalk like giant- through the _ r l >.> m. Wander pa-t the du.-kv easement, Creep around the lire'it room. l>raw the curtains—clo-e the shutters Place the slippers hy the tire. Though the rude wind loudly mutters. What care we for wind-spirit's ire ? What care we for outward seeming! Fickle fortune's love or smile? I;' around us love is beaming— have can human ills beguile ! Neath the cottage roof and palace, From the peasant to the king— All are quailing from life's chalice Babble that em hautmeut bring. Gratt - are g! living—music flowing. From the lips we love the be--t ; Oh. the joy. the bliss of knowing There are hearts whereon to rest— IKirt- that throb with eager gladness— Heart.- that echo with our own— V. Vile grim ( are and haunting Sadness Mingle ne'er in 1 >ok or tone ; ( are nun tread the halls of Daylight— s.ulne-s haunt the midnight hour— It t the weird and witching Twilight Britig- the glowing Hearthstone's dower. Altar of our Iml est feelings ! i YldV l d's well remembered shrine! Fplrit y. .rniiigs—Soul revealings— Vie itlis hum utal round thee twine ! 3£l ist c! I;iitc o us. The Bottom of the Ocean—lnteresting Revelations. Lieut. Manrv lias just sent a report to the S ni.irv of the Navy concerning the subma rine explorations made by the North Pacific INj icring Expedition under the command of Cub mint ltodgcrs, and from this valuable • HOC nt we take the following interesting extract : - Beep sea soundings, with specimens of the e'ttoai. have also been returned to this office f;mi that expedition. They were taken in the N itli Pacific with Brooke's apparatus, and been studied through the microscope of 1' Bailey at W.st Point. Tiiey all tell the same story They teach ii-; at the quiet of the grave reigns every- Therein the profound depths of the ocean ; that repose here> s beyond the reach of the iiiitl ; it is so perfect that none of the pow os of earth, save only the earthquake and - aiio, can disturb it The specimens of • sea soundings, for which we are indebted "ithe ingenuity of Lieut. Brooke, are as pure las free from the sand of the sen as tlie •v il ik<* that fall.-- when it is calm upon the ■i i< from the dust of the earth .Indeed, - soundings suggest the idea that the sea, - -the >aow cloud with it< flakes HI a mini, • uiway- letting fall upon its bed showers of microscopic shells ; and we may roani'ly marine that the " sunless wrecks" which -fr w •'Din, are, in the process of ages, bid un ' tiii- fleecy covering, presenting the o md c,i|n irance which is seen over the body of traveler who has perished in the snow • br.ii. The ocean, especially within and near > tropics, swarms with life. The remains of ■ ::;yriads of moving things are conveyed by ' HI- and scattered and lodged iu thecourse ■ fine all over it.- bottom. This process, con . been strained and iii- I ' i- r fin* sea water. This matter eou " "i the -ki letons ami easts of insects of the microscopic minuteness. T-ie ;act that the currents not reach tiie bottom of the deep sea ; that no abrading agents at work there, 1 •• i!i'' miawing tooth of time ; that a j 7 ' ml, it si F.'tduA IIJM.II the ttfd of the. /." a ruble sfr;v e in their mannfactnre, bulky for - un,i 1 y for handling and difficult to Mich a wire-laid cable that the ,' ■' e ( oiupaiiy lost in the laying be- V . ' midland and CH|>C Breton, in 1855; '"'ha one—wire laid, stiff and larg , ' 1 ;i| t „—that the French have ' '""'pted to lav in the Mediterraueau, •ST i N we have learned, in the course of y ''ptiiriitious. that all the olwtaeles in .. . 'he f,, j],,, laying of su'imarine '■ctwccu the surface and tho THE BRADFORD REPORTER. depth of a few hundred fathoms below ; and that these are not to be mastered by force nor overcome by the tensile strength of wiredrawn ropes, but that, with a little artifice, they will yield to a mere thread. It. is the case of a man-of-war and the little nautilus in the.hurri cane : the one, weak in its strength, is dashed to pieces ; the other, strong in its weakness, resists the utmost violence of the storm, and rides as safely through it as though there were 110 ragings in the sea. Therefore, it may now be considered as a settled principle in subma rine telegraphy that the true character of a cable for the deep sea is not that of an iron rope as large as a man's arm, but a single cop per wire, or a fascicle of wires, coated with gutta pereha, pliant and supple, and not larg er than a lady's finger." THE HEALTH OF CATTLE. —Mix, occasionally, one part of suit with four, five