strongest efforts to the restoration of that
state of tranquility and confidence in the
intelligence and patriotism of the people,
that distinguished
,the administrations of
cur early republican predecessors. Let
this be done, and repose, prosperity, and
patriotic concord will again and forever
abide in our beloved Commonwealth.
In connection with the statemeot I have
felt it my duty to give of the financial
condition of the State, I have thought
these considerations respecting her credit
st,d resources necessary and proper to
prevent misapprehension, and to show
that, though monetary embarrassments do
exist, yet the foundations of her prosperi
ty and glory are neither shaken nor im
paired.
DAVID 11. PORTER.
26th January, 1839,
From the Gettysburg Star.
To my Constituents.
Fellow Citizens:--1 must trouble you
to read one more number upon the same
melancholy subject, with my two last. I
am driven to this lengthened exposition
because my. political enemies, have given
me much snore importance in the late
transactions than my own merit entitles
ins to. And because those political
friends, whose tender hearts or tender
nerves induced them to make a magnani
mous peace with a rebellious banditti by
surrendering to them the citidal of the
Constitution, in their public apologies fur
deserting their associates and submitting
to the enemy, intimate that they were has
tily and without due reflection led into
the position, whi,h they deserted in the
hour of need. 1 desire to shrink from
none of the responsibility of the course
pursued by the party with which I acted: j
Nay I am not willing to part with any of I
the glory of being among the foremost j
and most, unyeilding of those, who deter
mined never to grant any thing to the de
mands of the rebellious horde. But it is
due to truth that the public should know,
that none of those gentlemen took the
first steps hastily or thoughtlessly; or
turned back through honest conviction of
their error.
As I before stated, on Saturday the Ist
day of December nearly all the members
of the Legislature were in Harrisburg,
and as is usual on such occasions, each
party held informal meetings. The anti-
Van Buren members assembled at the
house of Mr. Gleim, and org anized by
appointing John Strohm, o f Lancaster,
chairman, and John K. Zeilin, of Dela
ware, Secretaiy. The following resolu
tions introduced by a &meter, and after
having been examined and explained at
great length, together with all the law
besring upon them, were unanimously
adopted, a quorum of each House being
present.
“Resuleed, That the evidence upon
which the members elect of either branch
of the Legislature are admissible to seals
in such branch is the returns of the elec-
tion of such member when he is elected
in a district composed of one county only,
enclosed, sealed, and directed to the Sen
ate or House, as the case may be, deliver
ed, by one of the Judges to the Sheriff of
the county, and transmitted by the said
Sheriff, or his deputy, to the Secretary of
the Commonwealth, and presented by
such Secretary to the members of the
Louse to %Illicit it relates, when they are
assembled for the purpose of organizing
their House.
Resolved, That when the district is
composed of more than one county, the
evidence on which such members are ad
missible is the returns from each county,
made as aforesaid, and such returns made
by the return judges from the several
counties, put under a sealed cover, direc
ted to the Secretary of the C o i mno n.
wealth by such judges, placed in the
nearest I ost Office, received by the See- i
retary of the Commonwealth, and by him
furnished to the said branch.
Resolved, That such evidence so fur
nished by the Secretary of the Common- I
wealth, is conclusive of the right of the:
member claiming a seat in the first in
stance, and that whether such returns be
true or false. 11 such returns be false, it'
can only be inquired of under the act of
1791, &c., by a committee appointed by
the House after it is organized, upon a
petition regularly made under such act,
complaining of such false return, and in
the meanwhile until such false return is
so set aside. the person certified ley it as
having, the highest number of votes, or
duly elected, is entitled to his seat in the
House, and to vote on all questions, ex•
cept such as relates to contesting his seat.
Resolved, That as we adhere to the
constitution and laws, we will organize
the respective branches of the legislature,
is no other way or manner than that so
pointed out by law."
