ft 1 3 j xoDD IIUTCIIJ'SOX, PiiXlislicr. I WOULD RATIIEH BE EIGHT THAN PBESIDEXT. IIe.nrv Clay. TERMS 5 Jfllf fMif ZM prjp fe"-3l 1 V X7 Nj NJ X v v xy A VOLUME 2. DIRECTORY. r2E?ARED EXPRESSLY FOIt "THE ALLEGHAXIAS. , I.IST OF POST OFFICES. n, Ofilces. Post JListcre. Districts Jena's Creeu, bethel Station, Carrolltown, Chess Springs, Cressou, Ebensburg. Fallen Timber, tiillitzm, Hemlock, ohastovi-n, Loretto, Mineral Point, Munster, Pershing, Phvttsville, Host-land, Si. Augu? tine, SmI Level, Sanman, Sumnierhiil, Summit, Wihnore, Joseph Graham, Yoder. Joseph S -Mardis, Blacklick. Benjamin YVLrlner, Carroll. Danl. Liizinger, Chest. Johu J. Troxcll, "Washint'n. Mrs. II. M'C.igue, Kbensburg Isaac Thompson, White. JVM. Christv, GalliUin. AVm. M'Gousrh, H. A:Boggs Wet. G-.vinn, E. Wissiiiger, A. Durbin, Francis Clement, Andrew J. Terral G. W. Bowman, Vm. Byan, .Sr., GeorLTfi Conrad, B. M'Colgan, "Win. Mr.rr.iy , "Washt'n. Johns Vwn. horeUo. Conem'gh. Munster. C onera'gh. Susq'lian. White. Cieai -field. Bichland. Washt'n. Crovle. Miss M. Gillespie Washfn. Andrew Beck, S'lnmeihil!. J'ref''i!'.-iun lli:v. I). Harrison-, Pastor. Treadling every Sabbath morning at K'l o'clock, and in the evening nt 3 o'clock. Sab bath School at 1 o'clock. A. M. Prayer meet ing every Thursday evonirg at G o'riock. JL'thoJisI Efiwpd Cutn-c't Ukv. J. Spane. Preacher in charge. Bev K. II. B.U".r, As sistant. Preaching every sabbath, alterunt:Iy at 10. 1 o'clock in the morning, or 7 in the evening. Salibuth School :it o'clock, A. M. Prayer meeting every Thursday evening at 7 o'clock. U'r.'r'i Lvl'pnitb'n! Bnr. Ll. B. P'-wfll, Pastor. Preaching every Sabbath nuunirgiit 10 o'clock, and in the evening at G o'clock. Sabbath School at 1 o'clock, P. M. Prayer meeting on the tirst Monday evening of each month: and on every Tuesday, T'mn-sday aad I'riday evening, excepting the first v.eck ia eitch month. CalrinhHc 3l"lhrd;.-t Br.v. Jons Vrn.iiAMS, Pastor. Preaching every Sabbath evening at 1 and G o'clock. Sabbath School at 10 o'clock, A. M. Prayer meeting every Frid.:y evening u 7 o'clock. Society every Tucsusv evening at 7 o'clock. Dl:!phsTL nr. V. m . T.Loyn. Pa?: or Preach ing every Sabbatli morning at 10 o'clock. Partic'ultr Jlnplifis Be v. David Jexki::?. Pastor. Preaching every Sabbath evening at 3 o'clock. Sabbath School at 1 o'clock, P.M. Catholic Rev. M. J. .Mitchell. Pastor Services every Sabbath morning at 10J o'clock sad Vespers at 4 o'clock iii the evening. MAI J S ABB I YE. Eaitra, dailv. at 12 o'clock, A. M. Western, ""at 12 '; A. M. MAILS CLOSB. Eastern, daily, at 7 o'clock A. M. 'iVt-stern.. at 7 ' A. M. t- The Mails from Bntlcr.Indbmn.Strong towa, &f ., arrive on Tiiur-iav cfcach v. eck, t j o'clock, P. M. L;'.iv;i.Kbe.isburg on Fridar of each week, t 8 P. M. TuTha Mails from Newman's Mil!?. CYr rolitown, .ic, anive on Monday-," Ved!;e?u;'y anl Friday of each week, at 3 o'clock. P. M. Leave Eben;burg on Tuesday?, Thursdays ul Saturiays, at 7 o'clock, A.M. ?3L. Pct Onice onen ou Su.ndavs from 9 U la o'clock, A. M. WILMOBi: STATION. Evpres3 Train leaves at 0.37 A. M Tast Line " I0.c;9 P. M " Mail Train, " 3.1GP. M. -st Express Train, 14 ti.10 P. M. Fast Line, 44 C.KO A. M. " Mail Train, 44 lo ot A. M. COrXTT OSTICERS. Ju-ijta of the Courts. President, Hon. Geo. 'iylor, Huntingdon ; Associates?, GeorgeW. ''.ey, Richard Jones. Jr. Proikonotart. Joseph M'DonalJ. :ter and Recorder . Edward F. Lytic. Srif Bobert P. Linton. S.'srifT. William T.inton. Dilriri Attorn"!. -J ------ -V - Cuunt; Commissioners. .V'oci Lloyd, D. T. lorai, James Cooper. to Commissioners. Bobert A. M'Coy Treasurer. John A. Blair. vW Ifti,is; Directors. David O'llarro, Michael M'Guire, Jacob Horner. P''r Iltuic Trcdiuser. (leorgc C. K. Zahm. sr Ijn-t Sii Koru. James J. Kaylor. Mirrnnlile Avuraixer. II. C. Devine. i'tutors.iieuTY Hawk, John I J;' S, Rhey. 3 'i-ity Surveyor. E. A. Vickroy. . ,. .