"1 have Mvoru upon the Altar .fed, eternal hostility to eery form of Tyranny over the Mind of MuWThn.M Jc.Te,o.
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LETTERS addressed o)t business; must
be post p'didi
M3SSSAC3-33
Undii Tiin Governor, relative to the
Finances of tIie Commonwealth.
Read in the Houe of Revhesenta
tives, January 20) 1830;
?To the Senate ttnd Hoil'sc of Rcpfc'tehta
tives of tht L'ommonwtalih of Penn
sylvania! 'G'entlenien': Tliti money in the Treasu
ry of the Commonwealth, being inadequate
to discharge the demands upon it now due,
and that will become due on first February
hext, I conceive it to bo my imperative du
ly, to call thd lmhie'diale intention of the
Legislature to this Subject! It is almost
superfluous ib renlark, that the credit the
faith, and the honor of the State) will all be
'deeply affected) unless by the prompt ac
lion or the Legislature; this deficiency
should be supplied;
It would be an everlasting stigma upon
the fair fame of Pennsylvania, if with her
Vast resources, ahd her abundant means, to
perform all her engagements she should
permit her creditors, for a single hour, to
knock at the door of an empty treasury.
Every consideration of duty; and of pol
icy requires at the hands of the Legislature
hnd the Executive) the most unfaltering ft1
delity to Ihc public engagements; Nothing
is gained by postponing the time bf action,
for it must eventually nrrivd; The policy
is as unwise; as the spirit is unworthy of
statesmen) to surrender to our successors
the performance of duties that justly devolve
tn ourselves;
I will proceed to iay before you the fi
tiancial condition of the commonwpallh so
for as it appears to me to be connected with
your deliberations on this subject) premis
ing, that I have derived most of my fiscal
information from those oilicial documents
which are already before you, and which
ere presumed to furnish accurate statements
Of the several matters, to which they re
spectively relate; I have so recently enter
ed upon the discharge of the duties of the
office,-conferred upon mo by the people,
that I do not pretend to possess the familiar
practical knowledge of the financial cdn
terns of the commonwealth) that can only
be acquired by an active official participa
tion in all their detailed operations. I have,
howeverj devoted to the subjecti that care
ful and scrupulous attention, due alike to
Its importance) ami to the just expectation
bf the Legislature, that no executivo com
munication will be submitted to it, in the
accuracy of which implicit confidence may
Hot be reposed;
tn order to present a full and satisfactory
view of the finances of the Commonwealth,
t will lay before yoii in tho first place, the
fentiro amount of the pnbllc debt composed
bf permanent, temporary, and conditional
loans, together with tho estimated valuo of
public properly.cdnsistirlg of stocks; canals,
rail roads; $ic. viz:
Debts contracted for public1
improvements, by ca
nals and rail roads, O2,229,00S 32
Loans not relating to canals
and rail roads, 1,680,000 00
Loan for eastern penitentia
ry, by act of 21st March,
1931, 120,000 00
Loan Ibr Uniori eanal com-
UllitiOMSBlfRG, dOIiUMBIA
ptthy; by act of firet
March, 133, 200,000 00
Temporary loan by act of
10th June, 1830, 200)000 00
Temporary loan by act bf
14th April, 1838, 800,000 0d
Debts duo on appropriations
to miscellaneous objects; 1,515,739 80
Debts due by appropriations
to internal Improvements) 532,057 01
Debts duo the United States
on account of condition
al loan of Surplus revenue, 2,807,514 78
Amount bf public debt 830,174,804 07
Tho public works, banals;
rail roads, fee. 825(109,014 02
Bank stock, 2,109,700 00
Turnpike and bridge stock, 2,720,390 58
Canal and navigation stock, 528,000 00
Rail road stock; 179,501 09
Money duo on unpatented
lands; i, 000)000 00
Estimated value bf public
property; 831,052", 306 09
It is right to remark) in respect to this
statement, that I have not entered upon the
debit side an item of 8330,000, a sum bor
rowed from the Dank of the United States,
and an item of 50,000 borrowed from the
Harrisburg Bank by my predeccssdt, un
der circumstances explained in his message,
oh the assumption of which the Legislature
has not yet aded; And in regard to tho es
titnatcd value of the public works) canals)
rail rOads, &c. it is doubted very much
whethor their actual value is not far greater
than here represented. The estimate refers
more directly to theit cost, lhan to their
present value; It is possible that some ad
ditional liabilities of the state might arise,
if tho Legislature should think proper, for
the public good, to divest any corporations;
created by authority of the commonwealth,
of tho privileges granted by law, in consid
eration of which, they have paid bonuses
into the public treasury. This however)
must be regarded as a remoto contingency;
Of the foregoing public debt, tho amount
of 85,915,201 05, has been contracted
within the last three years, exclusive of tho
items above referred to, and not charged.
