O<E oaLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
■■. I *
Thursday Morning, May 1, 1862.
jJtlttftb f oetrj.
HOME AND HEAVEN.
BY MBS- 1- H- ItOODBNRT.
If thou hast peace at home,
What boots it though the rabble rout
XJplilt their hoarse, discordant shot,
Though the unquiet world should toss
And cast up feculence and dross,
And warring tides each other mock,
And vengeful surges smite the rock,—
And men contend with angry mind
If thou iu sheltered nook can st Cud
Sweet peace at home.
If thou hast love at home.
Why need's! Thou care though throngs of pride
With sneer of scorn thy course deride .
Assail the fabric ol our fame
And ring their changes on thy name ?
Thou would'st not to their taste refuse
Such pungent pastime if it choose,
While shielded from the unseemly blast
Thy comforts all are garncr'd fast
By love at home.
If there is rest in Heaven.
And so the Unerring Word declares,
Why shrink from labors, grief or cares ?
The appointed agencies to try
Tb.v patience and thy constancy.
For like the illusions of a dream,
Like passing bubbles on a stream,
Khali be their memory and their pain
When thou at last shall blissful gain
The rest of Heaven.
i[ omntwit i c at ioit s.
For the Bradford Reporter.
Enemies of Sheep.
An English tenant of mine, came to my
study door the other day. bearing several whit
ish worms in a glass bottle, that he suid he had
taken from the head of a fine South Down
ewe, which, like three or four others, had died
very suddenly at.d strangely. The persons in
trailing, discouraged his speaking to me on the
subject, advisir.g him to go to the Doctor with
his inquiry. " Well, if Mr. W. can't tell what
these vermin ar£, that's killing his sheep, I
don't see what's ihe use of his having so many
books in his library," said the blunt Yorkdnre
roan, resolutely beut on an investigation. I
could not help overhearing the remark, and
feeling there was point to it ; and so called
hiin,in, with a view of seeing whut
make of his prisoners. I have thought, as
there has been au unusual fatality this Spring,
amongst sheep, in thisngiouof country, the
fruits of my examination might possibly be in
terestiiisr, if not useful to your readers—altho"
the subject is not a new one, and I have little
to offer besides what I find in books, and w hat
is already known to intelligent sheep-growers.
The worms he produced, I found to be the
lime of the (Kshis avis, a fiv belonging to the
numerousorder Diptera—the Gad-tly of sheep
This fly makes its appearance in the Northern
States of America,between May and July, and
is a great source of alarm and annoyance to
the flock, in the same way its near relatives,
the (Kstris bovis is to horned cattle, or the (Ki
lns eqms to horses. But it disposes of us
egg> in a different manner from that of the
(iiid-Uies which afflict horses and cattle—lodg
ing them in the flaps of the sheep's nostrils,
where they soon become vivified by the heat
and moisture. The larva, or maggots thus
hatched, next tnake their way into the frontal
sinuses situate between the eyes. These larver
in t lie course of their progress, give great pain
to the animal—crawling upward by means of
two small hooks which grow out from the
i sides of their hrads. By means also of these
nooks they fasten themselves when they reach
their abiding place, aud here for months, feed
upon the mucus secreted by the Using mem
brane of the chambers they have chosen. To
ward Spring, they have growu to about au
ch in length, flattened somewhat, ami pre
rrnting eleveu rings or apparent joints, which
I tie microscope shows to me edged with a few
thort bristles. When they have become mature
w a worm, (usually iu March,) they begin to
retrace their pathway, which again brings ag
ouj on the poor animal whose brain they have
finis invaded. It stamps its fePt, tosses its
! -ad about, sneezing violently, and so com in
t ! u r , until its enemy is expelled at the nostril
AUer expulsion, the maggot crawls off, finally
burying itself in the ground, where it assumes
I ( he impa form, out of which a new fly is hatch
ed, to go the same unwelcome round of life.