-. - ..... Stall. -James S. Todd. rUUndtni of Common Schools. T. A. -'tire s:?' of fht 7V;v. David II. Bobert?, "Prison Kiukead. . ur3' David J. Evans. CVi.K(7 Evan Gi. Hith. John J. Evans. '-lain I). Davis, Thomas B. Moore, Daniel Y-rk to Council -T. D. Litzinger. yh Master William Davis. lfA lUrrc.tors William Davis, Besc S. fl Mfi.:. t t. ' rr"i . ... r 1 . ii ' -"""is o . r,vans, i noma a o. uavi?. Jones, David J. Jones. 'usurer of School Hoard Evan. Morgan. O'ittabUHfor-re W. Brown " Collator George Gurley. UJ3 of Election Meshac Thomas. "cor,n0nert Evans, Win, Williams. 'uor Bichard T. Davis. EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, JSOJ. TUB COMMERCIAL, MAX UFA C TU121XG AXD MJXIXG IXTL'L' JZSTS OF J'FXXSl'LVAXJA . HOW CAN THEY BE I'll QUO TED? conclude. If tltis -were the oppression of a ftw, it vrould be impolitic uni uujust ; but aircct injr, ns it does, direct lv or indirectly, abcut one-half of the entire population or tue Commonwealth, the wrong is monstrously magnified in extent, though not in kind. This species of wrong i.s, of ali o.hcrs, the loost mischievous ; lor, ss iiiterooar.e is at once the chief e:u.e and consequence of civilization, obstruction uf intercourse strikes at the highest and dearest interest? of che human race. I hut impo-t on transport tend to diminish exchange of commodities, cannot be disputed. Ibis is what Pennsylvania does by the tonu::ge tux, an ! in this respect, therefore, her laws inflict enormous evils on her people. Thi-s inxatiou has not even the seliisb cscu.se that it is levied on t-irangeiv, ov that it is cointaevcial hc?tiiiy tu ioreign evs, ov that it is ir protection against competition iretu abroad. It is directed against our own citizens, viobuts couimer cia! axioms, protects only rival routes thro' other States, stabs the vitals of douTesiic prosperity. 3i:.;r.cvioNS to the rf.i-eal of the tax. .We. ..re met, at the outset, by the ob jection that the acceptance of the charter formed a contract between the Company and the t:tato for the payment of this tax, andtbeicfuic "that it ouu'ht net to be repeal ed. If this objection i.s good for any thing as forbidding subsequent legislation, it can only be on the double assumption of the infadibiliiy of the legislature of 18-10, and their prospective power to bind ali succeeding !cg!.-lature-. It is, in short, aficrtho: t, inventing nicre mortals i'ce aid tiiii.ii otence. As Vv 1 i ll thi.s cannot be, t'ne sul jeet is to be cxam-iuc-d, lib e any other, on the ground that the tonmigo rax is not excej'ied iVoni the cojijstiiuuoual powers of the legislature, but that the legislature of 1 tOl is compe tent io the performance of all Its function'-; in short, that it is an open question of public policy and private justice. Hucli was the view taken by the Mi pre me Court, j who declared in the ?dam Ln;e eu:-e that "ibcie was no eons.lituuional obji ctioti io the rei eal t-f the tonnage ta or any other ta: whenever the k-Uiature, in tl e: ( i cise Oi ti:eir ti;sCi'Ct"t on, skal! U tn..u or to pa.-s sucn a Jaw.' rih.s also was the view thrice taken by the legislature in regard to this very Com pany, on this very subject, namely in the acts of of 1 855 and of 185T. The legislature, bound to consider of the enlarged interests of the entire people, always acted ou thi.s and kindred subjects in stich mode as their judgement indicated, and have repeatedly exercised their pow ers so as to meet the necessities of the internal improvement corporations winch they have created, or the wants of the pecple interested in their completion or maugemcnt. KIYAT, ROUTES. The Ccniial Kid'road of New York, running through the tame country a.s the iXcw ork and iuiie Canal, which, like ours, w;s built by the State, was originally subjected to a tax on tonnage fur the pro tection of the interests of the Mate in the Canal. The Pennsylvania liailroad was opened sufficiently for through business in 1851; and the same- y (Jtr io meet the rivalry r,f Fainrylvunin, at length about to use her long slumbering strength, the legislature of A ew York 'KtVLA led the law which taxed her llaihoads, declaring "it fchall not be neccessary for any llail