poratioas Hone in this great achievement 1-- UThere are the trophies of their generous spirit, their valor or their utility 1 They .are behind the times they belong to an age that is past, i hn lime was. in other countries, where all the wghts ofthe people were usurped by despotic governments, when a grant uy ine mug iu a pur uon of his sucjects, of corporate privileges, to carry on trade, or for municipal purposes, was a partial enfranchisement, and made the means of, resuming some of their civil rights. Then and then comorations had merits, and were cherished hv the friends of liberty. But, in this ase and country, under our free system, where the people are sovereign to grant special privi leges, it is an inversion of the order of things. It is not to restore, but to take away from the people, their common rightsand give them to a few. It is to go back to the dark ages for instruction in the science of government, and having found an axamplc, to wrest it from its original purpose, and to make it the instrument of restoring the inequality of despotism, which its introduction tended to correct. The fallacy that, where large investments are required to carry on a profitable business, (and corporators do not associate for that which is unprofitable,) individual means are inadequate, is everywhere refuted in this happy country. Further, by cherishing any particular bust npss, and surrounding it with special pnv hcps, the natural law, which secures to every branch of business its appropriate encourage ment and reward, is violated. Under this law, so kindly provided by Him who rules all things, every individual man, untrammelled by the cur ses of" bad government, guided by his moral and intellectual powers ane hid religions principles, ndvances his own happiness and improves his won condition ; and, thus, the happiness and prosperity of all are promoted Every effort to modify or subvert this sovereign law, by pla cing classes, professions or callings beyond its control, has hitherto, and ever will, like every hfi destructive of good. If our free institutions are right if it is right that all men should be held equal if this is the law of our nature, enstamped by Him who made us, then every human law which impairs this equal ity, is radically and instrinsically wrong. The Report'of the Canal Commissioners will furnish information, in detail, in regard to the public works. Notwithstanding the interrup tions of business experienced during the year, the gratifying result is presented, of a lrrge in crease of tolls over any preceding year. The increased and increasing value of these great works, render them an object worthy of peculi ar care and protection; and must, forever, ne gative the idea of the State surrendering the control over them, to a corporation. The Pennsylvania railroad company have commenced the construction of their road, be tween this place and the city of Pittsburg, under very favorable auspices. The Eastern division is now under contract as far as Lewistown, and it is expected the remaining portion of it, as far as Hollidaysburg, will be put under contract du ring th ensuing Spring. The completion of this great public work, even to Hollidaysburg, will augment the trade and travel upon the Phil adelphia and Columbia road. This prospective increase of business urges the necessity of con sidering the best means of avoiding the inclined plane, at the Schuykill. As the Philadelphia and Columbia railroad, is the important link which connects the main line of our public improvements, as well as the North and West branch canals, with the commercial metropolis of the State, and upon the control and management of which the value of our ca nals mainly depend, everything which relates to it, is of the highest concern to the interest of the Commonwealth In adopting measures to change its route, so as to reach the city without passing the inclined plane, the greatest circum spection and care should be observed, to secure the best location practicable, and to protect the State against exorbitant claims for damages. No change of location should- be- sanctioned, until the whole question is carefully examined, by one or more of the most competent engin eers, who are entirely free from all interest in .the decision. Under no circumstances, should any plan or arrangement be entertained, by which the Stale would, for a single moment, be deprived of the ownership and entire control of he road. The reports of the Auditor General, and State j Treasurer, present in detail the financial opera tions of the year; and Itake pleasure in saying, that the industry, ability, and fidelity, with which these departments have been administered, are deserving of the highest commendation. The Commonwealth has heretofore sustained many losses, by the delay of the settlement of accounts, and the omission to enforce the pay ment of the balances found due, when settled. Within the last few years, many old accounts have, been