Amongst writers on the6ubject, various, and
w S<MW respects opposite opinions are express
< i a>uithe injury these worms inflict on the
amunl; nd the manner in which they produce
' ■'di. Ipou the whole, it would seem that
* 1 a fer J large number of worms are gen
:rau'd, tfaey produce irritation and inflamation
" ' ie head— possibly on the brain, and thus
oy tlirir victim. A very few might not
I 'tie tliH result. Sev ral writers of note
Jli ® :l ' Economy, appear to class this fly
Rn.oi.gst the more harmless enemies of sheep ;
'e ancients deemed t hem bred iu the brain—
Hi did is cerebri <latebris."
. :, ere is great uncertainty in regard to the
• iig cause which leads these lurv.ee to sode
themselves as to cause the death of a
, ' lhe same as ll,ere " lhat which
Mtcs their cousins, the hots, fatal to horses :
{ f it would seem, are fatal .at times, or un
ff certain circa i.staoces. That the first ore
i'leutly lodged iu the heads of sheep, and
Uieir destined round ol life, without mate
'"j'T.v, is just ascertain as that the hot of
K Hired fly is sometimes matured harmlessly
'he stomach of horses.
| ould respectfully advise our farmers to
to their aid in investigations of this sub
- the Medical profession of the county, and
"ever it can be done conveniently, have
wo rtem examinations made. Sheep are
I : .i, ° UI raoßt Valuab,e domestic animals,and
c r rn \i m ' s t a ltoa in the public spirit
• r -Medical aud Surgical practitioners,when
- I® * & '* ' " <** . *.'? th • sew J: i * U|l|g{] JHf fHlg TUT* XMm 1 4 .
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
I say, most of them would cheerfully assist iu
ventilating any useful question of Animal Eco
nomy, if invited.
Sometimes sheep which die of the rot, are
placed wrongfully to the account of worms in
the head. The most common symptom of the
presence of such worms, is the raising and
crooking of the head aDd neck ; eyes glaring,
aud a twitching of the eye-lid and ear on the
same side ; running off suddenly in a circular
direction, with occasional spasms, and a slight
frothing at the mouth.
As a Remedy , Bi.acki.ock, the celebrated
sbeep-culturist, advises the employment of to
bacco. Take a common clay pipe, and push
the stem well up into the nostril of the sheep,
havintr first half filled the bowl with common
smoking tobacco. Light it, and then cover
the top of the bowl with a thin doth and blow
the smoke into the sheep's head. A violent
sneezing follows, in coarse of which, the worms
are often ejected in large numbers.' Scotch
snuff, administered in the same way, is said to
produce the same beneficial result.
As a I'retentive, tarring the noses of sheep
at shearing time, or a little afterwards, about
the time the fly makes its ifypearance—is the
most rational of any thi g I have found in the
books. A plowed field, or a few furrows run
ning through the sheep pasture are eagerly
sought by the sheep in fly time. They then
rub their noses in the earth, and thus, it is
thought, expel the intruder from his lodgment.
The approach of the fly is easily kuown by the
sudden huddling of the flock, with their noses
inward and hidden
I remember that my father, who was an ex
cellent practical farmer, always tarred the nos
es of his sheep at, or soon after shearing time,
" to prevent taking cold, and also to keep of
the fly," a he said, out what fly he meant, I
hud no idea at the time, nor indeed, up to the
day 1 turned to the books, from which I draw
these hasty notes for your columns. He also
constantly kept tar within reach of the sheep
at the bottom of small board trough*,scattering
salt over it, and tnus forcing the animals to
take up a portion of it. with the salt. I dare
say this was done with profit, as few finer and
healthier flocks were found, than those which
roamed bis hill sides. I shall tar all my sheep
this Spring, for it is plain " au enemy is at
their gate." C. L. W.
Tow A NOA, ATRIL 24, 1862.
lion. 11. W. Tracy's Speech,
On the repeal of the Act Commuting the Tonnage Duties,
in the House ol Representatives, ot Penusy.vania.