n ad Company in this State to pay any sums of money into the tieasury cf this Mate, on account of the transpoiiation of property on any liailroad on and alter the 1st dav of December, lbol." Into this contest then the Pennsylvania llaih urtd entered, her rivals being the New York Ce ntral, just released from the ton tax, and the New York and Uric and Pal timorc and Ohio lioads, each sustained by hc money and credit of their respective States, 'ihe Pennsylvania read, on 'the contrary, never received a dollar, either of contribution, subscription, or credit J from the iState. Nor docs she now seek j ..:,? '11-. C-.iiiv.nnv erinr.ltf lnivr I that their work, shall be placed upon an equality with all other roads in thi.s Com monwealth, in order that the people along the line directly interested may be bene fitted by lower rates for transportation, and the foreign commerce of our State be secured ou equal terms with our rivals. The less huriJieu mipun:d by IryUlatiou, the greater ability J the Company tu effect tlit Leu ff .ctrn i object for ichich it uas ere-.atnl. Put the Pennsylvania liailroad was compelled to go into the race weighted with the tonnage t:ix. Is it surprising that New York still holds so large a por tion of the trade of the West ? The truth is, that Pennsylvania legislation against Pennsylvania interests has measurably neutralized our geographical advantages, of shorter distance and milder climate. Idas not the time at length arrived, when injurious discrimination, under the name ot tonnage tax, shall cease, and otir citi zens shall have a fair and equal ediance to avail themseivesof their position, enterprise and industry ? llepeatcd unsuccessful efforts have been made to impose, or rather re-impose, the tonnage tax on New Yoik roads. rl he strong sense of self-interest in the musses of her people, especially the mercantile, manufacturing and producing classes, has always sueetssiuiiy ltsi&ted these attempts. If New York, like Pennsylvania, teemed with mineral treasures, how much strong er would be their interest in freedom of traffic ; with what hearty union of resolu tion would they resist any effort, from any qvasrter, to impede the progress of im provement, by which the treasures hid in the bowels of the caith are brought to light lor the use of man and the aggran dizement of the Mate. Yet this view, so plain elsewhere, is subject cf doubt and dissent among us ; although, as Pennsyl vania's, q ail have an intoiesr, direct or indirect, in what so deeply concerns our common prosperity. The whole subject was fully discussed at the last session of the Legislature of Nov.- York. On the one iide. it was con tended that the competition between the Central liailroad and the Male Canals justified, and the condition cf the public iinaijccs. demanded, the re-imposition ol the tax neither of which arguments ap ply in Pennsylvania but it was said, in reply : "Tli at it should bo the wish and effort of enlightened statesmanship to lluce through our State and into its metropolis these streams of Western merchandise, and to nid our channels uf communication in diverting it from rival lines by a fos tering legislature, instead ol so enpntinir cm own roads as to drive thi.s trade away from us ; for it is a.s absurd to sum-oso that the humnn heart can carry on its pulsa- tions, scnuing oloo I through ii its CiKill- neis to the extremities. as tual the marts cf the State can lemain wealthy or retain their inilueuce and prcs'ige, wheri these j channels of trade are strangulated or dried j u::. And ;e:ii;i : The : of this State arc subject- cd to bovvc; f ul com re urn, liotn wiiiun 1 1 i ll ' late with the canals and each other, and without from lines having different interests, ami tei initiating sometimes at the sf.me and sometimes at diffeient poluts. In their ability to sustain themselves agaiust such competition, their stockhold ers, creditors and the public at large have a common, although not an equal interest. In their successful resistance ol all attcmnts to divert business to routes outside of the State, and thus to abridge our trade and depreciate cur property in value, the peo ple of the State and City of New York iiavo a deep and permanent interest. Put, bevond and above all this, we onpo.