It is manifest from this view of tho entire
amount of the debts and resources of tho
commonwealth, that her means are ample
for all emergencies, although a portion of
the public property may not be immediately
available;
The principle purpose of this message is
however, to call your-atlention to the pres
ent condition of the finances, as exhibited
by the following statement of moneys now
due, or becoming due, on the first of Feb
ruary next and immediately thereafter) viz :
Stock loan per act of 30th
March, 1824, payable 1st
January 1839, $220(000 00
Interest on permanent and
temporary loans, C02,250 00
For ordinary repairs on pub
lic improvements, 400) 000 00
Dalanco due of appropria
tions per act of 14th April,
1838, 242,804 23
1,403,114 23
To which may perhaps be
added the sum borrowed
for repairs of canal) ori
Juniata division.
380,000 00
81,845)114 23
The legislature will aiio his
required atits presentses
sion to make provision to
pay thd following ldans
and demands on the Irons-
ury.duo at the times spe
cified :
Stock loan por act 30th
March, 1824, duo 1st
May next,
" 7th Dec. 1820
and 4th Jan; 1631
8380,000 00
00,000 00
ddlTWST PA SATUI&I&AY FeRITAIS-Y 9,
" " llthApril,1025,
due 1st Jan. 1840, 150,000 00
Temporary loan per act lGtli
Juno, 183G, due in Juno
1839, 200,000 00
14 " 14th April,1830)
duo at various
iimes from 18th
June to 31st Oc
tober, 1839; 000)000 00
il " 3d sec, actl4th
April,1838, due
boforo the 1st
January, 1840, 200;00d 00
Interest on loans due on or
before 1st Aug; 1839 018,250 00
Salaries of toll collectors,
&c. remainder of year, 50,000 00
Due for repairs, 77,080 07
Expcuse3 of motive pow
er) 233,563 82
All other expenditures (in
cluding education) 1,129,027 14
6)573,030 10
Deduct amount of estimated
leceipts for remaining
part of year;
1,644,918 82
Tblai deficit for it339 83,928,117 34
It will be perceived that tlie permanent
rind temporary loans (ailing due at the times
mcntioucd in this statement, constituo a part
of the state debt already adverted to, and by
providing for their payirienls tho aggregate
amount is not increased. I have included
the necessary appropriation for ordinary re
pays, among the demands to be provided
for on the 1st February, because it is a fund
that should be at all times in readiness; and
a great portion of it will be needed as soon
as the busiricss on tlie improvements com
mences in tho spring. Provisions must al
so be made for the loan falling due on the
first of January, 1810, by the Legislature,
at its present session; as by the amended
constitution the meeting of the next Legis
lature, is postponed beyond the day of pay
ment.
1 will also slate on this subject that, at
the solicitation of a number of gentlemen
deeply interested in the transporting busi
ness on our public improvements, I was in
duced a short time ago, to make a personal
examination of the portion of the canal and
slackwatcr navigation, recently repaired in
Huntingdon county, and am' satisfied that
its sal'etv, permanency and usefulness all
depend on its receiving the speedy and tho
rough attention of the canal commissioners.
