i. n at' thus last year fall short of tho estimates. In making these es timates, it was supposed the suggestion of a former message in relation to the convey ance of passengers on the Columbia Rail way would have been favorably regarded. It is still believed that a largely increased revenue would attend the adoption of the changes heretofore recommended. That the collateral inheritance tax is inefficiently and carelessly collected in some of the coun ties, and even when collected Irequently retained in the hands of the officers longer than necessary, is demonstrable by the fact of the great disproportion received at the Treasury from counties of equal population, business, and wealth. A statement of the amounts received from the several counties during the last four years, will exhibit much valuable information on the interesting question of inequality ofGxation in the pay ment of the public debt. All items of taxa tion applicable to the sinking fund should be required to reach tho Treasury quarterly under the severest penalties. A reference to reports of the Adjutant General, Auditor General, Surveyor General, and Superintendent of Common Schools, wilt afford dotailed information of the I usiness of their several departments, and furnish views and suggestions of interest to the gen eral weal. The school system, although still imper fect, is rapidly improving in its general con dition, and promises the beneficial results it was designed to accomplish. The education of the people, is the great question of tho age, and as such, it cannot fail to command yoor earnest and enlightened efforts, for its speedy and ultimate success. In the competiiion for trade and travel, no effort for the full repair of the canals and rail roads of the State should be neglected. The deleriorating condition of many of these works, admonish that the system of supervi sion is ineffectual to secure (he return of which their construction gave confident as surance' In a system of divided responsi bility in their management, the difficulty ev idently exisls. On a former occasion it was suggested to divide the State into Canal and Railway districts, and allot to each a Canal Commissioner, to whom its entire control should be given. This project is again re commended, btit should it fail to meet your approbation, the proposition of electing a Superintendent, to whom for his whole time and attention, a compensating salary should be paid, and under whose sole control the public works might be placed, is worthy of consideration. All the evils arising from di vided counsels and shifting responsibilities would be avoided, and tftaPlnergy and skill in their management securedyvhich cannot be expected under the present system. It is alleged this method of supervisiou of public works has succeeded well and beneficially in other States. A commercial connection between Phila delphia arid Europe by Steamships,—an en terprise truly worthy the favoring regards of the whole commonwealth and the coun tenance and aid of the national government by th# extension of mail facilities—-the com pletion of the great Railway communication now in rapid progress of construction to tho navigable waters of the West, the thorough repair of the Cumberland Valley road, and tue erection of various lines of Railway in' the valley of the Susquehanna, must throw an amount of trade on the Columbia Rail toad which will demand for its transit the entire capacity of thrit thoroughfare in a con dition of perfect repair. Every avenue by which the trade of the west, as well as of Central and Northern Pennsylvania reaches Philadelphia, the entire people should feel a lively interest, as identical with the pros perity of the whole State. Whilst the inler ' nal trade is pouring into our metropolis, and her local authorities are doing their part to promote her commerce, it is our duty to de mand from the General Government some portion of its resources for die security and improvement of the harbor of the Delaware. Improvement of the' navigable rivers and protection of the harbors of the Ocean and Lakes ought to be no longer delayed. In this connection I deem it my duty to call your attention to the pending litigation in relation to the bridge over the Ohio River at Wheeling, erected under the authoiity of Virginia, which, it is confidently asserted puts in joopardy large commercial interests. It lias been my care to watch the progress of ttie controversy, and to direct the proper law officer of the Commonwealth, associated with the other distinguished gentlemen who professionally represent the Stale, to protect these interests before the judicial tribunal which has cognizance of the case under the Constitution. In the various Railway projects now sev erally terminating at Philadelphia, Harris burg, and Pittsburg, tho people of the Com monweallh ought never to lose sight of that cither great en'.erpriso which, known as the Sutjbury and Erie Railroad, was meant to connect the Susquehanna, tha