-e, u:: the broadest principles, all restrictions up on trade,' holding that the interests of tho public are best subserved by allowing the carrying-trade to take -care of itself, and property to seek its own channel for reach ing a mariict.' For these, and kindred reasons, ampli fied in various modes, subjected to all pos sible tests, alter bearing full evidence and elaborate argument, the Legislature of New York refused to impose the tonnage tax refused to allow their ITailroads to be trammeled in their operations, as are those of Pennsylvania. They assert their commercial supremacy, and they maintain it bv liberating transportation from tdl ar-tifie-ial burthens. The lesson taught by Yvashiugton, in 1781, of taking counsel from our Northern rivals, commends itself, with the additional weight ol' experience, to the Pennsy Iranians of ISol. OONSEQUJ'NCES:. - Put, even if New York and Tdaryland combined in subjeclinlr their railroads to n hostile tax, it would not clire the evil to Pennsylvania. For this, a universal con spiracy of extortion ou all roads is at once necessary and impossible, impossi ble, because to bo of eqaally effective re pression of energy and industry, it would require combination of all the States with which jur llailroads communicate. For instance : ail the lines leading from the Seaboard to the Ohio and Mississippi val leys communicate with roads running thro' the Western States ; each one of which may, by local burthens on their own roads, whether unirorm or various, levy a virtual tax on the trunk lines with which they connect, by imposing a tax on the freight which passes both over them and their local roads, for, 'as each line is dependent on the other, what touches one aC'ects all. Tli in fatal Ji.-cord hr.s beer, strong!)" com mented on by the Supreme Court oi the United States-, that tribunal having recent ly declared as follows: 4,lf this may be done in New Yovlc, ev ery other iState may do the same, on ail the lines of our internal navigation. Pas sengers on a steamboat which plies on the Ohio, the Mississippi, or any of our other rivers, or on the lakes, may be required to pay a tax, imposed at the discretion of each State within which the boat shall touch. And the same principle will sus tain a right in every State to tax all per sons who shall pass through its territory on railroad cars, canal boats, stages, or in any other manner. This would enable a State to establish and enforce a non-intercourse with every other State. Congress has rccruhited commerce and intercourse with foreign nations and be tween the several States, by iciUiny ti it it s,(i?i he frcr and it is therefore not left to the discretion in c;ch State in the L'nion cither to refuse a right ot passing to per sons or property through her territory, or to exact a duty for permission to exercise it. A tax or duty upon tonnage, merchan dise or passenircrs. is a regulation of com merce, and cannot be laid by a Su;te, ex cept under the sanction of Congress, and for the purpose specliied in the Constitu tion." If tills tonnage tax can bo lawfully lev ied on through freight, any State, moved by mistaken views of interest, c-r impelled by apparent necessity, or deluded by preju dice, or inflamed by animosity, m-.iy, by tax or prohibition, impair or destroy tne social and commercial communications of the nation. I'or if this power of incumbrance or prohibition does exist in the Slates, it is because the Constitution is, in this regard, inoperative. If the Constitution i inop erative, the States stand on their original sovereignty. Sovereignty is, in nature p. a in name, suprcnue. it knows neither law nor limit. ihe will or whim of a sin.-le member of the I'nb-n may declare a des-poii.-m over all the vest in reference to all subjects bv which th jir respective citizens ate L-rougut itiio contacr. Pennsylvania, by the tonn.