finally settled, and suits brought and prosecuted to judgment and execution, for bal- j ances 01 long standing, embracing the terms of several administrations. This has, in many in- Ntannps. nroduced cases of pvtrpmp. hardshin , t .j. upon bail, some of whow have been compelled! to pav the balances found due, with the accum- ulated interest, after the insolvency of their prin cipals and co-sureties. I am gratified in being able to say, that the business imposed udon the accounting officers, by a special act of assembly in collecting these old debts aasnot only been faithfully performed, but that the current business has been prompt ly attended to, and kept up. To enable the Au ditor General, however, tr continue to do full justice to the interests of the State, and all con cerned in the prompt settlement of accounts, liberal provision should be- made to- pay addi tional clerk hire. While on this subject, I would respectfully invite attention to tbe organization of the offices of the Auditor General and State Treasurer, to ascertain whether the regulations and checks existing are sufficient, in all respects, to secure a proper accountability, and protect the inter ests of the Commonwealth. It is true, that the public has for many years sustained no losses by the Treasury, but I apprehend that the faith fulness of the. agents, having charge of these departments and not the ch&cks provided by the law, has produced this result. This is a propi tious period for instituting an examination of the subjects, particularly as the present worthy officers hold so large a share of the public con fidence. Since the establishment of the present system, ihe gnances of the State have increased from a few hundred thousands, to nearly ibur millions of dollars annually. The .Regulations and checks which were then considered suffi .cient, may now he inadequate to protect the in terests of the Commonwealth in its enlarged and increasing financial operations. The Audiior,Genctars office, to be an effi cient check upon thV Treasury, should be so or gauized, that the Auditor. General might .know at all times, the condition of the1 Treasury? from books of his own office, without being depend ent on those of the Treasury. If errors or omissions sxist in the Treasury, the Auditor Generals books should delect and correct them. This is not the case under the present organi zation and mode of doing bvsiness in the two offices. It also occurs to me, that greater security against the misapplication of the moneys in the Treasvry, and on desposite in the banks, to the credit of the Treasurer, should be proprivid, by the institution of somo bhecks upon his drafts and payments. The moneys of the Common wealth, on deposite to the credit of the Treas urer, varying in amount, for some months in the year, from four hundred thousond, to near a mil lion of dollars, are subject to his draft, alone, while he is only required to give security in the sum of eighty thousand dollars. Thus a very great and dangerous power is confided to one man. 1, therefore, suggest the propriety of requir ing the Auditor General to countersign all drafts for the payment of money drawn by the Treas urer, on "the depositories, or for transferring moneys from one depository to another. The report of the Adjutant General, exhibits the number of the militia of the Commonwealth, as well as the arms and military stores. This' detail shows the elements of the milita ry power of the Commonwealth the strength of a Republican Government. The experience of the last few years, has added proofs to the value of this institution and presents the sub ject, as one of great importance, to the care and supervision of the Legislature. The report of the Superintendent of Common Schools, exhibits a full view of the progress and steady advancement, of out admirable system of Common School instruction, which is diffusing its blessings to the rising generation, and strenghens all our free institutions. The man who loves his race, cannot find a more delight ful subject of contemplation, than this universal provision for the education of all the children of . . . .1 r-i the UoiVimonwealtn; and tnus arming mem wun knowledge and power, and fitting them for main taining the rank and dignity of freemen. The perfection of the system, is one of the noblest objects of legislation, and will secure the early and continued attention of the General Assem bly You are respectfully referred to the report of the Surveyor ueneral lor iniormatton in reiauon to the operation of the Land Office, during the past year, by which it will be seen, the receipts into the Treasury, from that source, have been increased. The final Geological report, now finished and ready for the press, has been deposited by Hen ry D. Rogers, Esq., the State Geolgist, with the Secretary of the Commonwealth'. This report is represented to contain a general and scientif ic view of all the Rocky strata, and their con tents