or six parts of wood ashes—give the mixture to different kinds of stork, summer and winter. It promotes appetite, and tends to keep thein in a healthy condition. It is said to be sron.l -"dust hois in horses, murrain in rattle, and rot in sheep. llorse-radish is valuable for cattle. It cre ates appetite, and is good for various diseases. Some give it to any animal that is unwell. It is good for oxen troubled with the heat. If the animals will not eat it voluntarily, cut it up fine, and mix it with potatoes or meal. Feed all animals regularly. They not only loik for the food at the usual time, but the stomach indicates the want at the stated pe riod. Therefore, feed morning, noon and even ing, as near the same time as possible. tiuard against the wide and injurious ex treme of satiating with excess, and starving with want. Food should be of suitable qualify, and proportion to the growth and fattening of animals, to their production in young, and milk, and to their labor or exercise. Animals j that labor need far more food, and that which is far more nutritious, than those that are idle. In dry times see that the animals have a goo supply of water. When the fountains are low, they drink the draining* of fountains, streams and passages of water, which are un wholesome. THE MAX who I.OVED FI X. —The story is fa miliar of a man who took passage in a flat boat from Cincinnati bound to New Orleans. He passed many dreary, listless days on his way down the Ohio and Mississippi, and seemed to be desponding for the want of exercise. Su perficially he was quiet and iiieffensive, practi cally, he was perfectly good uaturcd and kind ly disposed. In the course of time the craft in on which he was passenger put into Napoleon, in the State of Arkansas, for groceries. At the mo ment, there was a general fight extending along the front of town, which at that time consisted of a single house. The unhappy passenger after figetting and jerking iiis feet up and down, as if he were walking on hot bricks, turned to a used up spectator and observed : " Stranger, is this a free fight ?" Tiie reply was prompt and to the point. '* Ji is. and if you wish to go in, don't stand on ceremony." T..e wayfarer did go in, and in less time than w can relat- circumstances, in* was liter adv cLew' up o you think Pui going to be flesh of your flesh, and vou living on cabbage ? No, indeed, I don't belong to the rabbit family."— English paper. USED TO IT. —An elderly gentleman travel ing in a stage, was amused by a constant lire of words between two ladies. One at last kindly inquired if the conversation did not make his head-aehe ? He replied, " So, madam ; I have been mar ried upwards of twenty eght years '' PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TO WANDA. BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH. RI LES OK HF.ATH FOR MARRIED LADIES.— Get up at three o'clock in the morning, clean out the stoves, take out the ashes, sweep the front sidewalk, and scrub the front steps, nurse the baby, put the mackerel to soak, build the fires, grind the coffee, get your husband's things to warm, see the shirt aired, boil the mackerel, settle the coffee, set the table, rouse the house, carry up some hot water to that brute of a lazy husband, and dry the morning paper.— By this time you will have an appetite for your breakfast. Hold the baby during the meal, as you like your breakfast cold. After breakfast, wash the dishes, nurse the baby, dgst everything, wash the windows, wash and dress the baby—(that pantry wants clean ing out and scrubbing) —nurse the baby, draw the baby in his wagon five or six miles for the benefit ot his health ; nurse him when you re turn ; put on the potatoes and the cabbage (nurse the baby) and the corn beef, (don't for get to nurse the baby) and the turnips, and (nurse the baby) sweep everything ; take up the dinner, set the table, fill the castors, change the table cloth, t!i.'r ; that bin- wants nurs ing. Eat your dinner, call again, and—nurse the baby. After dinner, wash the dishes, gather up all the dirty clothes and put taem to soak, nurse the baby every half hour, receive a dozen calls, interspersed with nursing the baby ; drag the baby a mile or two, hurry home, make biscuit, pick up some codfish, cut some dried beef.