Unless the new works be repaired, and in
some places re-constructed before the spring
freshets, there is lmincnt danger that a con
siderable portion of thorn will be again swept
away;
The estimated receipts into tho Treasu
ry, during the present year, with tho excep
tion of two items amounting to 8225,000
are composed of tho ordinary revenues of
the state alone. It is rendered certain that
the fourth Instalment of the surplus rcven
uo from the general government will not be
received, nor will thcrobc bank bonuses, or
any other of those accidental and extradr
dinary mean3 bf replenishing the treasury
to depend upon, which have poured into it
about 30en millions of dollars during the
last three years. The state must rely hence
forth, on Iter fixed and certain, but gradual
ly increasing ordinary revenues, unless loans
or taxation be deemed advisable to dischargo
all her liabilities, and to complete all her con
templated Improvements. To do this sue
eessfully, rigid hut enlightened economy
should bo consulted in all her expenditures
and thoso habits of lavish and ill-judged
appropriations; engendered by tho sudderi
and unexpected acquisition bf public raon
ey, through means which can seldom, if ov
er again happen; must be promptly correc
ted. It is frequently observed in the case
of private individuals, that tho sudden ac
quisition of wealth is fatally injurious to the
pruden habits and sound morals of the pos
sessor. It is more emphatically true in tho
case ol government, corruption creeps in
unperceived; through a thousand channels,
and cats out tho substaiice of tho people
before they ate awaro of its Stealthy ap
proach. Habits bf improvident profusion grow fa
shionable, which aro difficult to eradicate,
and thoso whb rccornmed that they should
bo restrained ih the slightest degree', aro
stigmatized as parsimonious and illiberal;
At tho hazard even bf incurring this ro-
proach, I would earnestly invoke your un
divided attention to this branch of otir pub
lic policy. The enormous and unpreceden
ted deficit ih the treasury, riow to be Sup
plied, io an instructive commentary on its
practical results. If the same pblicy that
has brought us ihto this condition is persis
ted in, it must effectually paralvze the en
ergies of this great state. Tho public debt
must beswellcdjtd an inordinate ambunt) or
the prosecution of our valuable system of
public improvements must be suspended.-
You have already a balance lb raise of more
than three millions of dollars before you
can make any appropriations whatever to the
completion or extension of any of the un
finished public impiovements in which the
state has already so much unproductive mon
ey invested.
The duestidn is then submitted entirely to
ydur consideration, to determine what appro
priations to new works shall be made at the
present session: My predecessor recom
mends in his anniial message the appropria
tion of at least the following sums to the fol
lowing named works, viz :
To the Erie Extention,
500,000 00
500,000 00
300,000 00
200,000 00
100,000 00
100,000 00
do North Branch canal)
do
do
do
do
Gettysburg rail road,
West Branch canal,
AVisconisco canal;
Allegheny feeder,
The canal commissioners, in their re
port, recommended the appropriation of the
following sums to the works designated,
viz :
To the Extension,
do North Brancli,
1,200,000 00
1,200,000 00
do
do
do
dd
Gettysburg rail road,
Sinncmahoning exten
sion,
Allegheny feeder;
Wiaconiscd canal)