their order of arrangement, and the" re gion of country they occupy, and representing, in detail, the situation of every layer of Coal, every important vein and bed of iron ore, and every other mineral deposite, of utility, within the State. The State has expended a large sum in collecting the materials, and-information contained in this elaborate and extensive report, which will be, in a great degree, lost, unless it is published. I, therefore, recommended the subject of publication to the eaaly attention of the Legislature. The rights of property of married women, pre sent, in my opinion, a proper subject of legisla tive consideration. By our laws, the husband, upon marriage, possesses the power of becom ing the absolute owner of the personal estate of his wife, by reducing it into possession, and when he thus acquires this ownership, he may dispose of it by will, at his death, to whom he pleases, sne lias tne privilege, oy law, ot re nouncing the estate or property devised or be queathed to her by will ; and upon such renun ciation, she is entitled to dower of her husband's real estate, of which he died seized. The wife has no control of her own personal estate, or of that of her husband during the marriage, unless it be an extorted allowance for necessaries; and at her death, she has no power to dispose of even that which was her own, by will; but the whole belongs to the husband. The husband may encumber his estate, by contracting debts without the consent of his wife ; and by his dy ing intestate, she is only entitled to the one third of the real estate, after the payment of all the debts; and, if the real estate is not sufficient to the p'ayment of the debts, she looses all. But the wife cannot encumber the real estate she holds in her own-right', and upon her death, the whole vests in the husband, during his natural life. The policy, as well as the justice of this dis tinction, made by the law in favor of the hus band, and against the wife, may well be ques tioned. The liberal and enlightened spirit of the age, has developed and secured the rights of man, and has redeemed woman and elevated her, from the degrading position she occupied, and placed her, where she always should have been, at the side of her husband, his equal in rank and dignity. Then why should her rights of property still ber to a great extent, controlled by the contracted and illiberal enactments of an age, when her husband was her lord, and he might chastise her, by law, as if she wore a servant? Our law very carefully provides, that the husband" shall not without the formal con sent of his wife, convey his real estate by deed, so as to bar her right of dower, and if this con sent is not given, her right is protected, after his death against the claims of his creditors. Now, if this be a sound principle, and worthy of the solemn sanctions it has received from the Legislature and the Judiciary, why should' it not be extended, so as to preserve to the" wid ow her dower, in all cases where the husband has not' only by deed, but by other means, sanc tioned by the law, disposed of his real estate, without the formal consent of his wife ? If the husband contracts debts, his real estate is as ef fectually transferred by the law, for the use of his creditors, as if he had conveyed it by deed, with the consent of his wife r thus the law, at present, enables the husband, by one mode of transfer, to bar his wife's dower, without her consent, while it protects her rights whh the greatest pertinacity, if he adopts another mode of transfer. If the widow's right of dover is good in one case, as is universally admitted, Ji is eq-ually as good hi the other, andv the power x)f the husband tcrtake it away, by changing the mode of transferring the estate, is destructive of a sound and well established principle, and should Le repealed. This conclu&ion appears to me tobte irresistable ; and I, therefore, re commenHHhe" passage of a law, securing to mar ried women their right of dower, in all. cases where the estates of their husbands are tfa'ns-V ferred, after the' passage of an act',, witobut the?.' formal consent. ; . ?'in the' annual message to the legislature, at the last session, and in several messages con taining objections to bills for dissolving marriage contracts, have expressed my opinions upon the subject of granting legislative divorces. These opinions have been strengthened by fur ther reflection, and I shall adhere to them. The great purposes for which the law-making power was established in the Commonwealth, have been, accomplished. General laws have been enacted, and have received the approbation of the people, for securing the enjoyment of life, the liberty, and reputation of the citizens, and for protecting them in the acquisition, posses sion, and transmission of property, attd in the pursuit of their own happiness. The founda tions of good government being thus laid, the time of the General Assembly, at its annual