Mr. Speaker, some two weeks ago, when
this subject was under consideration, I intimat
ed to the House that if there should be a gen
tleman upon this floor who proposed to discuss
the act under consideration upon its merits, I
should then desire to say a few words before
the vote should be taken. Now, sir, I observe
by the clock that we have left, not two hours
'ocger before this vote shall be taken. The
remarks which I propose to make iu the few
minutes which are assigned me, shall be mainly
in the way of answer to the gentleman, and the
one gentleman ot all others, who has dared to
stand up in this place and maintain that the
act which we proposed to repeal, was wise and
judicious. How strange it is that but one man
in this whole body, now, when we are ap
proaching the consummation, gets up in his
place and takes this position. Every other
gentleman who opposes this repealing act has
taken a position behind some constitutional
I objection. My friend from the city, (Mr. Ab
bot,) is the only one who has ventured to de-
I fend that act on the ground of its intrinsic
merit It was that gentleman, I remember
very well, who had tbe honor of reading the
bill in place. That bill was one which I
considered fraught with the gravest mischief ;
as has been truly said, I considered that bill,
and the one which seemed to b* coupled with
it last winter, as serpents trailing themselves
through this hall. Yet this is an act which
the gentlemau thought then, and thinks DOW,
wise acd judicious, and for that reason not to
be repealed. Now, sir, if I could be convinced
that that act was wise and judicious, I should
not vote for its repeal ; hut until I can be con
vinced that the act has merit in it, I must, not
withstanding the scruples of geutlemeu, and
lawyers too. who say that we have not the con
stitutional power to repeal it—l must act from
the light which I have, and the evidences
brought before my mind in regard to the con
stituiionality as wtll as the wisdom of that
measure. Thus advised, I shall cheerfully vote
for the repeal ; and lam glad to believe that
we have reached a point when, so far as this
body is concerned, that act shall be repealed
The gentleman in starting out with his argu
ment, to prove that this act was wise and judi
cious, lias told us that the Pennsylvania rail
road company has always been a Arm and reli
able fiiend of the State, lie also tells us that
the construction of that road has never beeu
detrimental to the receipts or the income from
the public works. Now, sir, if I could be con
vinced, as the gentleman thinks he will be
able to convince the whole people of the State,
that this act was wise and judicious—that the
Pennsylvania rati road company has always been
a fast friend of the Commonwealth—that the
finances of the State and the iocome of the
public works have never suffered from the op
erations of that company, then, sir, I confess
that these considerations would have mncb
weight in my mind to dissuade me from voting
tor this repeal. But what evidence has the
gentleman given to the House iu support of
these extraordinary propositions?
In proof of the position that a railroad run
ning the whole distarce from Philadelphia to
Pittsburg parallel with the public work#, car
rying the very tonnage that tbe public works
were constructed to carry, would not operate
disastrously to the revenue upon those works,
the geutleruan has read to us an extract from
the message of Governor Shunk, and also an
extract Irom the report of the canal commis
sioners. Well, sir, if the testimony of Gov.
Shuufc be good authority, aud if tbe report of
the canal commissioners be good authority, the
statements of those officers must be considered
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUiNTY, PA., BY E. 0. GOODRICH.
iu connection with the time at which they were
made. Those declarations were made when it
was not kuown or expected that this company
would ever refuse to pay to the State this
small pittance, the tonnage tax—it was when
that revenue was steadily coming into the cof
fers of the State. These declarations were not
made when the company had refused to pay
this tax, or wheu an act had been passed re
leasing them from this taxation. If the non
payment of this tonnage tax had been antici
pated no such declarations would have come
np here from the Governor or from the caual
commissioners.
The gentleman has stated that the Pennsyl
vania railroad company purchased those public
works for double what they were worth. Well
now,' I had supposed that the Pennsylvania
railroad company was a very sharp customer.