— Catnip tea for baby's internal disarrangement ; hold tlie baby an hour to quiet'him, put some alcohol in the metre ; baby a specimen of per petual motion ; tea ready, take yours cold, as usual. After tea, wash up the dishes, put some fish to soak, chop some hash, send for some more sugar, (gracious ! how the sugar does go— and thirteen cents a pound,) get down the stockings and darn them—keep on nursing the baby—wait up till twelve o'clock nursing the baby, till husband comes with a double .shuffle on the front steps, a decided difficulty in find ing the stairway, and a dogged determination to sleep in tlie back yard. Drag him upstairs to bed, then nurse the baby and go to sleep. Women in delicate health will find that the above practice will either kill or cure them. THE LAWYER WHO LOST HIS ORATION-. —ln the political struggle of IK4H, two delegates from I) , New Hampshire—a lawyer and tailor—started on their mission to the capitol of that State, together, in a wagon. The tai lor was as ardent a politician as his companion, albeit he was not so profound : what he lack ed in hook learning and logic, he made up in an abundant flow of words, set speeches, snatch es of political orations, A *., which he had heard at different caueiises, and which his retentive memory hoarded up, ready to be delivered on fitting occasions. They had not proceeded far on their journey, when the man of broadcloth asked his companion if he intended to make a speech, and, on receiving an affirmative an swer, told him he should like to hear it, as it was all " cut and dried." Accordingly, our limb of the law delivered himself of his speech—the lahor of more than one long night—to our " snapper up of trifles," who, after applauding it much, and criticising it a little, desired tin* lawyer to go through with it again, which was complied with. Af ter discussing freely its merits and its chances for improvement, in the delivery more especial ly, tlie man ®f " measures" actually prevailed upon the speeehifier to go through with it again; and then complimented the victim by telling him " 'twas now perfect and it couldn't be bet tered." Immediately upon their arrival at Concord, tliev repaired to the chamber of the Conven tion, which had just been organized. Our man of cloth watched the chance, and before his companion could say " Mr Speaker," he anticipated him, got the floor, and, to the sur prise and astonishment of his friends in gene ral and his companion especially, recited the whole speech as he caught it on the journey from the unsuspecting lawyer's lips, verbatim ft literal nm, and coolly to#k his scat, amidst thunders of applause. MRS. PARTINGTON ox MOIRE ANTIQUE. —" Do you think Moire Antique becomes on a wi dow ?" said a young widow to Mrs. Parting ton, as she exhibited a mourning dress elabo rately trimmed and a bonnet of tiie latest mode. The old lady scanned her attentively through her glasses, before she answered. " Mote antic !" said she at length, and her finger was raised up like a note of exclamation. " I should think less antic would be more be coming in a widow. Widows more antic must lie them spoken of by Paul to Timothy, who wax wanton and will marry. Well, well, let 'em, though where a woman has once married with a congealing and warm heart " —looking straight at the rigid profile of the Corporal on the wall—" and one that beats responsible to her own, she will never want to enter the mari time state again." There was a tremulous tone in her voice and a glistening in her eye, like a dew-drop on a morning glory ; the finger fell to her side, and she turn id to look out of the window after Ike, who was sailing a shingle boat in a rain-water tub, with a garden toad for a passenger. The young widow withdrew to read what Paul had said, evideutly disgusted with the daine's misapprehension of her question, though there was a lesson to her in the bluuder. POLITENESS IN RAGS.—A little ragged child was heard to call from the window of a mean looking house to an opposite neighbor, 'Please, Mrs. Miller, mother's compliments, and if it is a fine day, will you go a-begging with her to morrow ? BROKKX HONRS. —Ladies who wear hoops are kindly advised by the Bellows Falls Argus "to look to their rigging." A few days ago the editor observed a lady sweeping along with the air of a queen with about two feet of whalebone sticking out behind ! " REffIARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANV QUARTER." GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE. To the Honorable the Semite unit l\lembers of the House of Hejtrcsentatices of the General Assembly : FEI.T.OW CITI7KN*3 : In obedience to the Con stitution and laws of this Commonwealth, yon have assembled to discharge the important