On motion a joint committee of three
members of each House was appointed to
report fully to the meeting on Monday
the 3d of December. The meeting then
adjourned to meet at the same place on
the Monday followings when having re
assembled, Mr. Strohm a i gain in the chair,
a quorum of Senators and fifty-two mem
bers of the House present. 'lle com.
mittee appointed on the part of the Sen
ate made the following report—
The committee on the part of the Sen
ate appointed by the Democratic members
of the senate and House to consider the
mode of proceeding in organizing the
respective branches of the Legislature.
REPORT. 1 The committee on the part of the
That they have conferred, with the House made the following report:
committee on the part of the house, and ' The committee appointed to report the
that they are unanimously of opinion that manner of proceeding, and principles
in organizing either branch of the Legis-
upon which the House of Representa.i
lature, the members are bound to receive fives should be organized. Report.
in the first instance the returns of the
That the only evidence of title to a seat
1
election made either under the act of (in the first instant) upon which we wili
1799, or 1803 and furnished by the Sec.' act, is the returns sent to the House by
the Secretary of the Commonwealth."
rotary of the Commonwealth. They are
the only returns or evidence of the elec
These reports were fully considered 4.
lion which are directed to the body, every; unanimously adopted. no member preset
(of either !ouse) expressed the least doubt
other evidence of such election required
;of their correctness, or the least reluc
by law, is under that law, to be preserved
tance to carrying them into practice.
for future investigation, after the legisla- i
lure is organized. I This examination was deliberate, with
' -
It is totally incompetent to receive any
other es idence in midi organization, ei
ther from one who claims to have been a
clerk of a former house, or a member of
that which it is proposed to organize,
whether such evidence be in the shape of
a certificate of a return or other paper !
filed in his office by a prothonotary oil
affidavit or other proof because any such
evidence may be controverted by others
evidence to establish Its falsehood, anti
the members present possess no power to
receive such evidence, because they have
no power to administer such tests upon
which alone evidence can be received.
They could dot administer an oath to a
witness, and if such one among them un
dertook to do so, and the witness should
swear falsely, he could not be indicted
and convicted of peijury.
The returns from the Secretary trust
he adhered to in the first instance and if
seats acquired under it are disputed, they
must be contested under the act of 1791,
and the subsequent acts on that subject, I
either because the return is false, or be•
cause there has been an undue election.
These acts are in conformity to the 2 sec
tion of the first article of the constitution
of the state, which provides, 'that contes
ted elections shall be determined by a
committee to be selected, formed and re
gulated in such manner as shall be direc
ted by law.
' These returns so furnished by the sec
retary may be returns under the act of
1799, of an election held in a single coon
,ty constituting ofa senatorial district, or
such returns, and in addition, the returns
made under the act of 1803 by the return
judges from several counties which con
stitute a district.
In the last case where such returns are
furnished by the secretary, of such coon
ty and district, election, they constitute
evidence of cpivalent value, and by the
face of such returns taken together the
right to a seat may be established.
The committee are aware that there is
a marked difference between the two
branches of the ligislature in regard to
their formation. The senate was formed
at the commencement of the government,l
and cannot in the ordinary course of
events be dissolved. It is intended to be
a perpetual body and in contemplation of
the Constitution and Laws, it is always
an organized body. When it meets at
the beginning of a new session, it meets
as a senate; and so are its journals from
the fOundation of the Commonwealth.
With the house it is otherwise, it does
not at the beginning of a session meet as
a house, and there is a corresponding and
marked difference in the journals of the
two bodies. While the journal of the
senate of `lie commencement of a session
states that the senate met, the journal of
the Lease st.ites that a n:onber gentle
_Men elected to the house, &c., met.
The obvious ditierenee might justif, - the
adoption of a different mode of procee
ding in the senate, in commencing a new
session cf that body, from that which
should be pursued in the organization of
the House, if the action of the senate
were nut equally controlled by the consti•
tuition, and the acts of assembly made in
pursuance of it just referred to.—These
by necessary inference create the same
rule of action for the Senate as the Muse,
as to the mode of proceeding in reference
to receiving members elect, notwithstan
ding the obvious difference in the charac
ter of the two houses.