Every gentleman who has had dealings with
that corporation—every man who has sat here
as a member of this body, must have learned
that that company is a very sharp party with
whom to deal. That this corporation should*
absolutely pay for those public works twice
what they were worth, will, I think, strike the
minds of most of us as very extraordinary. —
That company is not in the habit of consum
mating such bad bargains, it. is not in general
disposed to spend i*s money in this extrava
gant way. How does the gentleman propose
to prove this ? Why, he argues that the Main
Line vvas sold to the Pennsylvania railroad
company for an amount vastly more in propor
tion to the cost of the work than the amount
for which the residue of the canals sold. Well,
sir, 1 do not know but that may be true ; but
it is also true that this improvement constitut
ed an avenue between the two great cities of
the State—the eastern and the western city—
opened communication from the Atlantic to the
great Ohio, which flows into the Gulf of Mex
ico. It is true, al-o, that this work constitut
ed a line on which tonnage would be more
likely to be carried than it would be on those
other canals But, sir, there are other consid
erations iu connection with this matter. The
sale of the Suubury and Erie railroad company
was not conducted in the same manner as the
01 her. The sale to the Suubury and Erie rail
road company was made ior a price that was
fixed in these halls. The sale to the Sunbury
and Erie railroad company was made for three
hundred and seventy five thousand dollars less
than the amount of which the company sold
the works afterward ; L will endeavor to show
to the House that they afterwards sold it for
the lowest price that they couid get, and lor
the poorest pay. They sold for three millions
and a half, properly, which if put up at public
sale, would have brought more than double
that amount How was this done? Why,
sir, would not the country be shocked to know
that, while the bill was pending in this body—
a month before its passage—the Suubury uud
Erie railroad company executed contracts with
individuals in different parts of the State—for
what ? For the very purpose of securing votes
for the passage of the bill ! This accounts for
the price at which the work sold. Tne com
pany absolutely entered into contracts, solemn
contracts i > writing, in this capitol one month
before the law was passed through this body,
to convey these branches to different parties ;
and these contracts were made for the very
put pose of procuring votes. Is it, then, sur
prising that these works should bring so small
a sum ? Is it astonishing? And, sir, worse
than all, these infamous bargains, these shame
ful contracts, thus made one month before the
bill passed this body, and for the purpose of
obtaining votes topassit here—these coutracts
were absolutely consummated and were ap
proved by the Governor of this Commonwealth,
wheu bids were put in, (as he himself tells us
iu his message,} after these infamous sales were
made, for a larger sum than that stipulated.—
To show the manner in which this transaction
was consummated, I read from the message of
Gov Packer—the executive documents of
1859 :
" Sales were made by the Sunbury and Erie
railroad company, and reported to me under
the oath of the president of the different liues,
as follows: The upper and lower North Branch
canal to the North Branch canal company, for
one million six hundred thousand dollars ; the
West Branch and Susquehanna divisions, to
the West Branch and Sti-quehanna canal com
pany, for live hundred thousand dollars ; the
Delaware division, to the Delaware Division
canal company of Pennsylvania, lor one million
seven hundred and seventy five thousand dol
lars ; in all the sum of three million eight
hundred and seventy five thousand dollars.
Upon investigation and inquiry, having be
come satisfied that these sales were made for
fair prices, and upon such terms and to such
persons composing the various purchasing as
sociations, as to iusure the payment of the
purchase money, they were severally approved.
" After the contract for the sale of the Del
aware division had been entered into and my
consent had been verbally given, and seveuty
five thousand dollars of the purchase money
had been actually paid purchaser, upon
the fact of the couiracc, and my assent thereto,
I was informed that p higher price had beeu
offered by responsible persons, for the canal.—
But, under the circumstance, my opinion was
that the offer came 100 late ; and as the rail
road compauy ciusidered itself bound to con
summate the agreement by a delivery of the
deed and possession of the property to the first
purchasers, I could not, in good faith, with
hold my assent. The North Branch canal
company, subsequent to the purchase of that
division, sold that portion of the canal lying
between Wilkes Barre and Northumberland,
to the Wyoming caual compauy, for the sutn
of nine hundred and eighty-five thousand dol
lars."
The Governor says ; " After the contract
for the sale of the Delaware division had been
entered into, aud my consent had been verbal
ly given."
Now, sir, when was that contract entered
into ? Was that nlso entered into a month
before the bill had passed this body to sell it
to the Sunbury and Erie railroad company.—
The Governor has failed to tell ns. When did
be give his ascent to it? He has not told as.
" RESARDLEBS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANT QUARTER."
Why, sir, if the transaction had not been con
summated, what business had the Governor to
be pledged verbally ? Is this the way that
the people's money is cared for ? Is this the
way that the cannls have been disposed of ?
Why, sir, for aught that appears here, this
contract for that line might have been made
as early as the contract for the North Branch I
canal was made—one month before the bill
had passed authorizing the sale of the Suubury j
and Erie railroad company.
Now, sir, this may account for the disposi
tion of our canals, and their deterioration even
below the proportion fot which the main line
was sold. Then, how was the contract ex
ecuted by the Governor in regard to the North
Branch ? lie says that it was sold (and he
approved of the sale,) for one million six hun
dred thousand dollars. Yes, sir, and he could
have told you that there were bids presented
from just as responsible parties for two million
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which
he rejected. He could have told you that at
the time when he approved of that sale, there
were bids presented from just as responsible
parties for two millions of dollars, one hundred
thousand dollars to be paid in cash, which he
rejected. I say that, had he been disposed,
lit could have embodied those facts in the same
message. Now, these facts account very well
for the deterioration of our public works ; and
this is the twin-serpent that was here last win
ter in company with the ether serpent, the
tonnage tax, which is now under consideration.
The gentleman from Philadelphia says, in
regard to the sale of the main line, that the
Pennsylvania railroad company would never
have made the purchase, if it had not been
with the expectation of getting rid of the ton
nage tax —they never w juld have made .the
purchase except for the purpose of getting the
State of Pennsylvania to surrender a portion
of her sovereignty ! They intended to make
a bargain by which they should be exempted
from taxation, or they never would have made
the purchase. The purchase, accordiug to the
gentleman's statement, was a conspiracy against
the sovereignly of the Stale 1 That was the
object, and, as the gentleman says, the only
object, that they endeavored to attain, though
1 think he must be mistaken on that point ;
for when the Supreme Court struck out that
portion of the bargain, the company were still
very willing to make the purchase. The com
pany would doubtless have been well pleased
to succeed in getting Pennsylvania, through
her representatives, to abandon a portion ol
her high sovereignty, but failing to do that,
they were very williug to take the public works
at the price that was set upon them.
Bnt another very strange idea is stated h u re.
The gentleman says that the repeal of tiie ton
nage duties inures to the benefit of the State.
Well, now, I think that the gentleman would
be a little surprised, if, when walking along
the street, some fellow should stop him and re
lieve him of his pocket book, and then, when
remonstrated with, should turn round and say,
" Oh, yes, I did take your pocket book, but I
did it only to oblige you ; it will all inure to
your benefit." This appears to me somewhat
the nature of the transaction by which the
State has had taken from her treasury, by the
Pennsylvania railroad company, three quarters
of a million in cash, which ought to be in the
sinking fund, and which according to the argu
ment made last year by my friend from Lycom
ing (for whose legal learning I have the high
est respect,) was by construction o.' law in the j
sinking fund. The Commonwealth is also re- j
lieved of a revenue of from three hundred
thousand dollars to four hundred thousand dol j
lars per annum in perpetuity*. All this my
friend says, is to inure to our benefit—to the
benefit of the State. Well, I think the gen
tleman would be hard to convince in the case
of the larcoucy of his pocket book under the
circumstances I have mentioned ; and I think j
the people ol Pennsylvania wili be hard to con-!
vince that to have their treasury depleted in J
this way is going to inure to their benefit. I s
think the gentleman will have some difficulty '
in enlightening the public mind so as to com
prehend the manner in which transactions of
this sort inure to the public bencGt.
The public are perfectly aware—almost ev
ery citizen, learned or unlearned, iu my por
tion of the State is aware—that the State of
Pennsylvania has expended the vast sum of
forty million dollars for public improvements
—that money was borrowed for the purpose.
They now see themselves relieved of the whole
of thise public works by the legislation with
reference to the Pennsylvania railroad company
and the Su ibury and Erie railroad company.