and responsible duties that devolve upon you. To protect the rights and privileges of the people, advance their interests, and promote the welfare and prosperity of the State, should be the aim and end of all your legislation. In the dis charge of my duties, it will be a pleasure to co operate with you in the accomplishment of these objects. The past year has been one of unusual pros perity. The bounties of a kind Providence have not been withheld from our Common wealth. A plenteous harvest has rewarded the labor of the husbandman. Honorable in dustry, in all its departments, has been encour aged. No financial embarrassments—no com mercial distress—no political or social evils, have interrupted the progress, or checked the energies of the people. The great interests of education, morality and religion, have been cherished and sustained. Health and peace, with their attendant blessings, have been ours. To Him " who rules tlie Nations by His pow er, and from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift," are we indebted for these mercies, and to Him should lie given the hom age of our devout gratitude and praise. The financial condition of the Common wealth is highly satisfactory. Every demand upon the Treasury has been promptly met and i paid, without the aid of loans. The operations : of this department will lie exhibited in detail i in the report of the State Treasurer, j For the fiscal year ending November 30, 1850, the receipts of the Treasury (including I the balance in the Treasury on the Ist day of December, 1855, of $1,243,097 33) have been $0,021,937 04. The total expenditures for the same period, were $5,377,142 22. Ral ance in the Treasury, December 1, 1820, sl,- 244.795 42. Kxeluding the balance in the Treasury on ' the first of December, 1853, the receipts from \ all sources, were $5,378,240 33. The ordi nary expenditures for the same period, were $4,113,144 77, showing an excess of receipts over ordinary expenditures of $1,265,095 56. The extraordinary payments for the same vcar, were $1,203,997 45, as follows, viz : To the completion of ttie Port aire Railroad, and ■ for th* payment of debts previously contracted ' on that work. slßl 494 11 ; to" the North j Hianrh FxteiiMon, $122,723 52; to re-lav the I south track of the Columbia Railroad, $267,- 000 00 ; for motive power in 1855, 8118,049- ' 42 ; to enlarge the Delaware division of the • Pennsylvania Canal, $13,960 : for general ro pairs in 1852 -1)4—55, $63,965 11 ; to domes tic creditors, slsl 63 ; to old claims on the main line, examined by the commissioners, and paid under the act of May 22, 1856, $130,512- 09 ; to the redemption of loans. $327,821 47; j and relief notes cancelled, $38,217 00. The interest on the funded debt which fell due in February and August, last, was then j paid, and that which becomes due in February ! next, will be paid with equal promptness, out of available means now in the Treasury. The punctuality with which the interest on the pub lic debt has been paid, and the ability of the Treasury to meet all legitimate demands upon it, have inspired public confidence in our secu rities, and contributed largely to establish and sustain the credit of the commonwealth. The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund re- i port the sum of $722,432 93 as due by the Treasury to that fund. This amount will be applied to the redemption of relief notes now in circulation, and to the payment of the fund ed debt. Heretofore the available means in the Treasury have been applied to some extent | in payment of outstanding temporary loans, ' which bear an annual interest of six per cent.; i it being deemed advisable as a matter of econ- j oiny to pay these loans, rather than the fund- 1 ed debt, which bears a much less rate of inter est. It is expected that the balance of the temporary loan will be paid before the close of the current year, and the operation of the sink ing fund resumed and continued as directed by law. The funded and unfunded debt of the State, including temporary loans, on the Ist day of December, 1855, as per reports of the Auditor General and State Treasurer, was as follows, viz : Fr.VPKO I>KBT. (5 per cent, loan, $516,154 93 5 do. do 38,903.445 04 44 do. do 388.200 00 4" do. do 100.000 00 Total funded del>t, $30,907,799 97 CNFI'XDEtt lIKBT. Relief note* in circulation. $'258,773 00 Interest certiorates outstand • ins 29,157 '25 Domestic c editors 1,204 00 Balance temporary loan, April 19, 1853 525,000 00 Balance temporary loan, May 9. 