As the true democratic party profess
and practice an adherence to the Consti
tution and Laws, in the silent provideucc
lof which the liberties of the people have
Itheir hest protection, it would not become
the senate where this party have long hail
a salutary ascendency to permit any de,
parture from them. If the corruptions of
a particular party, to which we are uppo
sed, advancing with a giants pace, have
disclosed the insufficiency of laws which
for many years have sufficiently protec
ted the rights of the people, let these
laws be so modified as to arrest their per
nicious progress. From the past we will
gather the wisdom of experience, for,
what it is plain we now require a re-mod—
ling of our laws regulating elections, se
! curing them by multiplying the preventa
:tive guards against frauds, and increasing
j the sanctions for the punishment of those
who attempt to corrupt the fountain of
life of the republic—the election ft anchise
and true mode of its exercise.
Your cow mitte, therefore, are of opin
ion that in the senate the returns directed
to the Senate and sent by the Secretary of
the Cointnonwea'th to tint body, are the
only evidence which can be received as
to a right to a seat in it, in the first in
stance at the opening of the ses3ion.
Having fixed the principles which
should regulate the action of the hotly, the
particular form of proceeding in their ap
plication i s co plain that your committee
have not thought it material to go into
detail on the subject,"
a full vieiv of the difficulties, which sedi.
Lion might render it necessary to en
counter, slaving been threatened with
expulsion from the Hall of the House of
Representatives before our organization.
we had provided against Each contingen-I
cy and agreed that if any violence were
used so as to endanger the lives of mem
bers, and thus pi event our pniceeding ac
cording to the principles contained in the
ffiregoing Resolutions, the expelled mem
bers of the House would proceed in a body
to the bar of the Senate and deliver to
them the following paper, it was signed
as will be seen by fifty-two members, in
cluding the three who afterwards deser
ted to the enemy, and gave a pretext for
like treachery in the Senate.
"The undersigned duly ret irned mem•
hers of the House of Representatives of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, be
ing a majority, inform the Senate of the
said Commonweal di, that certain persons
some of them duly returned members of
the said House, but being a minority and
other disorderly persons not being duly re
turned members have taken forcible pos
session of the Hall of the House of Repre
sentatives. They have disturbed us in
the exercise of our lawful authority, and
prevented us by their illegal proceeding,
from duly organizing the House in the
Hall appropriated to us, and have forced
us, in order to avoid disorder and vio
lence; to retire from said Hall. They may
presume to organize themselves as a
House of Rrpreser tatives, and we protest
a e ,oainst their acts and proceedings as vi
olent and illegal, and we inform the Sen
ate of the facts here stated, that. the prop
er measure may be adopted by the Senate
to ascertain the truth and that the Senate
may no. be deceived in relation thereto."
W in A. Crabb Wm J. Clans
It M Barnard Francis Beaty
Jer. Cunningham Wm K. Correy
A N Cassel R. Carothers
I', S. Cunningham Michael Day
S. Diller C. Elliman
J. C. Fisher John Funk
Jac. Gratz R. 11. Ninc:,man
‘Vm. F. Hughet 11. G. Herr
J. Herr Saml. Hutchins
J. Konigmacher Martin Kendig
Gotlich Kinzie Jonas Keirn
Citas Kettlewell J. F. Cox
W in. . Watts Wm. Loyd
Benj. R. Mears J. MONTELIUS
Wm. M'Claran jr. John Morrison
Wm. Morton John M'Dowell
Win. A. Penuman Saml. F. Reed
M. Richardson Win. Ramsey
Thos. S. Smith Geo, R. Smith
H. S. Spacktnan Jesse N. Smith
J. Sprott John Sheriff
Thaddeus Stevens A. NVoelper
Bernard Way J. K. Zeilin
S. A. Purviance A. a Long
CHESTER BUTLER
JOHN STURDEVANT. •
I have shown clearly, I trust, that ev
ery step in organizing the Legislature
was taken cautiously. carefully, and with
the full knowledge and consent of every
Anti-Van Buren ineurber of the House,
and Senate (not of course including Mr.