-tgo d"fy, j levies a tax on an tue iroous ami nrouuets d an tr.c ( Uier Mates east ana west, pas- iii .i i. pass- nig over the Ponu.-vlvania liailroad, and on ever s.".!fi. i i .vi lrl; if.t- "WMtu-imi,-., o.e ia vhith they are consumed. Tlmy may be like powers, w hicli are no 'invoked to the exercise of tack our ue of their roads irce ax ail our coa iron, wheat and manulaetuic.i which enter their horde :.i..l t.s .;:v tiv,.,,. t,, our! hens e qual to or cxeceu:i;Lr thoce w:i;c4i y;e exact ii ni tjicirs. Pennsylvania is one of the great portals of the West. If she refuses access exeunt ou payment of tribute, she invites retalia tion. Let it be o.iro commenced, and her vast trade to and from the valley j'of the Mississippi must be spcedity annihilated. Hemmed in by other States, she is at the mercy of them all, for- what she can do, they may do. In asserting the legality and policy of the tonnage tax, she gives imounitv to adverse legislation against her own produce and people. This competition of extortion is wholly inconsistent with the fraternal feeling which formed the Federal Union. It is I r ivif !i r.nfmii-d eh:i ivir-E' i Thic: c.v,,i . ... i i f i . . ,4 c:es oi tax, ov caen Mate on cacti oilier on cacti other State, it exacted, would prove worse thaa the iniTiOst duties of (he reify tie-man principalities, or the river tribute of the Pihcnish lords. The progress ot civiliza tion has abolished these extortions. It cannot be that enlightened Pennsylvania will continue the abandoned polic of semi-barbarous times ; least of ail that she will subject, her own citizens to st.ecial .impediments in the pursuit of their inter ests, or repress, by legislative cnactiacnts, the realization of the riches which nature, from countless ages, has preserved and accumulated, ready for available use, whenever called for by the iudustry of man. If these views are sound, thev efTeclual- the veriest Shyloek is liberality itself rather the generosity of a gift thaa thc usury of a loan. THE REMEDY, PLAIN AND SURE. Put we proceed to show that an ar rangement may be made, by which even this solitary and umsustuined objection is met, not by argument but by money ; that, by it, ali restrictions on the power of the Company to compete with rival routes for foreign ireigut will be obviated, all lm pediment to thc development of our in- ly answer tne short-sighted objection to , , , . ;- , . ,. t Coummv now r.sks only the rcnerl of that i i r ii - .ii,,. i 1 Lie values and u.xes resulting from ihe ' , , J ' , , the repeal of be tax, lounded upon the ; , , , c la.:;, audio be nut under such jrencral simple consideration that it brings a ccr- cnla1 !a";,cl eounttng (Iie LtJ,hl(urc w nt th:1Q tain1 sum into the treasury, for they prove j fQ ,01f e rcuuctiou o the uebe .a c fit (o cnnct' the HiUlIgr.tion of that the money obtained is at a cJst to ,lUl"Ul f ''-:md assets, o varioas thc t h d mod which the most extortionate demand of , clonn,. u .1,0 h e, wh.1w,U iGcd only bv the restriction imposed by j tcrnal' resources will bo removed, the leg- j islativc shackels on freedom ofiiidividual i enterprise and industry will be struck off. the artiiieial cost of the necessaries ami comforts of life will be diminished to the natural standard, the burthens on maim- iacturcrs, miners, Jarmevs, artis::ns, on t.r.idiirs mill eoiisrri'ors. will bo none bur. those absolutely neosar for the trans - port of the articles which they need; and iliat this freedom of hiicreour.-e may be cotinccteu with the payment u: the j-itonc debt, so that, in the- present, the State credit will be maintained, and in the fu ture; the State taxes wiil be reduced; that meantime, and progressively, dome-tic capital will seek the p: idaVde nive-tu cuts the prosperity of the State, they desire, which renewed enterprise wiil offer, and to the full extent which can be expected to the same "end, ioreign capita will be cf them, to unite in u;i effort to accom altraeted by the removal of tho.