Delaware, and the Lakes. Besides the command of tha trade of the Northern Seas secured by its construction, it would bring into market for sale and settlement vast bodies of untenant ed and unimproved lands, and devolope treasures of inexhaustible mineral wealth now wholly inaccessible. The large indebtedness of the State, and the necessity for its reduction, forbid the pol- ! icy on her part, of embarking in these vari- ; ous improvements. The debt of the Commonwealth was in- j curred in the erection of works which were largoly conductive to the settlement and sale ! of 'he dim a. in nf tho UnUod States, and while sho lias secured no part of this inher itance, other States have been liberally aid ed in ;he construction of their internal im provements by donation of public lands. It | is a right on her part to demand a portion of 1 these lands to aid in the completion of the important works partially completed and in contemplation. A system of banking, based upon State stocks, under proper restrictions, is recom - mended to the attention of the Legislature. It is thought that the present banking facili ties are unequal to tho wants oi the business community. The large amount of notes of banks of other States found in circulation a mong our people, tho inability with safety to their credit, to accqmmoda le at all times the active de mands of the country, opera tions in the nature of transacted on severe terms to j demonstrate that increase ! facilitios are de- I inanded to secure a healthy developement of I our resources. Any considerable extension of the present syetem is hardly to be anlici "paled, nor is it desirable, if a more perma nent basis for such operations cart be devis ed. Free banking upon a deposito and pledge of public stocks early recommenddt itself to favor. It is not liable to sudden ex pansions and contractions—more secure from failure—less obnoxious to counterfeit ing and fraud, and offers undoubted recuri jty to the note holder. Should the stock re quired be the loans of tho Commonwealth, it would do predate their value, and also have a tendency to withdraw them from foreign countries, to which are annually sent millions of the public money to pay interest. A recall of these stocks, and the discharge of the interest to tho residont citizens, would lead to the expenditure of an equal amount at home, thereby affording employ ment to the people in tho improvement tho State, in the erection of industiiat insti tutions, and in various works of beauty and taste. If this system is favorably regarded, a relinquishment of a portion of the inter est on the stocks pledged would be directly advanlageous to the Treasury. The confidence felt in the security, and the desire to use the relief notes, when kept in good condition, justify tho belief that an issue of small notes from the State institu tions, founded on a deposito of stocks, would be highly acceptable to the people. A reference to subjects, under the control of the National Government, has long form, ed part of the annuul messages of the State Executives, and the custom not only by its consonance with the peculiar relations of the Stales to Gov ernment, but in the deep siMHBHF felt by individual citizens in tho action of the latter on questions of pervading and direct inter est to all. From the resolves of their Repre sentatives in the councils of the States, the opinions and wishes of tho people are often well collected, and hence your action is fro quently of great moment. In obedience, therefore, to custom, and in order that the sentiments of our common constituency may have expression either through the Ex ecutive Message or the action of their rep- rcsentalives, it is proper to refer to some of these questions of general interest, the dis posal of which more esgpcial I / belongs to the National Government. A revision and alteration of the Revenue laws, so as to give adequate and permanent protection to the industry of the oountry, are demanded by tha prostrate condition of the mining and manufacturing interests. The propriety of affording full protection to do mestic industry, in the enactment of Tariff laws, has been as fully discussed, that a mere reforencc to former views, is all that is deemed necessary at this time. In a late ef fort to amend the present Tariff, its failure may be fully attributed to the omission of the last Legislature to give expression to the perfectly well understood wishes and expac rations of tho people. It is confidently hop edno such omission will mark the conduct of the present assembly. A reduction in tho rates of postage, and the construction oi railway commmiica'ions tojtlie Pacific, wore urged heretofore as wor. thy of friendly regard. Repetition of the views then presented is unnecessary, as time has only strengthened the conviction of the propriety and Usefulness of tho proposed measures. ; In relation to the extention of slavery and | the duty of faithful observance rif her Federal obligations bytho Commonwealth, the