Fullerton among the number.) My object
in this exposition, 1 have no desire to con
seal. 1 wish to take from those, who have
betrayed their friends, and equally, as I
believe with the rebels, sacrificed consti
tutional liberty, every chance of deceiv
ing their constituents at home, and of ex
cusing their capitulation to a revolt; tiona
rt Government. They might be forgiv
ti the sacrifice of party ascendency; of
their political friends; of the power to
legislai ore beneficially to the public; to
chnoAe a State Treasurer, United States
Senator, board of public works and other
officers of correct princi:ile . They might
.ilinost be forgiven the sacrifice of ten high
minded gentlemen returned as membersl
(ruin the county of Philadelphia, who had
taken their sear, i,l accordance with the
constitution, and in reliance upon the lion
ur of their associates; although lie, who,
would thus immolate his ft iends to propit
late a mob, will find it difficult to escape
the scorn of a n indignant public. But
they cannot, and they will not be forgiv-.
en the surrendet of the vital principles of
the constitution; the independence of the
Legislature; and their bartering of the lib.
erty of their country to the purchase peace
and favor from organized sedition. When
truth shall have triumphed, and filets
come to be believed, the people will peo
nounce them unfaithful stewarts. And
when posterity shall be groaning under
the yoke of a Despot, they will curse
(heir degenernte fathers, who furnished
the foundation for tyranny to stand upon.
I trust that my conduct throughout
this rebellion will meet with the appro
bation of my constituents, and the disap
probation of the rebels and their advocates
Much as I would shun the censure ot the
former, I would even more anxiously a
void the praise of the latter.
Very respectfully
your obedient servant,
TILADDEUS STEVENS.
JOURN IL.
I' One country, one constitution, one destiny
Huntingdon Feb` uar) 6 1 539
Democratic .Ittlimasonic
CANDIDATES.
FOR PR ESIDENT,
GEN, WM.II, HARRISON
loft YIOE PRESIDENT
DANIEL WEBSTER.
FLAG OF THE PEOPLE!
O A single term for the Previdenev, and '
the office cdininistercd for the whole PLO-'
PLE. and not for a PARTY.
irp A sound, uniformt;nticonvenient Na
tional CURRENCY, adapted to the wants of
,the whole COUNTRY, instead of the SHIN
PLAS'IERS brought about by cur present
RULERS.
rrECONOMY, RETRENCHMENT, and RE
FORM in the administration of public affairs,
117 Tired of Experiments and Experi
menters, Republican gratitude will reward
unobstrusive merit, by elevating the sub
biltern of WASHINGTON and the dosciple of
JEFFERSON, and thus resuming the safe and
eaten track of onr Fathers,—L. Gazette.
We have on file the interesting and truly
republican letter of General Harrison, to
the lion, Hamar Denny—we shall in.
insert it next week.
Stevens' Letter.
Our readers will find in this (lays pt.
per, the last letter of this distinguished
gentleman and orator. It is an interes
ting and important one; as it is particu
larly calculated to show up the, consisten
cy of those "conscient ions" and patriotic
worthies, who. according to their own de
clarations, committed, a plain, and palpa.
ble wrong.
Governor's aleasage.
fte this week give our readers the
message of Governor Porter, relative to
the finances of the State. It is a most
'extraordinary document; and one which
is calculated to shed but little credit upon
its ostensible author, being characterized
'by nothing but deception, humbug, and
hypocritical cant.
He commences by telling what an
"everlasting stigma" would rest on Penn
sylvania, if her "creditor were allowed to
knock fora single hour at the door of an
empty treasury." Yet, well he knows,
that a part of the state debt has been du'.
since January, 1, and that his "provision
al" members, and himself have allowed
a continual knocking for a month. The.
