In this viaw of the subiecl. 1 have now little doubt but that the Legislature may vith perfect safety fix an early date for the $35U"mplionf5fspecio5paymcnt3. The sound ness of her Banks and of her general cur rency,, will, necessarily place Pennsylvania foremost in the attempt to accomplish what ever is in the powcr'of Slato legislation on 'the subject. But thcroj is ono view of tho 'subject which presents tho strongest reason for the carlicst'possiblo resumption. The gener al circulation of irredeemable promises to pay, by and"thiough all portions of society. is not merely a discaso of the currency. It auuiui uvii ugruui moral laini which, mi long uncorrected, will undoubtedly Have inc most deleterious muuenco on our char acter and happiness as a people. Pcnn sylvania h3s heretofore been characterized by steady good faith' ah'd adherence to prin ciple. It behooves her public agents now to guard this brighest jewel in her casket, by restoring its usual unsullied purity lb her public character. This can ouly bo done by adding actual performance to "the private promises 01 ncr citizens. The only branch of the snbject yet re "mainmg untouched is the flood of small notes, which has so suddenly and general ly covercu uie state, i no odious name by which they have been branded the at tempt made by each political party to stig matize its opponent with, tho blame of their origin, and the ntter dislike with which they have been received by the public gen erally, though a great proportion ol them proceed from sources of unquestioned sol vency, from additional strong proofs of the linsuitablencs's of small Tidies of all kinds to our wants and circumstances. No lcirisla' tion is rcquired to rid us ofthosehat now infest the State. They are every one of them clearly in violation of the act of As sembly of 12lh April 1838 on tho subject and wilMisappear as soon as the imprison ed coin of the country resumes its usual office. Then without regard to tho time of redemption set fortli on the face of them be it one, two or ten ydars, with or with lout interest, the holders, will either demand instant payment or sue for and recover Hie penalty of five dollars, and interest inflicted on their issue by the existing laws: liut, alter all, the thorough and permn nent remedy lor the whole evil must com from Washington. Until Congress shall devise and adorit some means which will a'gaiiiffivous.a c'tirrdncy equal over the whole, and to tho wants of tile whole U nion; anil until tho national government shall consent to allow the people to judge or its suitableness to their own wants, there can be no general and permanent confi dence in the currdncy no fixed value for property no enlarged spirit in commerce and trade and consequently little encoura gement to laudable enterprise or improve ment of any kind. Having thus fully declared my view on ihis exciting subject, I shall proceed to the other matters which require notice. In the annual Message to the Legislature at the commencement of the last session, occasion was taken to declare at legth my views on all subjects ol importance, nitlie hope that future communication might be hereby r'eri 'dcred more prie'f, Permit irto now respect fully to refer you td that docurricnt for my opinions on the matters therein embraced, except so far as some of them may be more at large explained in this message. I must, however, again urge' upon the Legislature the necessity of a law toprohi dit the administration of all extra-judicial oaths. The financial condition of the Common wealth is, at present, most cheering. By reference to the Auditor General's llcport it will appear that the amount of actual re ceipts into tho Treasury during the fiscal year just closed, including three dividends of the national surplus revenue, and the bal. ancc on hand at the commencement of the year, was, $8,394 870,00: and that (he ex penditure during the same period, including all the expenses of Education and Internal improvements, was 4,173,910 2d, leaving an unexpended balance in the Treasnry on the 1st November", 1830, df $3,220, 135,71. The following estimate of the operations of tho Treasury, during the present year, is partly based on tho calculations of the State Treasurer , and partly on similar op erations during the past year. Here follows l statement, in which his Excellency estimates the receipts for 1838 at $2,101,700; and (he expenditures at $2,- 592,125 13, to which surplus must bo ad ded $2,220,135 74, the amount remaining in the treasury, and tho oxcess will be $2,- 119,710 01." In