000,000 00
300,000 00
200)000 00
280,000 00
3,780,000 00
And they recommend, also, that the fur
ther sum of 1,250,067 77 should be appro1
priated, for the "current year as necessary
for the permanent repair and prosperity of
the improvements." I beg leave to refer
you to the mefsago and report for the ex
planatory information accompaying these
several recommendations. I am not aware
of having in my power any communication
to make, that would materially aid yout de
liberations on this head, except to suggest
the propriety and necessity of providing by
some judicious prospective legislation, not
only for tho payment of the appropriations
that may be made at the present session, but
for the mode of dbtaining money hereafter,
when needful, to continue and complete the
works, to which such appropriation are ap
plied. The sums appropriated, have usu
ally been exhausted before the next meet
ing of the legislature, and those engaged
in the construction of our pnblic wdrks,
have been compelled to make sacrifices to
enable them to prosecute their labors, or to
dismiss their workmen until funds bo pro
vided by law ! Many months elapse before
legislative action can be had on tile subject,
and beforo the ncgociation of the necessary
loan when authorized, the work is frequent
ly abandoned by the contractor, or his work
men have sought employment elsewhere,
and by the time tho requisite funds are ob
tained, operations aro to bo commenced a
now; and thus it may bo fairly assumed that
our public improvements have cost perhaps
thirty per cent more that! they would have
done, if timely provision to continue their
prosecution had been made. If tho contractor
knew beforehand what amount of money
ho mitjht rely upon as forthcoming, when
wanted, ho could make his arrangements
accordingly, to his own anil tho pvblio ad
vantage. Tho wqrk would progress with
18259. Number 41.
greater facility, and of consequence enablo
the contractors to do it cheaper and more ex
peditiously than heretofore; Tho public
faith wodld at all times be regarded as sa
cred, and the contractors (a class of men
who have certainly had some cause to com
pla.n)wotlld bo essentially benefited by tho
adoption of this pblicy, and also tho nu
merous laborers and arlizansVby whoso in
valuable services., our great improvements
have been constructed; would be in a good,
degree secured from the suflbring and des
titution too often inflicted upon them by tho
failures of the contractors ort our public
works!
In order lo remedy this state of things hi
fdture) I beg leave to recommend to tho lei
gislature tlio enactment of a law authori
zing the Governor, with the sanction of tho
commissioners of the internal imprbvement
fund and canal commissioners, ot under
such other checks as may be deemed ad
visable, to borrow such sums of money as
may be found necessary to carry on the sev
eral lines of improvements tintil the meet
ing of the next legislature, whenever tho
appropriations for tlie samo may happen to ,
become exhausted. Requirine of coursd
that the money so obtained be placed in tho
treasury or the commonwealth, disbursed
and accounted for in the manner prdvided
by law.
It woiild be expedient that the sum whicrl
might be so obtained, should be limited to a
reasonable amount, and that the fato of in
terest and terms of the loan, should bo
strictly defined. It seeitts Id me that the
doptionof any blhor principles bf action in
relation to the prosecution of bur system of
internal improvements, cannot Be prudent
and salutary. The measures themselves
must fluctuate often; tho works' progress
tardily, and thd expense bf their construc
tion be much increased. Nor can I omit
suggesting further to you tho obviously
sound policy of looking in yoUr legislative
action to the speedy completion of the mairi
lines of improvement between the eastern
and western extremities of the common
wealth, the Erie Extention to the lakes, and
the North Branch canal, leading intd tho
flourishing western counties of the Stato of
New York. The instant ihc works are fin
ished.lhe trade upon them must be augmen
tedjin a manifold degrcciThe stato has alrea
dy large sums invested In them; frbm which
she will realize no returns of consequence
till they are finished. Other works of un
doubted utility; leading directly into these
principal highways to market, will next do
serve attention, but in what respect the Get
tysburg tail roae claims io rank in tho first;
or even in the second of these classes, ii
more than I can discover. It is woll worth
the serious consideration bf the legislature;
whether in the present embarrassed condi
tion of the finances of the state, that work
bught not to be abandoned, till some more
auspicious season for resuming it arrives;
On no Jiart of your sylein of improvements
has public opinion been rriore emphatically"
pronounced. If completed, Its advantage
to Pennsylvania is questionable, if indeed
it be not absolutely useless its commence
ment was injudicious tho cost of its con
struction is enormous, and should it be A
bandoned, the only disadvantage will be the
los3 of a very large sum of mbney riow
irretrievably consumed by it, which will be
vastly increased if thb state perseveres iri
the piosecutio'n of the work. I respectful
ly submit this subject to the candor and
good sense of tho legislature, believing
that its further prosecution at present is
not warranted by either prudence or patriot
ism;
Being decidely in favor, myself, of a ju
dicious and comprehensive system of pub
lic improvements, reaching all practicable!
points and accommodating all section's bf
tho commonwealth alike, I should be Uappf
to co-operato with the legislature Jn com
pleting it at tho earliest possible clay, and
would rejoice to become instrumental iri
carrying such a'systom into speedy opera
oration but finding the treasury in a situa
tion that seems to forbid all hope of cngagt
A