1854 346,000 oO Total unfunded detit, $1,160,194 00 Total del it. Dec. 1.K55 $41,067,994 22 Tht- funded and unfunded debt at the close of the lust fiscal year, December 1, 1856, was as follows, viz:— 6 per cent, loan $511,781 00 5 do. do. 35.566.994 50 4£ do. do 368,200 00 4 do. do 100,000 00 Total funded debt, • $39,86ff,975 50 CSFCNDKIt OEBT. VIZ*. Relief notes in circulation,. . $220,556 00 Interest on certificates out ing, 24.691 36 Inserest certificates unclaimed 4.4 IS 38 Domestic creditors 1,104 00 Balance temporary loan, April 19, 1853 400,000 00 Balance temporary loan, May 9, 15.74 : 184,000 00 Total unfunded debt, 834,859 75 Total debt Dec. 1, 1850 $40,701,835 25 Total debt, Dec. 1, 15.55, $41,006,994 22 Do. do. 1850, 40,701,835 25 Decrease,. 366,158 97 It thus appears that during the past fiscal year the sum of three hundred and sixty-six thousand one hundred and fifty-eight dollars and ninety-seven cents has been paid in liqui dation of the public debt This, taken in con nection with the fact, that during the year end jog November 30, ISoo, six hundred and one dollars and ttvo cents were paid on the same account, exhibits the gratifying fact, that the process of reducing the public debt has com menced ; and, unless.checked by reckless mis management and extravagant expenditure, must continue until the people aud the Com monwealth are relieved from the debt and tax ation with which they arc burdened In ad dition to this reduction of the public debt, large appropriations and payments were mule for the completion of the Portage railroad aud for debts previously contracted on that work ; for old and unsettled claims recently adjusted bv the commissioners appointed under the act of last session ; for re-laying the south track of the Columbia railroad ; for enlarging the Delaware division of the canal, and for other purposes. These extraordinary demands up on the Treasury have ceased, or will soon cease, with the necessity that created them ; and thus leave a still larger portion of the revenues to be applied in payment of the public debt. A careful cxaminatiou of the financial con dition of the Commonwealth —her sources of revenue and tlie probable future expenditures, has inspired the hope that the time is not far distant when the public debt will be fully paid, and this without increasing the subjects or ra tio of taxation. It has already been shown that the revenues of the past year exceeded the ordinary expenditures one million two hun dred and s xfy-five thousand ninety-five dol- j lars and fifty-six cents. Tue estimated receipts and expenditures for the current year, which will be presented to you in the report of the State Treasurer, show that tlie excess of re ceipts, over ordinary expenditures, miy reach the stun of one and a half million of dollars.— These estimates, although approximations, will not be far from the true result. Allowing, then, four hundred thousand dollars for annual extraordinary expenditures—and under a wise system of economy in no probnl.lv contingency can t!:y exceed that sum—we will have at least one million of dollars to be appropriated annually for the payment of the public debt. With the rapid development of the wealth and resources of the Commonwealth—the increase ; of population—of the value of real estate, and of the amount and value of property of every description, the revenues must and will con tinue to increase. This natural and necessary increase of lew ue will supply every deficien cy and every demand upon the Treasury thai falls within the range of probability. If, then, ] the sum of one million dollars be appropriated j annually in liquidation of this d< fit, and the ac ! cruing iutorc-t on tho Minis paid be applied in ! the manner of a sinking fund, the entire iu j debtcdness of the Commonwealth will be ex tinguished in less than twenty-three years. If these premises arc correct—ami their cor rectness can only be impaired by unwise legis lation, or the imprudent management of our finances—the truth of the proposition is sus ceptible of the clearest demonstration. As suming the public debt on the first day of i)e --| eember, 1856, to be, in round numbers, forty j millions five hundred thousand dollars, and that at the end of each fiscal year one million dol lars, with the accruing interests on former pay ments, will be paid, unerring calculation will determine the result to be as before indicated. Thus, before the expiration of the year 1879, Pennsylvania may stand redeemed from the op pression of her public debt, and her people be released from a taxation imposed to meet its accruing interest, and to maintain the faith and credit of the Commonwealth. These views are not Utopian. Iy practicing strict economy in all departments of the government—avoiding extravagant expenditure—refusing to under take any new schemes of internal improvement, and holding to a rigid accountability the re ceiving and disbursing agents of the State, their realization may be anticipated with confidence. 