sessions, is more occupied in providing for the contingencies that arise in the progress of our affairs, than in changing the organic laws, as is attested by reference to the annual enactments of the Legislature. For some years past, but few general, while a large number of local laws, have been enacted. The tendency seems to sub stitute special, for general legislation ; a prac tice which may well be regarded as of doubtful utility and it presents a question, which, in my opinion, deserves grave 'consideration. General laws, affecting the whole community, receive, in their discussion, the deliberate con sideration of all the Representatives of the peo ple. That which interests all, arrests the atten tion, and secures the care and close, investiga tion of all Hence, general laws have impress ed upon them, the wisdom, the experience, and the judgment, of every member of the Legisla ture. .Having received this deliberate sanction, they usually meet with the approbation of the people and become permanent rules of action. This reasonable practice, limits and simplifies the questions submitted for legislative discus sion, is calculated to shorten the sessions, re duce the expenses of government, and give dig nity and importance to the proceedings of the General Assembly. On the other Jhand, local legislation excites no interest. A few members, only, who repre sent the county, township or borough, in which the change of the law is proposed, are concerned . in arranging the provisions, and being too'often passed upon their request, those special acts are sent forth, with all the imperfections, which the wisdom and deliberate care of the whole body, if they had been general laws, would have corrected. The direct tendency of this prac tice is to multiply the demand for local laws a demand which has increased from year to year to an alarming extent, which no industry of the General Assembly will be able, within the limits of an ordinary session, to satisfy, if the practice is continued. Is it not impracticable, in a great Slate like Pennsylvania, to .provide special acts to meet all the different and changing, views of the citizens of every borough, township and .county ? and if this were practicable, would not the1 policy of establishing art infinite variety of different rules for the same people, be exceed ingly questionable, and introduce great confu sion and uncertainty 1 Would il not defeat one great and beneficial object of sound legislation-, which is permanency of the laws ' Is there not true wisdom end sound policy in preserving and strengthening the unity of the Commonwealth, and in maintaining uniform interests, customs and habits 1 It is true, there are shades of dif ferences in the condition and local circumstan ces of the citizens of seperate districts of the State ; but, in an advancing and improving country, where intercourse is so direct-, and the social. relations of life are so generally diffused, these will giadually and certainly disappear under the influence of general laws. We are one people, without reference- to our ancestry, or the place of our birth. We are all Pennsyl vanians we have the same' constitution of gov ernment the same common rights then why should we not have the same common law 1 In conclusion, permit me to assure you, gen tlemen, that I shall most heartily co-operate with you in all your efforts' to advance our be loved Commonwealth, and to promote the wel fare of the people. FRS. R; SKUNK. Executive Chamber, Ilarrisburg, January 5, 1818. "j Bclawnre Honesty'. There was not a single whiio citizen of our county tried or convicted of a criminal offence, at the last session of our court. The only white man tried or convicted was Levi Nice, from Pennsylvania, and his back was so scored and cut up at the whipping-post that we do not Uiittk he will viait Delaware again in- a hurry. If he does he will be a marked man, as he is bound to wear the large letter T, Of a red color, on his outside garment, and if found with it ofT he will be taken up and whipped again. Popes, Kssfigs and Queens. Rev. Dr. Baird, in a recent lecture, published in the Hartford Charter Oak, speaks of certain princes, iu the following terms : The Pope i a man of fine talenis, the beat Pope Rome hn had for many a day. He is enlightened and liberal in his views, and though strongly at tached io the Roman Catholic faith, yet desires that haly should lako a higher stand among the countries of Europe. The Queen of England is a proud woman. She does not posness greai talents, but is smart-'-and every year is hue (Hir ing a better Queen. In privato character, the four worst mnnarchs in Europe are the Kings of Hanorer, Holland, Bavaria, and Naples. These Kings are notoriously vicious. The oili er8 are generally moral, many of them, exem plary in private life - A meeting was held at the ci'y of Mexico on the 4th of December last, 'in which Ameri cans and Mexicans participated, in faior of iho construction