views expressed in former messages remain mi I changed. There is nothing in my judgment, ; in the history of the past, nor in the warn lugs of tho future, to justify tho abandonment !of the principles, sacredly regarded from 1 the foUnd&tion of the Stale, of nonintorven lion in the domestic policy of other commu nities, and of resolute determination of per | mining no interference with our own Fi delity in the discharge of constitutional du ty has distinguished our government and people, and if an opinion exiits within, or has be n mischievously propagated beyond our borders, that such is not the fact, it is conceived in error of our true history, l'enn sylvania, her peopla, and her authorities, always have been loyal to the constitution. They wish it neitherlobe evaded nor amen ded. They will riot permit it to be resisted. It has been intimated that the question connected with the institution of Slavery, and the rendition of fugitives lrom labor, here have been indications of a disregard of her Constitutional obligations. To the clauso of the Constitutional relative to fugitives from labor, and the legislation under it, tKa;e evoi boa I In Pnnn*j.lvi.i*, all her avowed aversion to domestic slavery, implicit obedience. Wilh an earnest desire that, by a free interchange of moderate and yalional opinions, obedience to the law may bo made, not only implicit, but cheerful, it is proper to refer to some of the difficulties in relation to the subject now existing in the public mind. The clauso of the Federal Constitution relative to fugitives from labor involves these propositions: 1. That unvoluntary service Or slavery, may exist in the Stales of tho Union by constitutional recognition. 2. That tko escape of the person so held shall not oper ate as a discharge from such service or la bor. 3. That on the claim of the party to whom such service is- due, there must be a rendition of the fugitive. To interfere by legislative enactment, or otherwise to destroy or in any way affoct the right of property recognized in the first proposition, would be a daring violation of the clear obligations of the Constitution. No human being can pretend that by this Com monwealth such an interference has ever been attempted. Whatever may be the feelings of the people in opposition to tho further extension of slavery, and tho conse quent increase of anti.republican and sec tional representations in the Nation Legisla ture, no effort has ever been made to dis turb or destroy the vested rigtts of citizens of other States; and when thoso righls may i be endangered by the escape of a slave be- I yond iho limits sf tho States, where tho re lation is acknowledged, our citizens have acted on the principle, that no sympathy with individual suffering ought ever to wea ken their sense of duty tb the plain require ments of the organic law. In the adjustment of rights and official du ties under the last proposition, more difficul ty has been fonnd to exist. By whoso agen cy is the fugitive to bo given up? What force is to be givon to the word "claim," as used in the Constitution ? Is not the deliver y of the fugitive to be made or.ly throngh the agency of the National Government ? These have been vexed and mooted ques tions. The final decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in a case to which Pennsylvania was made a parly, and the re cent fugitive slave law, gave a judicial and legislative interpretation to this clause of tho Constitution, which cannot be misapprehen ded. The power and duty of enacting laws to carry into effect the Constitutional direc tion, being ruled to be in Congress and in Congiess only, any inteferenoe on llie part ol the State authorities is authorized and with out binding force. U tho Constitution implies a duty to be performed by both National and State Govi crnments, and vests each with power over the subject, tho framers of that instrument failed to express in clear terms, as in other I cases, tho obligations of tne parties. The | latitude of construction required to givd such powers to the legislatures, would authoriz the passage laws, and the enactments of reg ulations Upon every delegated power of the National Government, without regard to the action on non-action of Congress. The Gen eral Government is admitted to be due of [Two Dollars per ABMHW. NUMBER 51V ascertained powers, but it ceases to do so ilj'o ' ; moment concurrent jurisdiction vesta in State Sovereignities. In the practical workings of j the system of concurrent jurisdiction, mu h evil would arise. Thirty 0110 Sovereignities . might prescribe different rules of acTion— each meant to make effective natio -al legis lation, and the danger rt,su't'ugfrom conilic- I ting enactments, and the coiise<|uont destruc ; tion of harmony arid Older could not !ai' ,'tc i alarm the patriot.—Whenever power over a subject matter is vested by the Constituti ' ** , in Congress, and the po'Ver has been oxer : Cised; 11 10 authority Of the States Ins bee ; judicially