1 must again call the attention of the Leg-! Mature to a subject referred to in my last an nual message, in the following terms : " llv the thirty-eighth section of the act of the 16th of April, 1845, entitled ' An act to provide for the ordinary expenses of Govern ment, the repair of the canals and railroads of the State, and other claims upon the Common wealth,' the Governor was authorized to cause certificates of State stock to he issued to all persons or bodies corporate holding certificates for the payment of interest on the funded debt of the State, which fell due on the first day of August, 1842, the first days of February and August, 1843, and the first days of February and August, 1844, in an amount equal to the amount of certificates so held, upou their de livering up said certificates to the Auditor General. In pursuance of the authority thus given, certificates of State stock to the amount of four millions one hundred and five thousand, one hundred and fifty dollars and twenty ecnts, bearing interest at the rate of five per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually, on the first days of February and August in each year, and redeemable on or after the first day of August, 1855, were issued. The minimum pe riod fixed by law for the redemption of these certificates, expired on the first day of August, 1855. No provision has been made for their renewal or redemption. " Although by the terms of the act author izing those certificates of State stock, as also ! by the conditions of the certificates issued in ! pursuance thereof, the time of payment, after the expiration of the minimum period, is op- j tional with the debtor, the Commonwealth, yet | a due regard for the credit of the State requires ' that provision should be made for their renew al or redemption. To redeem these certificates a loan would become necessary, and as a loan cannot lie effected, in the present financial con dition of the country, on terms more favorable to the State than those on which those cerli- Rentes were issue.!, I would recommend that authority be given to issue the bonds of the Commonwealth in renewal of said certificates, bearing interest at the rate of five per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually, and redeem able on or alter the expiration of twenty years; and that the bonds be issued with coupons or certificates of interest attached, in sums equal in amount fo the semi annual interest thereon, payable on the first days of February and Au gust in each ami every war, at SIHi place a VOL. XVn. XO. 3<2. may be designated. This change in the form and .character of the certificates, it is believed, will be so advantageous to the holders, with out increasing the liabilities of the Common wealth, as to induce a willing and prompt ex change, at a premium fur the bonds proposed to he issued." I he report of the Canal Commissioners will be laid before you, and will exhibit in detail the condition of the public works—their gene ral operation, and the receipts and expendi tures for the past fiscal year. The total receipts at the Treasury, from the public works, for the year ending .November 30, 185G, were $>2,000,01d, 00, being an in crease over the revenues of the previous year, of $03,038 Oh. (Jf this sum $1,013,589 10 were canal and bridge tolls, und $002,420 50, tolls of the Columbia and Portage railroads. The aggregate expenditures for the same year were $1,013,800 82, being au increase over those of the previous year, of $105,105 04, the revenues exceeding the expenditures only $02,118 81. The increase of the revenues from these works would be encouraging, were it not for the fact that the expenditures have increased in a still greater proportion—tlio expenditures, ordinary and extraordinary, exhausting almost the entire revenue from this source. The sys tem must lie defective, or more care and econo my should be exercised in its management. The receipts at the Treasury from the seve ral divisions, were as follows, viz : Muiti Line 