of a railroad from thai-place to Vr-a Cruz. 1 "' - JEFFERSONIAN REPUBLlCANnd Eie-Rail R"LCompanyf foan alteration -- 'in the law granting them the privilege of con- Thmsday, January S3, 14. Terms,$2,00iu advance. $2,25 lif yearly; and $2.50 if not paid bofore the end of the year. Cp L. BARNES, at Milford,. is. duly author ized to act as Agent for this paper: to receive sub- c?rrit1iMncr fwlt'nrt i en m onto 'rxrA n o f t trrlr 1 and payments for the same. XHJ3 COURT. The January term. of ihe Court of Monre county, commenced on .the 10th instant. A full report of ihe proceedings will be eiven in our next. Bj-B.S.SpiiooNOVKR.Esq.oriheHowelQj;! jj West, Esq., Duct. A. A. of Representatives, will please accept our tanks for an early copy of the Governor's message. Pennsylvania iLegisIatnrc. The Legislature assembled at Ilarrisburg on the 4th inst. Nearly all the members of both hou- j ses were present. In the Senate, Mr. Williamson, of Chester, was elected Speaker; S. W. Pearson, of Somerset, Clerk; J. H. McCalhv, of Franklin, and .lames D. Desmond, of Philadelphia, Trans- scribing Clerks ; William. Eastburn, of Monroe. Sergeant-at-Arms; J. Wilson Covvell, of Bucks, Doorkeeper; Philip Weber, of Dauphin, Messen ger. The officers elected are all Whigs, having received the unanimous vote o'f the Whig Sena tors, and some of them, of the whole Senate. Mr Darsie, from the Select Committee, to whom was referred the Message ofthe Governor, asking that an appropriation of $50,000 be made, to pay the money loaned by the banks, and which was ap plied, to the repair ofthe breaches in the Pennsyl vania Canal, reported a bill to provide for extraor dinary repairs on the public works, which was ta- ken up and passed. No other business of much importance was transacted, except the reference; of the Governor's Message to the appropriate com- mjUceg Rlorc Bank Failures. The New York papers state that the Rochelle Bank, the Atlas Hank, and ihe James Bank at Jamestown, all in the State of New York,, have suspended payment. What's the matter 1 Is this the operation of the Tariff of 1846 ? breakers Aizead f All accounts concur in representing the mon etary affairs in New York in a most deplorable condition, owing chiefly to the enormous ex penditures for the Mexican War, and the oper ations of the Sub-Treasury. The New York correspondent ofthe North American, Saturday last, said " It was the general talk of the street that ihe Sub-Treasury was broke to-day, the drafts on it being five hundred thousand dollars, and the specie in vault only four hundred thousand. The White House had plenty of Treasury Notes, but the pains and penalties forced him to pay out coin. Yesterday a draft could not be paid on presentation, but was paid before 3 o'clock. Broke or not broke, to that complex ion the Treasury must come at last, if nothing but Treasury Notes are paid in and nothing but specie paid out. The receipts of the Custom House here this week have been $232,000, of which only $78,000 was in coin SI 54,000 iu Notes." This drain of specie presses heavily upon the hanks i and the New York Herald savs A suspension states them in the face, which ever way ihey may turn, and there appears to be no escape from it, from the present com plexion of things. Unless something favorable turns up unless some unlooked for change lakes place we see no hope no prospect of avoiding the scenes of 1837. The Bankers and capitalists, in erery section ofthe country, are watching the progress of the ten regiment bill with the most intense anxie'y. It is with fear and trembling that they sue us adoption al most a matter of certainty. It will he difficult to tell whether the government or the banks will be in the most embarrassing situation, in the event of Congress doing anything calcula ted to increase the wants of the Treasury De partment. In the event ofthe banks suspend ing, where will the government get specie to meet i's expenditures according to the provis ions of the Independent Treasury act ? The banks can stipend and hold on to what specie ihey may have at the lime ; but the government cannot suspend payment and carry on the war. The future looks dark and gloomy enough, and every one asks what will be the result of this business V One of the latest Locofoco falsehoods, is Jhat the Whig Senators at Hamburg, in cau cus, took into consideration the propriety of re fusing to allow Senator Small to lake his seat, because he was absent last session, with the army in Mexico. Randall Hutchinson, a clerk in ih'e Mint at Philadelphia, has decampedi-leavinga; defalca tion of $20,000 behind" hhri. KaiI RoadflnTcctiuB in ITIilford. , .Ihf pursuance of previous public notice a largjEs number ofthe citizens of the coun'y of Pike, assembled at the Pike County House, kept by Jacob S. Sandt, in Milford, on Snur day the 8th inst., for the purpose of taking into cornideration the application of the New York Uiruciing a portion of their Road in Pike emm- : 