addition to the above na'rriod receipts into her Treasury, the State should, in jus- tico, receive tho fourth instalment of the surplus rcvon'ue of tho United States, the payment of which was postponed by the" action of the extra sessipn of Congress-. Though tho appropriations hereafter recom nionded, are not apportioned on the certain expectation of receiving it, yet if it should be paid, as it ought, with tho year, the ad dition of another million of dollars to tho sum at the disnosal of tho Legislature will materially aid our public works. In that event, I would advise an increase of all the appropilation's about to bo named. The chief dom'ands on tho Surplus moans of tho State Troasury, aro thoso for Educa tion and Internal Improvement. Tho report of 'the Superintendent of Common Schools, wlwn laid before you will exhibit a most 'cheering condition of! that" System. The first Tuesday of last! May, was tho day which, under" the present School law, the fifet triennial vote of the citizens of accepting Districts was taken, to ascertain whether the system should rbo continued or not. Though that question was submitted to tho people in alaigo num ber of Districts, yet the. Superintendent has not been olhcially mlormed ot the rejection of the system, by a single accepting Dis trict. Doubtles there arosomc. t'but thnfr proportion must bo small, inasmuch as 725 of the 1000 districts in the State, have since the hist Monday m June, entitled them selves to the receipt of the State Appropria tion lor the present year, oy levying the necessary tax, and have actually received their money. Of the rcmaing Districts 75 were accepting last year and had thesys- icm in operation then. 11 one-third ol these, and that is a large estimate, rejected tho system in May, still 50 remain, which', added to tho number ol paid accepting Districts, will give 775 as the whole pres ciltnumUcr ofacccptmg districts, leaving 225 still opposed to the system, Of the number which have been paid, 80 have now, for the first time; accepted. It will thus be perceived, that the Common School Sys tem has more than maintained its ground through the test of the triennial question df its continuance or rejection, by tho districts which have tried the experiment. One part of the school law is much com plained of. A mere majority of the votes polled 111 a district, no matter how small the number of persons voting, has the cll'cct of accepting the system and fastening it upon the District for three vcars tho' on the other hafid it rcquircs(a clear majority of all the qualified citizens of the district to discontin ue it when once in operation'. This Is wrong. I would therefore recommend that the law be modified that the system shall not go iiito operation at all hereafter, except with the conseiit df a clear majority of all the qualified citizens of tho district. The appropriation of tile school house fund of last session has had a most salutary oiicct. rcrmit me to lcitcralc the reeoili mcnuaiions men mauc 111 lavor ot a per manent addition oI10U,000 a year to tho ! - 1 . f . orumary annual appropriation lor the pur pose 01 instruction. 1 his sum will raise the permanent appropriation to $300,000 and will enable directors during the next three years to tarry on their operations, and to test the experiment fully without hca vy taxation. If, notwithstanding this adi- lion, the system be discontinued by tlie people; at the end of that time, the Louis laturo will not have to reproach themselves with its failure. If it be admitted that wholesome cultivation .of tho moral and mental faculties, not only raises the char acter, increases the happiness, and pcrpct uatcs the liberties of a nation, but actually adds to its wealth, by bringing the best en ergies ol the mind and all tho stores of ex periencc and science to aid the practical busincssof hie, no other appeal need be made in favor of a Common School Educa lion. Additional appropriation, if it be gran ted, should be so made that a correspondent increase 01 school tax shall not bo iieccss.-v ry to obtain it. ror further iritormation and plans" for the improvement ol the system, 1 would re spcctfully refer the Legislature to the re port 01 the superintendent, which will be submitted at the proper time. It will be, I trust unnecessary to bespeak your favora ble attention to the suggestions of that otli cer. The system of Internal Improvement has heretofore been the chief draft upon the 1 rcasury. It is now about becoming its man rdliancc. Fortunately, owing to the I ust though incomplete distribution of the National fcmrprus means among the states and to the failure of tho overgrown appro priation bill of last session, which would not only have exhausted the Treasury, bu as events have turned out, would have ad ded another million to the State debt, th Treasury, is now in a condition' to can on the public works with all necessary v gor,, and without resort to permanent loan or taxation. The revenue from the public works fell 3324,519 51 short during tho past year of tho estimate of the Canal Commissioners Its actual amount was $975,350,49. But all who are conversant with the matter are convinced that it v6uld have been $1,300 000 if the paralysis of last May had not Ipllen on the energies of trade. 1 lie es timate of the Board, for the present year, is $1,400,000 in which I concur: believing also, that tho' itcannot fall materially short ol that sum, no matter how adverse tiio state general business may become, it may and probably will reach 81,500,000, it til nsual degree ot prosperity lie restored to the'country.' The toils of last month alono amounted to about $130,000 of that sum In support of this opinion may bo addu ccd the facts that while the canal and iail road revenue of tho Slate, has received an addition ol 8137,514 74 within the past year,- that a neighboring state sinlcrcd decrcass of $217,330 00.- This improve ment in our revenue, in tho midst of gon oral depression is owing to tho kind of bu sinoss on the public works. Our Coal am Iron, and other heavy indispensable arti cles, all of our own products, must find their way to market through all changes while the mere carrying trade of our neigh bors will always feel the disastrous cfl'cct of every commercial panic. A clear proof 01 tno irrepressibio growtli of our coal bu siness, is me iaci mat tho toll this year, veceivedj'by tho three" griat canal compa nies of the State the Schuylkill, tho Uni on and the Lehigh amounts to $847,331 87 up to tho middle of November. On these, and on all other works, public and private in the Stale, tho quantity of grain, Hour, merchandize, &c. transported during the season, has greatly decreased tho ar ticles of coal, and iron whero transported, aro tho only ones that have maintained their usual progressive advance. Of anllp-acitc coal alono 1 ,000,000 tons were carried to market the past year, being fully 1200,000 more than the previous season. . On the State works tho tonnage of coal and iron increased fully one third, while most oth er articles materially decreased. The fu- ci'easc of travelling was about one fifth. I bis view of the subject not only ena bles us to calculate with certainty on tho increased earnings of tho publio works hereafter, hut justifies all necessary expen diture for their completion, even without taking into account their other incalculable The operations 011 par'icular portions ol tho Improvements during the year, also pre sent the strongest arguments in favoV of the needy completion of the whole. The Philadelphia and Colombia rail-road, whose system of management is ilot exceeded, if t is equalled, any where, has yielded the past year, a sum equal to lull interest on its ost, besides paying all repairs. The mo live power department, hitherto such a source of dissatisfaction, has not only been supported by the motive power lolls, but lias, in addition, cleared 7 per cent on tho first cost of all the locomotives ever put on the road The whole niaiu line from Philadelphia to I'tttsburg, has yielded over 3 per cent on first coat, besides paying the expense of repairs, which is inninly attributed to the admirable management of the Portage road, and the canal portion 01 the route. The Delaware Division has cleared 5 per cciit. on cost, and kept Itself in repair. Another indication ol what J'cuilsvlvaiiia may ex peel from her coal business, the trade on the cahal being chiefly of that description. improvements thus increasing in produc tiveness under every disadvantage, demand, because they arc worthy of all the care of the Legislature, In making the annual appropriations two objects are to bo kept in view, viz: The repair ot the unfinished works: and the early completion of those yet unfinished 1 here arc two kinds ol repairs, ordinary and extraordinary. 1 o make the lormer, the practice has prevailed almost since the commencement pi the system, of appro pruning s.iuu.miu per annum. J his sum lias generally been insufficient, and princi pauy nccausc it was not granted until so lute in the winter as lo cause the necessary work lo be prosecuted 111 great haste, am consequently, under every disadvantage and with greatly increased expense, that the works might be fit fot use, at the. open ing ol the Spring. $280,000 will be suf ficient for ordinary repairs the present year, 11 provisiuu uu juauu lor extraordinary re pairs Extraordinary repairs have not been usu ally provided for specifically. That course is now strongly recommended. The want of occasional appropriations of this kin has added much to the annual expense o the pu lubhe works. The limited amount o the ordinary fund, prevented those substan tial and permanent repairs from being math which true policy would have required and has continually entailed much untie cessary coat on the State, by compcllin the public agents to make mere temporary repairs, particularly 10 uams, which were always to be made over the next season Tho present year $347,295 00 will be in dispensable for this object. The principal items arc $105,000 for the avoidance of the inclined plane at Columbia; $00,000 to put tho feeder dam in the Susquehanna, and other rivers, in such order as to afford certain supply of water to the canals who the rivers arc low; $59,000 to renew a par of the Eastern . Division of the North Tract of the Columbia, and Philadelphia Hail mad, which being originally chiefly wood, is now decayed, and to make other necessary arrangements on that part of tl public works; 20,235 for ropes on both roads, ami fr workshops, &c, on the Por tage; 7,000 to renew locks on tho Western Division of tho main lino of canal; 21,000 to construct additional locks on, and deepen the canal below, Duncan's Islam so as to admit a full supply of water at all seasons. Under fhis head may also witl propriety bo incln'dcd, the annual appropri' anon lor damages tiu.uuuj and lor new work on tho finished lines, pay of Canal Commissioners Appraisers, Engineers, Sic, (30,000) making the above total No legislation is now necessary for the new bridge at Duncan's Island, sufficient provision having been made foe that.puri pose uy me joint resolution 01 third April 1837. 1 ho sum yet required to .complete it, is.inciuucd under the head "Turnpikes BoacTs, nnd Bridges," in tho foregoing cs timate of the current demands on the Trea sury. I he bridge will bo completed tune to' accommodate next Spring's trad and will cost 80,000. It promises to bo strong and durable structure, and has been urged on 111 a manner crcditablo to all con corned. ,111 - .. . 1 iiure is anoiucr appropriation claiming tho instant attention of tho Legislature. The failure of tho Appropriation bill of last year, made it necessary for me to resort to tho authority given by the Reiolutibn of the use of tiio Eric extension of tho main ma mtn. in.io. 10 Dorrow :uu. uu mr inc. and the North Branch. Tho loan was promptly taken by the Bank of the U- nitcd States, though the interest was limi ted by the resolution to -l per cent. The money was equally apportioned between the works named, in the resolution. It en abled the contractors to continue their oper ations during the summer but the portion iven to the North Branch is now .exhaust ed, and that to the Eric extension will also soon be expended. It therefore becomes necessary for the. Lpgislaturo to make tem porary provision lor the wants of these works, and of the Gettysburg oxtension of the Pennsylvania Hail-road, which received no part of the 200,000, and is now much in want of funds. Permit mo strongly to urge the prnprioty, policy', and justice to contractors and la borers, of passing a bill with as litllo dc- xy as may be, making a temporary provi sion inrtiicsc works. I'or ordinary re- airs 280,000 will bo required; for extra ordinary repairs 317,295; and for present id to new works .100,000;. the 1.1st named sum to be distributed in such a manner as the hoard ofcoiumissioncrs may think just', iiiiong tnc works above mentioned. Alter deducting these indispensable ap propriations, which I would again most earnestly urge upon tho iinmcilialo and fa- orablc attention of the Legislature, there remains a balance of 1,092,415 01 chiefly ipphcablc to the other great object, viz: the completion of ,the unfinished works. I hesc arc the Lne extension ol the main line; the North llranch canal; tho Gettys burg extension of.tlic Pennsylvania Itail- road,and llic completion ot the West Branch canal. .They all possess the strongest claims', and should engross the public re sources until brought to completion". This is not only nictated by instico to the citi zens resident in the several quarters of the" State through .which they pass, but by the soundest policy and economy. lho completion ol the brio extension to the noble harbour of Eric will give Penn sylvania the undisputed command of the Lake trade, and will redeem her' long plighted, and almost broken faith, to that quarter of the Stated Including such por tion of the temporary appropriation before mentioned, as shall be applied to this work, the resources of the State will not now af ford a gi cater appropriation to this line than 100,000. the appropriation of this sum I would accordingly recommend in the fol lowing manner: 300,000 to carry on the work now under contract, and 100,000 to be applied to the most difficult portions id the whole remainder ol the route Irom tho termination of llic work under contract, lo the harbour of Erie. This course, by caus ing the early commencement of the' heavi est sections, will ultimately hasten'' the completion of the whole work with the least possible present outlay 16 the state. 100,000 will bo enough for the latter pur pose, because it will bo late in the cnsuiii!r summer before the necessary , survovsj lo cations and contracts arc made, previous to the actual commencement of operations by contractors. The completion 'of tho North Ilranch canal to the New York line, from the mouth of the Lackawanna, where the canal now uas 11s unriiiuiii Humiliation, siiouid lie ur ged with all possible vigour. The supply' of New York ami the lako country, with anthracite coal, will be the va-,t& profitable business of this branch." The canal also from Columbia to tide, will draw much of the "Wyoming, Mahanoy, Shamokin ami Lykcn's Valley coal to the sonth. along the lower portion of the North Branch, and tho Susquehanna canals. There can bo no (loubt, therefore, of the ultimate profit oft c whole line of canal from Columbia to Tio ga Point. A like appropriation as in the case of the Eric extension of the main line, is recommended to he applied in tho same manner and proportions, that is, $300,000 including the temporary appropriation, to carry 011 tho work under contract, and $100,000 to commcn'co the heaviest sec tions, on the whole lino yet to bo located. The Gettysburg extension of the Penn sylvania rail road, though little known is among tho most important links 111 tho chain , of our internal . improvements. It will ultimately connect Philadelphia with the Western waters, by a very direct routo lying so far south as to bo comparatively free from obstruction by frost and snow. About one-half of lho distanco will be con structed by tho citizens of another State, tho advantages of which aro secured, by law, to Pennsylvania. We aro thus saved millions of dollars in effecting this connec tion. $300,000 (including tho portion of temporary appropriation abovo mentioned) can be appropriated to this work : $225, 000 to carry on work now under contract, and tho rcmainded to commence tho most difficult portions of tiio balance of the whole route. The amount yet required to complete the Tangascootack extension of the West Branch canal, is $34,000. Phis sum should be given, that fhat work .may at length be finished. Tho Legislature should also tako means to asccrtaian the best modb of connecting tho waters of the West Branch with those of tho Allegheny, so that a water comnmnication may bo form ed between Eastern and Western Pennsyl vania, when the resources of the State will bear it. The report of B. Aycrigg, op that subject, has removed every doubt from my mind of tho practicability of the protect but, inasmuch as tho resources of the State will not now authorize the commcncr ment of tho wojk, it .wpuld be productive o"f much benefit to have all tho routo supposed to be practicable, but not examined by tho engineer just namcd,,fully cxploicd, so that, when lho work is really commenced, as it most certainly will be at no distant day, tho very best loute may be adopted. After all theso appropriations, enough will still bo left to enable tho Legislature to extend some aid to .turnpike and oilier roads. Whilo, we aro laying out "millions to send the canal boat and locomotive into every quarter of the Stale, wo should uot forget that Pennsylvania for a long time owed her prosperity mainly to the five horse team"; and that though her wagoners, as a distinct race, ,arc rapidly disappearing from many parts of the Slate, yet that they arc stiirtho mam reliance of several comi ties, cither inacccsssiblo tp or yet unreach ed by canals and rail rnnib. -There arc al so counties, such as that of Greene, in which more real good