-e burthens j jdbh the results, shown tube so generally winch have hitherto repelled it from oar advantageous, consequent on the repeal ot boundaries. i the tonnage tax; and for this end, and to Let us see how we stand, and what is I uvoHllonir liti-athm bet ween those having proposed. It is clearly shown by olliclal reports, that in 1850, the lirst year that thu effect of tho sale of the public works becau.e apparent, the sum of S8-10.0OU was paid on the State debt. This did not include any tonnage tax, but did include the in terest duo from the Sunbury and llrio'j Company on the purpose of the canals. j In 1800 there was paid 8uG0,0j0, with- j out including cither tonnage tax or inter- j est from the Sunbury and 'Erie Ptallroad j Company. . " It is apparent therefore, that the oreli- j nary revenue 'of the Si ate, at the present j assessed value of r.roperty and present S'ate tax, reduced as it is to 1 miiL, fur nishes an annual urplu.3 beyond the ex pense's of government, and all other char ges except interest on loans, and not in- i c iudiug tonnage tax, of at least C'-, 700,000. Add to the piestnt revenue the proposed increased payments of the Pennsylvania liailroad on account of debt due the Com monwealth for Main Line, and it is ren dered certain that a payment of more than $00,WJ can Le laade in IS'il, and that amount may be in-creased yearly, as the prineipal OI ioe cc-bt 'I 1. . j' ii....:.. i . . . a -i - x ut? lotiOWiUtr siaieuicnz ex ii ions me i . 4 giaduul process cf pavthent of the Stite debt, by the surplus revenue : Starting on the 1st ofJacm-ry, li'Gl. m iind tii e Slate dibi to amount to SC3. 00.000 0f:0 From the Auditor-Gt-neraFs f r,-., j (-.,,. ;, cars that j the rckoiiics lioai ail sources were i lixpe-nsp? oi eovcrnmeni ii:T School Fand. Ani.ni- tic", i'ca.-i;-i, A i'C t.or.s to ltoso.t.i.s, aa.i alt w1 her cx- peaces of the State, . scent In terest, and Pa nuats tj th inki'-g I'ntol for the reduction of the iaie 1.03D.232 S'-i Surplus for 1 STa. O - v. f Th;-.nn;i:il turplu?.aftcrpay i;;g the ll.pen.-es cf t!ocrn-' aieiit. there-fore, may be- t.uViy csiiiaated at $2,700,000 00 Uf tins sum must be p.ud for interest ou debt, 1.100,000 00 Leaving available, toward payment of principal, for lStl, SS00.003 00 At the end cf 1801, the debt is thus reduced to S'a7,2U0,0Q0 00 Avaifcible, to decrease this debt, we have the surplus, as above, cf ' 600,000 0 0 The interest to be paid, in 1802, is ou the diminished sum of $37,2C'J,OUO; con sequently the interest for 1802 is 81,800,- ' ' ' : kavii;'' L'S-ii'.OOO. as the surrdus of i .... ' . . ., . '. L,lf the principal The next year, 1800, the debt Leintr still further diminished, the interest is also decreased, and the entire balance of the annua) surplus on the interest becomes available for the reduction of the principal. These operations being yearly contin ued, the process of reduction of interest and principal becomes yearly more rapid ; and, at the end of 1885, the accumulations, thus regularly applied, will have fully paid the entire debt of the Commonwealth, and this without a dollar of revenue being ex tracted from the people in the form of tonnage tax; and, without increase of taxation of any kind, without estimating tlio tegular and urauuai increase ol taxa i ,,f . ..i-;., j . j- 7 i et,t , i,,,, i. .i i i i Ianv n.sKS no relinnutshiner.t or nnpair- ehase or Mate loan in tho market below ! ' ,. , , i i r i , . i ment ot the legislatire power, no relpae par, the general average being from five . 1 , ' I I .1 - .i i i from ordinary taxation, no auvautagc over to ten per cent, that tuav thus bo saved. ! ., - ' .. , . , A table here follows, .l.owiagthat amin I r person or corpora tioo, but only 1S?5, the eniiro priurtp.! would bo paid' cf, j lf r-l-.V m bearing her equal share of the. leaving ft surplus of :.