'Y' Urgai Brodhead, Organized by electing the Hon. John H. President ; Samuel S. Thrall, of Diirgman township, and John IL Wallace, of Milford, Vice Presidents; Daniel Bur.rell, of ! Dingmair, and II. S. Moil, of Milford, as Secrc larics. On motion of Win. C. Salmon, E-q , ihe following gentlemen were appointed a com mittee io draft resolutions expressive of tho sense of the meeting, to wit : Win. C. Salmon, Esq; Cornelius W. Dewitt, Linos. . , In the absence ofthe committee John M Hel ler, Esq f made report of the correspondence had beiw.eeh iliesaid Company and. a committee of Citizens, of whom he was a member. After which, H. S. Molt, being caHed for made some suggestions which in his opinion would be prop er to pursue in the future relative to the mat ter and closed by moving that a subscription , he immediately put in circulation for the purpose J 0f raising a fund to defray the necessary ex penses incident to our measures, which" being carried, was done, and rosulted in a very liber al contribution, creditable io the citizens present. The committee on Resolutions, reported through their chairman Win. C. Salmon, Eq , ihe following Resolutions, which after iheir reading, and a very able and appropriate speech by t he chairman, were unanimously adopted. Whereas, it is understood that an. application on the pan of the New York and Erie Rail I Road Company, is about heing made to the Legislature ol 1 ennsyivama lor the repeal of la porwon oi mo aci oi otn ijarcn, LiSU), wtticn limns tne piace oi crossing into this county to some point oeiween uarpenters romt and the Glass House. This portion of ihe act provides also for a connection with the said rail road at or near Carpenters Point, by anv other rail road chartered or to be chartered by this State. The object of these provisions are to secure a Pennsylvania connection with that road. Owing, to the peculiar nature of the route, such a connection cannot be effected, should the place of cro&sing be above the Glass House the rocks at thai place permitting with difficul ty the construction of ihe Erie Road, and ren dering physically impossible any connection from th Pennsylvania side. The avowed ob ject of the Company in asking permission to change the place of crossing is to avoid the great expense incident io the construction of their road through the rocks at that place. It is not ihe object of ihe citizens of this Comrv I to- embarrass a corporation engaged iu an un dertaking of such magutinde. as ihe construc tion of the New York and Erie Rail Road, ami they would willingly have iheir petition grant ed were they not convinced that such grant would be attended with the sacrifice of "real and important interests, not of this County only, but of a large section of the State of Pennsyl vania. The citizens of this County, with a large number of the citizens of this State, have cherished the expectation that a connection be tween the New York and Erie Rail Road and Pennsylvania improvements, would be effected by a rail road passing up ihe valley of the Del aware. In view of ihis connection, the provi so sought to be repealed was inserted in the bill. When the application for the right of way was being made, the citizens of this County, were solemnly assured thai a bill thus limiting the place of crossing, would be entirely satis factory to the Company; and they, therefore, unanimously petitioned the Legislature for the passage of the act of 1846, by which these im portant interests were amply secured; without these provisions, the citizens of this County, would have as unanimously remonstrated against it. The present effort to change the place of crossing, strikes at the root of all these advan tages secured in the Bill, and is an attempt to procure indirectly legislation which could not be directly procured. Theiefore Resolved, that we look with confidence to the Legislature of our own State for the protection of these great and important interests; that we will unite ourselves and will invite the citizens of the neighboring counties interested, io unite with us in opposing the proposed change in the law, except upon terms permanenily securing to Pennsylvania the privilege of connection, and all the other interests and advantages se cured in the original bill. Resolved, that our immediato Representatives in the Legislature, are requested to oppose any change in tho existing law, except upon terras amply securing their objects. On motion the following gentlemen were ap pointed a Committee of Correspondence, to wit: John II. Wallace, C. C. D. Pinchot, John M. Heller, Wm. C. Salmon, Esq. and C. W. De Witt. On motion the following gentlemen were ap pointed a Committee to prepare remonstrances, &c, viz : H. S. Molt,. Wm. C. Salmon, Esq., and J. S. Wallace. Resolved, thai the proceedings of ihis meet ing be published in the Jefforsonian Republi can and Monroe Democrat. . . . r na i iuwi''ltJfc1liii
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