would be accomplish ed by the expenditure of $10,000 in Mc Admizing n leading road, than by tho ex penditure of five times tjiat sum' in other quarters. The appropriation of $75,000 lo tho turnpikes and olhcr roads of coun ties heretofore little benefitted by the publio works,, will be an net of bare justice, and is, therefore, recommended for the present year. , 1 II will be perceived that, in allotting the foregoing appropriations, the estimates, of the Cahal Commissioners., have not been, throughout, adhcrrrd to. If the state of lho Treasury would permit it, I should not un dertake lo differ from the proper public a gents on a matter committed to their charge; but taking into view the whole wants of the State, in connection with the present condition of the Treasury, I find it iinpos: sible fully to concur 111 their recommenda tions, witiiotu a permanent increase ot the pubh'c debt. I have, therefore, been com .pellcd to reduce "the various estimates. I know that they arc generally less than have been expected by those connected with tho different works; and the only reason which can or need be assigned, is the inability of the Treasury to aflord more. If the Le gislature should however think proper to in crease the appropriations' to the Erio amj North Branch canals, and thu Gettysburg rail road, and lho turnpikes, by authoii ning a temporary loan from the Bank oftl'.e United Slates, under its charter, at 4 per cent, to meet the difference when the funds in the Treasury shall be exhausted, I shall have no hesitation to concur. Perhaps under all the circumstances of the case, this measure may Lo right in another point of view. It may be that our reasonable calculations on a restoration of the usual prosperity of country will be again disap pointed, and that the receipts into lite Trea sury will not be sufficient to meet tho ap propriations recommended. Authority to uegofialc a temporary loan of a limited a mount, lo guard against this contingency might much piimiote the public interest, and can 1I0 no evil. 1 have no doubt but that the amount of such loan will be repaid out of the ordinary resources of the follow ing year. The good effect of the tempora ry loan which saved thp character of tip State during last summer, will prove tho wisdom 01 111c measure. . . The non-payment or the fourth hiatal ment of the surplus icvcnue of the United States,' oij which our citizens justly counted, has put it out of my power 'to recommend, appropriations to other important and de serving objects. The locks on the canal from Duncan's Island, should b.e doubled, as a safe means of repair; and to prepare for lho increase or business, which must soon take place on that part or the public works." Thq capacity of those on lho Dela ware division, should bo increased so as to. adapt them to the size of the locks on the Lehigh Company's works. Tho Union Canal hps also strong claims on tho Stato for aid in the comtcni plated increase oftho size or the locks on that work, so as to pass the large boats or the Pennsylvania Canal. Tho decayed wooden locks on the North Branch, should be renewed. Tho Beaver and French Creek division, though iiiuu iiruuiiiHiveuess to ine'Btalo is yet in considerable , should not be permitted to ....... ..t l. . ... go to ruin. Those, and olhr similar claims, must now be postponed, till a peri od when . the renewed prosperity or the country shall enable tho Slate to be more generous. I havo presented this particular estimate and plan or appropriations, not with the ex pectation that the latter will bo adopted throughout, or with tho determination to con cur in no other. But to show that the in-, ijispensible wants or the Commonwealth may all be supplied from her own nnbor iowcd resources. It will afford me great pleasure to aid in giving efficacy to any bet ter project, which the wisdom of the Le gislature may devise. But, whilo I make the avowal of readiness to do so I wish it to bo distinctly understood, that no force of circumstances will compol mo to consent to a permanent Jncreaso of the State debt. All our' energies should now bo devoted, to such measures as will ensuro and haston its decrease. The accompanying correspondence be tween the foreign agents of the holders of Pennsylvania State stock, and tho Bank of Pennsylvania, will show that considerable dissatisfaction exists because this State has not taken measures to pay tho interests of our debt in specio, or its equivalent. It is said that New York, Ohio and Indiana' .V
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