Senate passed a bill on the its January,
to meet the demand, but the Loco Foco
House prelered to bring on Pennsylvania
the "everlasting stigma," of having a
creditor knocking fur a month at the door
of an "empty treasury."
He then proceeds to lay before the
Legislature the entire amount of Public
Debt—which he declares, amounts to
upwards of 30 millions of Dollars. A
snore paltry, and contemptible trick, was
never attempted [by ati welling moan
tebank, to deceive his spectators, than
;a here attempted to be played oil upon
the unsuspecting citi/ens. He enumer
ates five items of Public debt. The first
four'of which amounts to 24 millions, were
contracted previous to the commence
ment of Ritner's administration—the
next two amounting to one, were contrac
ted by Gov. Ritner, and the remaining
three, which Porter has attempted to sad
dle upon Gov. Ritner, is to disreputable
almost to deserve a passing notice. They
are comprised in "appropriations due to
miscellaneous objects, and Internal Im.
provements, and the surplus revenue
drawn from the U. S. Treasury." Now
we would just ask our readers, if they do
not well recollect, Gov. Ritner's veto, of
the Large appropriation bill, for which
Porter voted, and if they do not recol
lect that the house of Representatives
was governed by a large majority of Por
ter's friends, who finally passed a bill for
these miscellaneous objects, which Ritner
allowed to become a law, because the
same bill contained the only appropria
tions, to useful and necessary objects.
Do you not remember all this? Yet Mr.
Porter endeavors to lay the blame on
Gov. Ritner, who vetoed and opposed all
these things for which he himself, (Por
ter) voted. Was there ever a more mis
erable feint made to throw the blame horn
his bones, by the ice; numerous breaches
his own to anotliers shoulders--and finally
to sum up the whole of his chicanery, he were made in the canal bank.
says that nearly 6 millions of the above The Norristown Herald says, the
debt, was contracted during the last three Schuylkill was 21 feet above low water
years. mark, and its whole surface covered with
Now we ask Gov. Porter,'or any of his
editors what are these miscellaneous ap
propriations, that he has dragged into
state debt. They know they are to Acad
emies, &c., the greater portion of which
is not to be . paid for years to come. Yet
he calls it state debt—is not such a trick
disgraceful to a Governor, to make an
excuse for the large INCREASE of
• DEBT, lie intends to saddle en the peo
ple. 11e tries by deception to make it
appear, that his predecessor, had done
Nye same, when every man of judgment,
knows that it is not true, for Ititner actu
ally decreased the state debt.
Let us examine this matter more close
ly. Gw. Porter says, that the State
debt has been increased in three years, in
the following items which he says amounts
to 55,345 tOl.
Temporary Loan, 1836
do do 1838
Due on miscellaneous appro
priations, 1,5e5,729
" Int. Imp. " 532,057
" " Surplus revenue, 1,867,514
$4,945,301
The three latter items we say,
arc not debts all. The
appropi iations were never
sanctioned by Riteer, and
have never been deman
ded, and perhaps never
will be. The surplus rev•
enue, never can, never,
will, nor never ought to be
paid. 3,945,301
This be ng the only debt contracted
during Ritner's administration of three
years, and we can show how this come
'about. Gov. Rioter, when he came in
power, had to pay thP following debts,
not contracted by him.
Two loans contracted by Wolf e 674,4•10
Part Permanent Loan, 100,000
On acts of April and June, 75,000
"Mitchell Scrip," 18,363
Leaving but a balance of 8132,000 dol
lars of Ritner's debt to be paid by Por
ter, although Gov. Ritner has had the
whole expense of calling the convention, !
and the holding of the convention to pay.
Yet Porter says he has increased the
State Debt nearly 6 million of Dollars, in
three years—now ,let our readers look if
they cannot see his attempt at deception,
and why it is? Let us tell you, he knows
that the State debt must be increased by
him, and he desires to make it appear that.