- 7-4, 35-1 27 over the j public burthens. -ainountieq-tiired to pay j?rthe bal .nce ofdebt j That this act of simple justice is hor Fremi the foregoing estimates and cai- rstiy asked to enable the Company fully cuiatious, h is cieariy shown mat ttie en- tire debt of Pennsylvania is noio provided With her system of internal im - 28. .JLJ2it 5- provements fully complete 1, wu'.cn can , accompibbe d by a liberal ::.; ;ey, wdno ! expenditure by the St ite : thi; fully complete 1, which can be Kt Ut . increased prosperity tlm Me progres- ! sing as slowly in the future as in tne pisi, j which seems very unlikely we shall, j with judicious management, be irce irom I debt befote the year Pi8.. ! Having thi r-.ivcn he reguiar j revenue of ihe Slate is competent toeaeetj j vfe proceed to iuqeire WHAT Tilt: PENNSYLVANIA KAILROAD t'OMI'AXY IS V,'ILLINi TO 1J IN AID OP TIIU STAT?; AND UZH CITIZEN!!". A.s the corporation and -!ti.e,riS "who oivn tbo V lilcid :ire de-cnlv interested in a common interest, are willing to niateaa arrangement fur settling all present and impending controversies, by eommutatiou of the tonnage dutv now claimed by tho Mate, t.n the lowing terms 1st. 'io pay to the State four hundred and sixty thousand dollars veaily, until the year LSiH., in semi-annual payments, in commutation of the tonnage tax, and on account of the principal and interest due on the purchase of the Main Line the entire balance due in 1800 to be then. paid. This sum. t dded to over 880,000 per annum ioroidinary taxes, as now paid, on their property, will make the entire amount, paid yearly by tne Company to the State, exceed Ik' a million of ihAhirs. To settle the controversy now pen ding between the Company and the State, by advancing, for the internal improve ments of the Commonwealth, the whole sum in dispute, being the. tax accrued from August 1, 1857, to the following llaihoads, in proportion to their length, namely 5 The" Charticrs Valley. The- Pitlsburir and Sicubenville. a lie ; Fa vet to C it v. The West Pei::.- I , ania. The Fbensburg and Cresson The ilooeweii and Bedford. The Tyrone and Clearfield. The M'ifiliti and Centre County. The Chambers'. y rg and Allegheny. b'd. To reduce the 'atcs of local freight by deducting therefrom the amount now chargeable for tonnage tax. Ibis obliga tion to be general, and its violation to render the elieadiug Company liable for double the amount of the present tonnago tax. 4th. The Com -any fo be always liable for all taxes which are or may -be imposed by any general law upon other railroad' for State purposes. It is believed that this plain statement vindicates itself, and that argument, to sustain its justice and wisdom, is needless. ft -,v ill be recollected, that by the Main Line law it was provided that the pay ment of $1,500,000 should forever release the Company from liability for any taxes whatever for State purposes. The prop erty of the Company now yields tUe State a revenue of over 8S0,000 per year, which is 85,000 more than the interest, at five percent, of 81 ,500,000 ; so that, at the rate of interest fixed iy the law under which the Company bought the Main Line, they are now actually paying an amount of taxes which more than repre sents the sum which was to release them. It follows that a strong equity arises in their faVor against the payment of tho tonnage tax, for, to compel them to pay it is, in cfhV-t, to obtain for the State all the compensation for all the taxes provided by the Act of Assembly of 1857, and to hold the Company, at the s.auie time, to the l irger portion of the taxation from which ihe Legislature agreed to release them. This equity appeal not less strongly to every honest man's sense cf justice, ho cau.-e, on a mere technical j oint, the Su preme Court decided that, as n contract, this was void. On the contrary, as the Court declared that, although the Legisla ture could not bind its successors, it was competent to a simple repeal of the law which imposes the tonnage tax, and as the ; thc Court, becomes apparent. Tli3 Com- 0 fulfil her function of serving the public at the lowest possible price is evident . frQrn their willingness to abr.t? q r V. R ;V
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers