ic Cl
trod thus soliloquised: The jade must, be
compelled to submit or she gets no proper
ty. Here's a blank in thohvitl sufficiently
large to insert what is necCssary, and asI
drew it originally, it will bo th6 same hand
writing, and never be delected. So I'll just
insert here whero it states that Eliza is to
btcotne possessed of her property on her
marriage day -'provided, that she married
yrith the consent of Samuel Pell, whom I
hare constituted her guardian, and solo ex
ecutor of this my last will and testament.'
Peter's room was adjoining that of Pell
there was a glaB3 window in the room be
tween them, and there was one who had
keen nn attentive observer and listener toH
the conduct and soliloquy of Pell. The
old man had dipped his pen in his ink-stand,
emoothed out the parchment, which had
been folded, and crooked his elbow to
write when
Forgery!' cried a dead toned, hollow
and supernatural voice at his elbow
1 Forgery!' reiterated the same voice in
another part of the room; and again the
horrible word Forgery!' was slowly pro
nounced, and its tones gradually sunk, in
the earth beneath the floor. J
Old Pell suddenly dropped the pen, and
shrunk back pale and trembling, with hor
ror and fright depicited on his countenance.
Having recovered from his astonishment,
he looked round his apartment and .under
the bed. He listened. Nothing was heard
but the snooring Peter in the adjoining
room. ' Ho began to think it an: illusion
was about to take up the will again, when
as soon as he placed his hand upon;it
'Forgery!' again cried the -voice in a
tone of thunder.
Pell drew away his hand as if -he had
received nn electric shock and leaving the
will on the centre table, ran into Peter's
room and awakened him.
What's de trouble Massa J' asked the
nerro.
Get up,' said Pell, shaking with fright,
and and come ino my room.'
Peter went in accordingly. Poll contin
ued. Did you hear nothing Peter V
No, Massa, whatyou hear dat scare you
so !'
'No matter, I want you to stay with me
and 'keep a candlo- burning, I'll go to bed.'
Pell accordingly prepared to turn in but
he. bethought himself that it would be best
to put the will again in the safe before he
retired. He advanced.to the table for the
purpose, and was in the act of taking up
the parchment, when the same unearthly
voice exclaimed
Let the will alone, old Pell.'
He started back with so much force as
to upset Peter who falling against the table
upset that also the candle on the tablo be
came upset and extinguished, and all was
total darkness.
What de debil ail you, Mass t
Peter, 'what scare you dis time J
Did'nt you hear a voice, Peter!'
No Massa I hear notting.'
asked
During the darkness and confusion, 1
slipped into Pell's rom, and with a pi
Dhoric preparation, wrote on the wall,
Tim
hos
tile
word 'Forgery!' in large glaring characters
picked up the will, and made his exit bank
into Peter's room. If any thing could
have added to the consternation of the al
ready horror-stricken Pell, was beholding
that terrible word, blazing and twinkling
on the opposite wall. He swooned away
with fright. Peter raised his master to a
chair, threw somo water in his face and re
lighted tho candle. Pell soon revived, and
was about hastening to bed; after inquiring
of Peter if ho saw nothing on the wall, to
which the negro replied that he saw 'not
ting but Massa's cloak hangin' dare,' and
charged Peter to stay with a lighted candle
in the room all night, he parted his curtains,
preparing to leap into bed.
Don't come in here you old sinner !'
shrieked the same voice, issuing from the
thes. but Pell had already thrown him-
-Itoifeisifcnhere he swooned again.
Peter threw some vvaleT'SyilfirBrr
Pell again revived; bnt was so exhausted
with his numerous frights, th3t he was fast
sinking into sleep, when the same voice, in
a singing strain, exclaimed .
" Good r.iglit, good night, old Sammy Fell,
And recollect 'twill bo aa well
That naught of this night's scenes you tell,
Or else you'd better be in h 11."
Conclusion next week.'
liomance in death. The last Natchez
Free Tridcr tells the following story: "On
the 7th of the present month, Miss Mary
Ann L. Barber, aged 17, and L. B. Young,
aged 23, both of Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
were buried in one crave, after having de
parted this life under the following circum
stances; Mr. Y. was a high-minded, honor
able young gentleman, most ardently and
devotedly attached to Miss Barber between
whom and himself loose promises and at
tentions had been .interchanged which
pledged them to the marriage union at no
distant day. une in every sentiment, as
well as in sympathy, they both, a few
months since, made a profession of religion
at the same altar, and at the same time.
On the day of their death, they had gono
on a water excursion, with uncommon
buoyancy and animation of spirits along
with four others in a skiff, wliirh suddenly
overset, and plunged them all in the water.
The lover seized the one whom, of all oth
ers, he would save, and lliey both perished!
They were found at the bottom, locked fast
in each other's arms. With a solemn pro
priety, that embrace was never brokenand
Ibeii bodies thus rest in one grave together.
On Monday, the 10th inst. the secretary
of'the commonwealth presented to the le
gislature, the following fronv;,the Governor,
upon the subject of appropriations to the
mainlines of the public improvements, and
the'repairs of those lines now in use, which
was read as follows:
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE,
To the Senate and House of Representa
tives of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl
vania. Gentlemen: The deep stake which the
commonwealth has in the speedy comple
tion, and constant usefulness of our internal
improvements, renders it my duly to in
yoke the lcgislutute now about approaching
the close of its session, to make some ade
quate provision by law to secure these ob
jects. In the message that I communicated to
you on the 20th of January, I explained at
some length the general views I entertained
in respect to the importance of finishing the
main lines' of improvements', and those trib
utaries leaning directly into them. Those
views remain, not only unchanged, but have
been strengthened by rellection and expert
ence. I am satisfied that enlightened noli
cv and sound economy call alike for early
and efficient appropriations to complete
these works.
But the chief object of lliis communica
tion, is to urge upon your attention the
pressing necessity of immediately provid
iug a sufficient fund fur repairs. Tho mo
nev in the treasury applicable to the pay
ment of repairs is not onlv entirely exhaust
cd, but demands exceeding the amount of
two thousand dollars, have been made at
tho treasury which there are no funds appro
priated by law to meet. It must therefore
be manifest, that, without a speed' appro
priation, the continuance of operations on
our public improvements, is extremely pre
carious. I ho tolls derived Irom our canals
and rail roads, arc all pledged to pay the
interest on the public debt incurred in their
construction. Not one dollar of the income
arising from them can be applied to repairs;
and unless funds be provided by tho legis
lature, the use of the public improvements,
throughout the remainder of this year, must
depend upon chance or a violation of the
law. Should bridges, acqucdiicts or dams
get out of order, or bo carried away, the
treasury is without means to repair them.
The constitution prudently aitd wisely for
bids that " money shall bo drawn from the
treasury, but in consequenco of appropria
tions made by law" and I know of no
mode of obtaining the requisite means, un
less it be by re-assembling the legislature, or
by trampling this stern injunction of the
constitution under foot. To both of these
expedients there are strong objections, 'and
I trust tho legislature would feel as repug
nant to the adoption of cither, as 1 do my
self. I will not undertake tq fix upon the a
mount needed for repairs prior to the meet
ing of the next legislature on the first Tues
day of January, 1840. The current dila
pidations of time, accident and use are to
be provided for as well as preparations to
bo made for numerous repairs during tho
coming spring. Much is lost both in time
and expenso hy postponing the day of pre
paration until it is loo late. From the re
ports of the canal commissioners, their en
gineers.your committees, and other sources,
you can readily determine this question,
and accommodate your appropriation to the
public wants, and the public expectation.
I have already observed that (ho tolls on
our public improvements are all pledged .to
tho payment of the interest on our public!
debt. It should not bo forgotten that by
failing to keep these improvements in a
slalo of efficient repair, this interest fund is
jeoparded the credit of the state may be
seriously affected and tho future value of
our improvements themselves b" deeply
impaired. For if, through tlie inadcuuacv
ot means to repan-TWi"uni jcy;
should cease
iso to be capable ot, doinrejfUel diffic
sitiess of the
public, it must inevitably.
happen that
much ol tho business unon
them would pass oflf into other channels.
never to be regained. This would lie a result
which no true Pennsylvanian could contem
plate without feelings of the deepest morti
fication and regret. I am certain it is a re
sult which no patriot will contribute to pro
duce. If any thing could add to the regret it
would occasion, it would be the striking
fact that we are in the midst of peace, pros"
perlty and advancing glnry, without even a
shadow to obscure the bright path before
us.
Our system of public improvement is
fairly established, hostility has yielded its
ground, and there is not a county in the
commonwealth that docs not directly or in
directly share and acknowledge the bene-
Citm It ! (tnnrnvMnit nn ..II.. . !
.. -u, mi .hi sections mo near
anaremoio. under theso circumstances,
it would be to the people of this common
wealth to the people of Uia sisipr at,i
and of foreign nations, a subject of aston-
isiimcm, mui mis sysiom, so fraught with
au.aniagea, m me lull ijde of successful
experiment" should be suddenly nrri.iP,i
the unfinished portions remain unfinished
and the finished be abandoned
without means to keep them in repair, at a
wuiu nucu uvery map in nnu out Of the le
gislalure admits that such a course is at di
rect variance with Irue wisdom and sound
policy.
lBaM we" "f geshon with a firm hope
and I will add a strong belief too, thai they
will meet the entiro concurrence of the le
gislature and that although in the usual
course of events its session must bo of brief
duration, it will not fail to make ample pro
vision for these important interests.
I most respectfully and most earnestly
solicit the legislature to bestow on these in
terests that atlcntien to which their magni
tude entitles them, and to pursue in refer
ence to them the path of duty pointed out
by solind wisdatnj and a due regard for the
wants and expectations of the people.
Nothing but- the paramount importance
of this subject to the public at large, and
particularly to that numerous and enterpris
ing class of our fellow citizens who have
hundreds of thousands of dollars involved in
the successful operation of our public im
provementsj has induced me to call your
attention to itngain before you adjourn.
Being responsjblo.for the performance of
the duties devolving on the Executive, I
have leu if to bo an essential part of fiat
duty to make this communication, and
leave the matter in your hands to be dispos-
eu ot as you think proper: resting satishcd
that if from anycause the transportation nn
our public improvements bo suspended for
tne want ol adequate appropriations, the
responsibility will not bo chargeable to the
Executive DAVID R. PORTER.
Executive Chamber, June 10, 1839.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
Appointed to inquire whether TIIJ1DDE-
US STEVENS, a member from the
county of Mams, hag not forfeited his
rigiu to a scarin the house :
air. hegins, irom tho committee ap
pointed by the house of representatives,
"lo inquire whether Thaddeus Stevens, a
member from the county of Adams, has
not forfeited ins rightloa seat in the house,"
submitted the following report :
That immediately alter their appointment
they addressed a note, through, their
chairman, to Mw Stevens informing hirn
of tio time and place of their meeting and
that he might attend and be heard, to
which he returned a reply, declining to ap
pear before the committee.
Tho committee having proceeded to
discharge the duties which were assigned
to them, and given the subject the attention
and consideration which its importance re
quired, submit the result of their inquiry
and investigation to the house.
It appears that Thaddeus Stevens was
duly elected and returned as one of the re
presentatives to the general assembly, fiom
the county of Adams; and on the first of
December last the day appointed by law
for the meeting of the legislature, Mr. Ste
vens appeared and participated with the
members elect in the proceedings prelimi
nary to the organization of jjie ; Jjouse, of
uiircsuiiuiuvcs. ae anervvarus iook pari
in the attempt which was made by a portion
of the members to prevent the legal aud
constitutional organization of tho house,
of representatives, and continued to act and
associate with thai-body until the recogni
tion ot the house ot reptescntatives by the
senate, on the 25th of December last. On
the day following, he addressed the annexed
letter of resignation to his constituents, in
which he savs :
" I find no dfficulty in choosing my
course in selecting between an associa
tion with successful insurgents, or ivith
druwing from oJke. Preferring retire-
merit to dishonor, 1 withdraw from the le
"gislalure to mingle again with you, and
"await your decision on mv conduct."
PI 1 . -t I n i ....
x uerc caiiuin ue a snauow ol Uouut that
this address it) both in lettei and spirit a
resignation of his office of representative
lo his constituents, and was intended as
such at the time it was published, however
lie may now be disposed to treat it. Ares
ignatiou of an office is not required to be in
any precise form of words or set of phrases.
Any language indicating an intention to re
sign it, is sufficient, and such an intention
cmuu noi De exnresseu in clearer forma
than those.usqd'.uy Mr. Stevens. He
fficulty in ehoos-
Tng.between lho-'allertallvo presented, or
Ti?it..t . '. I. .1
wiuiuruivingjrotn-oji'-' uuu lB ones
withdraw from the legislature to mingle
again with his constilueVs. But if there
was really any doubt aiput his meaning
and intention, his subsequent conduct en
tirely uispcis it. lie himJ ireaieu ly
as a resignation fromwhtJ',,ft';.l,,,'i
canon until snortiy ait'tfine commencement
ol the present adjoiniied session of the
house. The house o'V representatives was
in session foi a period of nearly three
months, performing it) appropriate business
of legislation, and although Mr. Stevens
was frequently in the lobbies ol the house
during its session, he never presented him-
sen io ciann a seal or made the least pre
tention lo such a right. It is only now,
when he has discovered that his withdrawal
from office is likely to' prove a deawVblow
to his political hopes and ambitious projects
and that his retirement, preferred with so
much promptness, threatens to consign him
to an ignoble obscurity that he wishes to
assume the office of a represontativo with
out the formality of an election by the peo
ple. Mr. Stevens having then resigned his of
fico into the hands of hose who elected
him, it would be contrary to all right and
precedent that he should be admitted to a
seal in ttie'uiuse, and t) the exercise of
rights and privileges winch he has irrevoca
bly surrendered lo hw constituents. It
would lead to inextricable confusii n and
disorder, it a representative or any other
officer of the government could one day re
sign his office and the next day take it upon
himself again. If he has a right to do
it once, he can do it as often as interest or
fancy dictates, which would lead to end
less confusion, and be destructive of all
law and oider in the administration of the
government. If this was true, a member
might resign his seat the speaker issue
his writ for an election just before the clo
sing of the polls, he could present himself
at the door of the house demand his right
to a seat, and the house be compelled to ad
mit him, and the election be thus entirely
dcleatcd. liut it is not so. fto person
holding an office under the constitution,
having once surrendered that office to the
power that conferred it, can rightfully exer
cise it without a new election or appoint'
ment.
As no citizen can be compelled to accept
tho oliicc of a representative or to discharge
its duties aeainst his will, it is not, there
fore, necessary that his constituents should
consent to his resignation, lie is at liberty
to resign the office whenever he wishes and
it needs not the concurrence of his consti
tuents to make his resignation binding atuf
eficctual.
It has been customary for members of
the house of representatives to notify the
house through the speaker, of their resig
nation, but there is nothing in the constitu
tion or any act of the assembly which re
quires it. There is no constitutional or le
gal provision upon- the subject, and a differ
ent practice has prevailed in tho other de
partments of the irovernment. There the
resignation is always made to the appoint
ing power, and seems to be more in accor
dance with the nature and genius of our in
stitutions that an officer should surrender
his powers and privileges to those by whom
they were delegated.
In a case, as in this, where a member c-
lect refuses to acknowledge tho constitution
al authority or the house ot representatives
and declines taking his scat in the house,
but is willing to resign that another may be
elected in his stead, unless a resignation
addressed to his constituents would be good
and valid, they must remain unrepresented,
which would be absurd.
It may be objected that the speaker of
the house ought to have issued his writ for
an election immediately after Mr. Stevens'
resignation was published. But he would
not have been warranted in doing so,
without bcnur officially notified of
such resignation. It would bo alto
gether irregular and dangerous for the
speaker to make newspaper publications,
without further evidence, in such cases the
basis of official action. It was the duty of
the people of Adams county, if they wished
to be fully represented in the house of rep
resentatives, to have presented their petition
jnlormiij-lho house ot MrrfctJveno resig--
nation and request that a writ tor an election
to supply the vacancy might bo issued.
They have the constitutional right of
petitioning on this, as well as upon other
subjects, and if they havo neglected to ex
cicise that right, and thereby remained par
tially unrepresented, the blame must rest
with themselves.
The house of representatives is stigma
tized by Mr. Stevens in his letter of resig
nation, aud several subsequent publications,
addressed by him to the people of Adams
county, with the mo3t approbrious and
slanderous epithets which disappointed am
bition and party rancour could invent. He
has wantonly and wickedly uttered the
most false and infamous libels upon a por
tion of its members, w'ho frustrated his ne
farious attempts to destroy the right of suf
frage, and defeat the will of the people.
liut as he ceased to be a member coeval
wilh the publication of his resignation, it
became unnecessary for the committee to
inquire, whether tho house, under that
clause in the constitution which delegates
to each house, "all tho powers necossary
for tho Igislature of a free slate," and in the
exernse of the right of self-prcservalipn,
incident to overv constitutional tribunal, has
not the constitutional authority to exciu.J1
a member irom taking his seat in the JjJSuse
who by his outrageou and infamoivs eon-
duct towards the houso has shon himself
entirely unworthy of the sfci.'.'.on, to which
he has been elected. JT, i,r Is it necessary
to determine, whetVr Mr. Stevens' refusal
lor. so long a jif.ud, to fulfil the duties of
his oflkfi,. tConld
3 right.
It is proper to remark, that Mr. T. S.
Cunningham, a member of tho committee,
did not attend its meetings nor, does he join
in this report.
The committee, therefore, submit the
following resolution :
Resolved That Thaddeus Stevens, a
member elect from the county of Adams,
having resigned his oflke,.is not entitled to
a seat in the house, and thnt tho speaker is
sue a writ of election to fill the vacancy,
agreeably to the constitutional provision up
on the subject.
Resolved That the committee be dis
charged irom the further consideration of
tho subject.
a ucavy i'tre. A British wrifcr savs
that no troopi that ever took tho field, could
have stood before the fire that was poured
from the American lines at the battle of N.
Orleans that U was hpavier than any ex
penencrd by the British throughout the
whole of the Peninsula contest, and by far
mure lerrioie man niai wiucn was directed
against tho forco that stormed St. Sebastian
THE COLUMBIA DEMOCRAT.
"tbctu wiTUorr rxAn '
SJI TVRVJi I JTVJVE S2, 1839.
LADIES' FAIR.
The Ladies of Bloomsburg will hold a
Fair, in the Store Room in the house of
of Mr. Daniel Gross, in Bloomsburg, to
commence on the 4th day of July next,.and
continue three days. A large assortment
of.valuable, and ornamental articles, pre
pared with judgment and taste, through the
industry of the Ladies of this place, will be
offered for sale, for the Benefit of St. Paul's
Cnurtcir.
Bloomsburg, June 22, 1839.
The Berwick and Danville papers are
requested to copy.
In another column wo publish the able
report of Mr. Hegins, the talented demo
cratic representative from Northumberland
county, in the case of Mr. Stevens. No
one after reading this report, can doubt the
correctness of the course of the legislature
in declaring the scat of Mr. Stevens vacant.
Mr. Hegins is a very active and highly
useful member, and has won for himself
laurels which will endure after his detract
ors shall havo passed away and been for
gotten. We have noticed wilh regret, for several
weeks, the attempts making by the Harris
burg correspondent of the Danville Intelli
gencer, to destroy the well earned repud
iation of Mr. Hegins, for his faithful and
vigilant support of the present democratic
state admistration, and have looked around
to find somo justifiable cause for this attack;
but, have not been able to find any, unless
it bo the stand he has taken in opposition
to the grasping disposition of the Danville
interest which has skown itself so conspicu
ously of late; particularly in their attempts
to dismember Northumberland county for
the purpose of retaining the courts of this
county at that place. This is a sufficient
reason for them; asithas always been their
policy to destroy every man, if possible,
who would not worship at their ehrinc, or
succumb to their dictation. They know
full well that so long as Mr. Hegins rctaine
a seat in cither branch of tho legislature,
they cannot effect the dismemberment of
that county, henca their attempt to preju
dice the democracy against him, that they
may prevent his re-election. But in this
we feel assured thoy will not succeed ; as
we are happy to perceive a strong disposi
tion appears to manifest itself to elect him
this fall to a seat in tho senate from that
district, a station he would fill with honor to
himself, to his constituents, and to the state.
Since writing the above, v,-s W received
the "Union Timesj".. able democratic
paper, publjsKu'anVew Berlin, from which
we irow ;he following article, upon the sub-
jj&ti of the attack upon Mr. Hegins.
" Who is tho Harrisbnrg correspondent
of the Danville Intelligencer f Is it Major
Colt, the present Representative from Co
lumbia county 1
This correspondent is endeavoring to de
stroy the standing of several Democratic
members of the legislature. Among those
is the able and efficient member fromNorth
umberland county, C. W. Mucins, Esq.
Mr. Hegins is a sterling Democrat and an
excellent legislator truo lo his party and
to his constituents,and instead of being cen
sured by any true Democratic papers, is
lauded by ihem as one of the most talented
and deserving members of the House.
This is not the first time this piratical print
has been found slandering Democratic men,
and endeavoring to build up the hopes of
the opposition.
We esteem an honorable enemy, but de
test a pirate. We trust the Intelligencer
will soon sail under true colors, either 'as
a Democratic or open Federal print, Tako
good advice in good timo, friend Best, or
you might bo exposed."
Tho Whig Slate Convention assembled
atChambersburgnn tho 13th inst., and ad
journed after having passed heavy resolu
lutions in favor of Clay, and appointing de
legates to the "National Convention. C. B.
Penro;jey. and sixteen others, Harrison
Whigs withdrew and theConvention broke
up in a row. So much for the all decen
cy party.
'k