31,229,272 SO Su.K|iU'lia:ii!a, North Branch and U'ut Branch 426,820 .31 Delaware .349 922 29 Total receipts 2,006.015 66 The extraordinary payments during the year, amounted to $808,892 10 ; ordinary expendi tures, $1,135,001 00; net revenue, (excluding extraordinary payments and for motive power) $871,011 00 On the main line the tolls received at the Treasury from the Columbia road, were $991,- 070 50 ; expenditures $528,081 80 ; tolls on the Eastern division of canal, from Columbia to the Junction, $1 1'd.718 30 : expenditures, $53,04$ 50 ; receipts front the Junction to Pittsburg, including the Portage railroad, sll 7,778 OO ; ordinary expenditures, $304,- 702 22. The total receipts on the main line were $1,229,272 80 ; aggregate expenditures (excluding $207,000 00 paid fur re-laying the south track of the Columbia railroad, and $153,019 42 for motive power in 1355, and after December l>t 1856,) were $885,835 65, being an excess of revenue over ordinary ex penditures of $343,437 21. Although tliu receipts from the Delaware division ore less than those of the previous year, vet the general result of its operations is satisfactory. The tut revenue at tha Treasu ry was $2(>4,00 j 40. Its management has been characterized by a degree of economy too sel dom practiced on some of the lines of our im provements. However important this division mav be to the trade and business of that portion of tho State, its proposed enlargement should not be undertaken, unless demanded by reasons of over ruling necessity. The experience of the past, as connected with the Allegheny Portage railroad, and the North Branch extension, should warn us against undertaking, without great caution, any new measure of improve ment, which may drain the Treasury, without aiding materially, if at all. the public interests. It kept iu good order by ellicient and timely repairs, its capacity will be fully equal to ail the demands of its trade and business. The Portage railroad is not fully completed. A small additional appropriation may yet be required to complete, for the fourth time, this road. It is anxiously hoped that this unpro ductive improvement may soon cease its cor morant demands upon the Treasury. Every year's experience more clearly reveals the im policy of the State in undertaking this work. It gives me no ordinary pleasure to- inform you tliht the North Branch extension of tho Pennsylvania canal has been so far completed that boats freighted with coal and other pro ducts were successfully passed through its en tire length front Pittstou to the Junction canal. This work was commenced in 18-30'—suspended in 1841 —resumed iu 1840, and fiuished in !85ti; although its completion was officially announc ed in 1853. It extends from Pittston to the New-York State line, a distance of about 04 miles, following the valley of the Susquehanna to Athens, and thence along the Chemuug ri ver to the State line, where it joins the 'Junc tion canal,' and is thus connected with the New- York improvements. . The importance and value of this improve ment cannot easily he overestimated. Pass ing through one of the richest mineral and ag ri ultural portions of the State, it offers to the immense and valuable products of that region a safe and cheap transit to the markets of New- York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. In tho completion of this canal the difficulties to bo overcome, and the labor to be performed, wero great. Both these, to a great extent, havo been accomplished under tho superinten leney of Wm. 11. M.iff.'t, Pop, to whom this was as signed. This canal, although completed, and beforo the close of navigation, used for the purpose |of transportation, is not perfect. Sinks in the ; bottom, trom the nature of the formation and ' soils through which it passes, slides from tho j hills, and breaches may occur, but these, after a few years of well applied labor, will be di minished, and by vigilance and care entirely prevented. This improvement, althon rh subject to tho rivalry of competing railroads, if kept in good condition, nnd r proper m nageinent, will re ceive its full share of coal and other tonnage. It is anticipated that the revenue, for the cur rent jear. wiil cipu!. if not exceed the expen ditures ; and increasing with the facilities af forded, and the rapid development of trade, wit!, instead of its heretofore unceasing de mands upon the Treasury, take precedence in revenue over any canal in the Common wealth. 1 In relation to the proj riety and policy of n li