They find that all for which their money was j
expended is gone forever, and that the debt is
left as a burden upon the people, to be paid
by taxation. Now I would say to the gentle
men who has been t he strong advocate ol both
these measures and who has labored here to
pass them through this Hull, ihat I think it
would trouble him to convince the people that '
they are to be benefitted by this proceeding.—
When the tax gatherer comes uround yearly
to collect taxes frotr the honest yeomanry
in sny section of the State, I do not be
lieve that they will be able to read the gen
tleman's speech and say, " we are convinced
that this is all for our own gocd and it is to
be for the good of our children iu the future
.—we are convinced that the payment of this
heavy tax every year is to inure to -our bene
fit." The people will not be able to under
stand such a theory. It will puzzle them
worse than my friend from Lycoming has been
puzzled. They will be utterly unable to under
stand how such a proceeding is to inure to
their benefit.
But the gentleman has undertaken toargne j
the legal and constitutional question. Now.
I know that our legal brethren arc rather op- i
posed to laymen, like the erentleman from the
eity and myself, undertake to grapple with a
legal question. Those gentlemen have a sort
of professional sensibility about such questions
as they do not like to have ns meddle with
them ; they think, perhaps, that such ques
tions belong of right to them. Vet the gen
tleman from Philadelphia has ventured to en
gage iu this discussion, in its legal coustitu-
tional aspect, I hope no gentleman will be of
fended if I undertake a word of reply.
The gentleman says that the act of 1861 is
clearly not unconstitutional, as taking money
out of the sinking fund. He looks npon the
abstraction of that money as merely u "draw
back"—an equitable draw back." But ray
friend should cousider it is such a tremendous
draw back ! It draws back the whole thing,
and settles it perpetnallv. Such a terrible
" draw back" as that, I hope the gentleman
will not. insist npon. Why, we might draw
beck all the rest that is in the sinking fund—
and then how is the public dpbt to be paid ?
This is carrying the id<-a of a drawback to a
length which I believe this House will not be
ready to adopt. Even our legal friends who
take refuge behind the constitutional question,
without pretending to say that the actiu ques
tion was wise and judicious, will he a little
startled at this idea of a " drawback."
But the gentleman has referred frequently,
in his speech, to the Supreme Court. Now,
I have grown almost as tired of hearing my
friends here refer so frequently to the Supreme
Court, as 1 was the other day when my very
excellent friend from Lycoming, (MR. ARM
STRONG,) referred so often to the Governor.—
It does seem to roe a little out ol place for us,
grave legislators, sitting here to do our duty
as we have sworn before high heaven, to be
all the time talking about w hat the Supreme
Court will do. Why, geutlt men,l never have
thought about the Supreme Court,except when
you have brought it to my mind, any more
than I had about the Governor. I was per
fectly indifferent in regard to the action of the
Supreme Court. That body, I doubt not,
will do its duly ; and 1 trust in heaven that
we shall do ours. I shall do my duty here
without tlie least reference to the Supreme
Court. I shall judge this measure upon its ex
pediency, upon its wisdom, upon its constitu
tionality, without the least consideration wheth
er my course may please or displease the Su
preme Court. I am a little surprised that
gentlemen are so fastidious and timid in regard
to some apprehended opinion of the Supreme
Court. I know that, while many gentlemen
here are constantly expressing their reference
for that tribunal, my friend from Allegheny,
(MR. WILLIAMS,) leans a little in the other di
rection, and when he refers to the Supreme
Court in his peculiar style,some gentlemen get
very uneasy ; but I must say that where he
has referred to that court once, other gentle
men on the opposite side of the question have
referred to it a dozen of times. Now, it does
seem to me that it would be more becoming
the dignity of this body if we would come
forward like legislators, like statesmen ,
and determine for ourselves what is wise,
what is judicious, what is constitutional,
avoiding all these side issues. I have no
fears with regard to the Supreme Court. I
do not intend to trespass upon their functions,
and 1 hope that they arc not disposed to tres
pass upou ours.
I have been a little surprised at the sensi
bility manifested by my friend from Hunting
don, (MR. SCOTT.) That gentleman, (who,
they tell me, is a very able lawyer, aud who
lias so zealously endeavored to keep the Su
preme Conrt and the fear of it continually be
fore our eyes,) was startled and horror-strick
en at the remarks of my friend from Alleghe
ny. (\1. SHANNON,) to which I propose to re
fer. Had lie been pleading as a lawyer for
his client, lie could scarcely have manifested
more sensibility and excitement. I am no law
yer ; I have no client except the people who
sent me here ; and, Gon sparing me, I intend
to serve them faithfully; they are all the client
that I have or desire.
Having had the terror of the Supreme
Court held before our eyes during this whole
discussion, my friend, (MR. SHANNON,) inno
cently, as I thought, said that he would like
to have the opinion of this body on this ques
tion, and that he had no objection that that
opinion should go before the Supreme Court
wheu that tribunal should be called upon to
determine this question. This very innocent
language so horrified my friend from Hunting
don, (MR. SCOTT,) that he notonly shook with
excitement, but he said that such language re
minded him of the enraged Hebrews; and w hat
Hebrews ? Why, sir, that band of men that
cried aloud for the crucifixion of our Savour I
Why, sir, I see nothing so alarming in the sug
gestion that the opinion of the people, as ex
pressed through their representatives in this
hall, should, if it lias merit and truthfulness
in it, be considered ana weighed by that high
and honorable tribunal, the Supreme Court.—
I see nothing startling in such language, jt
did not remind me—nor do I think that when
my friend from Huntingdon, gets the excite
ment off it will remind him of those w ho cried
out in that evil hour for the crucifixion of our
Saviour.
But my time is fast drawing to a close; and
before I conclude 1 desire to say a word fur
ther in reply to the rtinarks of my frieud from
Philadelphia, (MR. ABBOT.) He says that
his measure in relation to the Sunbury and
Erie railroad—this twin serpaut, this lean
snake, as I have characterized it has already
gone before the Supreme Court ; and what
judgment do you think he says the Supreme
Court have passed upon it ? He says that the
Supreme Court have pronounced that measure
eminently wise and proper. This opinion seems
to gratify that gentleman exceedingly. Now,
I appeal to uiy learned friend whether it is a
judicious course on the part of the Supreme
Court to indulge in such expressions of oppin
ioo with reference to the prudence aud expedi
ency of our acts of legislation. Are they au
thoiized to sit in judgment to tell us w hen our
determinations are wise uud when they are
fooli>h ? I had supposed that tribunal author
ized only to inquire whether our acts are con
stitutional and to give them prrper judicial
construction. 1 had supposed that we had
left to us at least the prerogative of determin
ing whether measures submitted to us are wise
aud expedient. Has it come to this, that our
acts are to be submitted to the judgment of
the Supreme Court to test their wisdom aud
expediency, aud are only to be deemed wise
w tiea that tribunal shall so declare them.
VOL. XXll.— xo. 48.
Now, sir, I thiuk such expressions on the
part of the Supreme Court are very unbecom
ing and unwise. I hope the time will never
come when, before we can know whether our
laws are judicious and wise, we must obtain
the the opinion of that body • for as I have
said, it is a body that I have not thought any
thing about ouly as 1 have been reminded of
it so often on the cue side atid on the other
during this debate.
Since I last occupied the floor on this sub
ject, 1 have listened, as I always listen,with a
great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to my
frieud from Lycoming, lie tells us that he
voted against the passage of this act last win
ter, that he thought it unwise, and that he had
doubts of its constitutionality. Yes he comes
in here now, and when we talk of repealing
that act, he says, " you connot do it ; it can
not be done." lam surprised at the position
which the gentleman occupies. lie say that,
though a majority of this Legislature should
be bought, should absolutely be corrupted with
money, yet we cannot undo the act induced
by these*corrupt influences. He has read us
an authority from the SupremeConrt,in which
that court has said, if I uuderstand him cor
rectly, that it would be unseemly on the part
of the court to inquire into our conduct
here. Now, Ido not know butthat it would
bo unseemly and indelicate for a tribunal
of that sort to undertake such an in quiry
Hut, sir, that is not what we propose to do.
The gentleman proposes to submit this matter
to the consideration of the Supreme Court;
but I do uot, my friend from Allegheny does
not, and the men who act with us do not pro
pose to submit any such question to that tri
bunal.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. I would inquire of
the gentlemau what he does propose. When
this repealing act shall have been passed, will
it not then be competent for the Supreme
Court to oass upon it ?
Mr. TRACY. I propone to let the court
act within their proper sphere in this case as
in all others. Ido not propose to trespass up
on their functions. If parties having an inter
est in the matter desire to submit this act to
the court, they may of course submit it.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. Then you propose
that this question shall be submitted to the
Supreme Court ?
Mr. TRACY. Ido not propose to submit
it to the Supreme Court ; but the parties in
terested may submit it,as they do in other cases
—I have no objection.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. I only desire to un
derstand from the gentlemau whether his idea
is that this question can be decided without a
reference to the Supreme Court.
Mr. TRACY. 1 propose that wc shall de
cide it here.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. Yes, sir, so I undT
stood ; that is, the geutleraan proposes that
the Legislature shall decide upon the cousti
tiouality of the law ? ' ,
Mr. TRACY. I do—indeed 1 do.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. So I understood. '
Mr. TRACY. If other parties, individual
or corporations, have an interest in this ques
tion, and dedre to carry it before that body, £
shall not interpose any objectiou. They have
a right, under our Constitution and laws, to
do so. The gentleman's amendment proposes
that tre snail carry the question to the Su
prerae Court—that we shall order the Attorney
General to carry it there. Now, 1 do not
propose to make any such orders ; 1 am not
disposed to give any such directiou.
Again, the gentleman says that a majority
of this body have been corrupted, we cannot
inquire into the corruption. The Supreme
Court have said that they would not inquire
into it. Then, sir, who is to inqnire into it ?
Why, the gentleman says, the people may
elect other and better representatives. When
those representatives come here,what are they
to do ? Have they any more enlarged powers
than we? Can they inquire ? No, sir, they
would still constitute the samefLegi.dature.—
Then, sir, if we and our successors and the Su
preme Court, are powerless in regard to thia
matter, we have ft state of gloom even more
dark and appalling than that presented by my
friend from Huntingdon, (Mr.Sooir,) because
he inclined to the opinion that the courts might
inquire. But if the Supreme Court cannot in
quire into the corruption which may have in
duced legislation, and if we are prohibited
from inquiring into it, and if our successors
will have no more authority and power than
we huve, then, sir, the institutions of this State
are enveloped iu a pall of gloom of which I
had not before conceived. If this reasoning
be true, to what helpless condition we are re
duced 1 A great, a crying evil exists which
the courts are incompetent to reach. We, too,
are powerless to apply any remedy ; and if
we go home to give place to our successors,
they, when they come here, are equally pow
erless ' That sort of reasoning does not sat
isfy me ; thai sort of reasoning, 1 am well as
surcd, will never satisfy the people of Bradford
county Bor Pennsylvania.
A MAN SWF.IT OVER GENESEE FALLS.—ON
Wednesday morning, about 6 o'clock, a man
by the name of Francis McKeau, the proprie
tor oi the Canada House,on Froot.street, com
mitted suicide by jumping into the river be
tween the Gas Works aud Brown's Race.—
His brother saw him start for the river, and
divining his intention started after him, but
was too late to avert the catastrophe. The
unfortunate man, the moment he struck tho
water was beyoud the reach of human aid.—
The body of tne man continued on the top of
the water as it swept under the railroad bridge,
aud remained iu sight until it reached th
brink of the falls, when it passed from view to
the seething nnd boiling caldron below. Mis
Kean is said to have been laboring under an
attack of delirium tremens for several days
prior to bis successful attempt at self destruc
tion. He leaves a wife aud four children.—
Rochester Democrat.
V&" The right thing in the wrong plahe is
a love-letter written on a mourning sheet of
pnper; " *