"°every body does it." Ile has now been
Governor nearly a month, and loan bills
have passed, amounting to nearly $2,000,-
000, and he shows in fins message that he
is not to be satisfied with that. But we
have already occupied enough of our pa
per. for this week, with this subject, we
shall continue it next week, and in the
meantime, we call on oar readers, to
'carefully examine the message, and let
them, then remember, what •cc said last
fall--Porter and State Debt.
Great Flood and Stor►►t.
The Schuylkill and Lehigh rivers, and
their tributary streams, have been visited
by one of the most terrible floods erer
recollected; on Friday the 25th instant—
Great injury was sus'ained on the Schuyl-,
kill, at Philadelphia; almost every thing
on the wharves being swept off; stab!es.
out houses, hag pens and the de were all
carried oft; on.e man lost about 40 hogs.
Much coal mid salt was swept away. The
basement story of Humphrey's whorehouse
vas filled, and about 400 barrels of flour
damaged and destroyed, A number of
schooners and boats were floated up high
and dry, some on the top of large coal
heaps; 40 or 50 canal boats were seen at
one time rushing down the stream. Much
injury was done to the Philadelphia and
Baltimore rail road.
At Manyunk, 7 miles above Philadel- 1
phia much damage was sustained, many
dwellings of poor families and out houses'
were carried oft by the resistless flood .
The Factories, and mills are much injur_
ed, and consequently, hundreds of poo r
( daily laborers are now out of imployment.
'The bridge and dam above Manyunk
are much injured. It is thought, the dam
will finally give way. A Mr. Burke lost
his stable, horse, sulkey and harness.
Seine of the residence on the hill side
were obliged to escape out of their se
cond story windows; 24 canal boats went
down the stream, one of which broke
into, on the pier of the bridge; a horse
carrell down stream, caught against a tree
and the flesh was Utterly stripped from
logs, building furniture 4.c. The Nor
ristown rail road, was much injured. A
widow Ramsey, her son and a little girl,
were completely 'surrounded in a lock
house, by the torrent, and were forced to
the second story by the water, where they
remaintil without fire, till the nett mor
ning, with the flood roaring around them
Intl the ice threatening at every moment
to ilai4h thelr little asylum into the deep,
In the morning, they were rescued, all
previous attempts failing. Five persons
engaged in removing goods from the store
of S. 111 Tann, were cut oft in their re
treat, and forced into the store, which was
finally swept off, but lodged against a tree,
upon which they all climbed; providen
tially, a canal boat came within th it
reach, as they could not have held to tite
tree much longer; they made their escape
to it, from which, they were taken in the
morning, nearly exhausted, anti much fro_
zed. Another house was carried off, af•
ter a part of the initiates, had been rem. '
veil; the father and mother alone remaining
—the former succeeded in getting on a
tree, but became exhausted and fell into
the water.
$200,000
800,080
The Lehigh Journal says "much dam
age was sustained in that neighborhood,
and it is calculated, it will take three or
four months to repair the injury done to
the canal". 'I he driver, the mail, and
one horse, were lost in attempting to cross
the Wissahceon near Allentown.
81,000,000
New York has been the scene of a (Ks•
aster, epally distressing as the above.
,On Saturday, one of the most terrifficgalea
ever experienced; forzed the water in that
harbor, up to such a height, that boats pas
sed freely in Front Street, and passen
gers from the ferry boats were landed in
small boats at llolt's hotel. The dam
age
_attendant upon such a scene, cats
much easily be i:umagined, than described.
The border of the city from Corlear's hook
to Greenwich village, on the Northern
side; of course, basements, stores and
cellars, were filled with water; and their
contents damaged, or destroyed, dozens
of vessels were driven against each other,
or the piers, and stove in, or sunk; some
of the streets are filled with huge masses
of ice. The work of destruction was not
confined to the water side; the gale swept
with terriffio rury, over the city. Houses
were unroorid, or blown down; their
,chimneys blown down, and every other
,damage immaginable. The whol T. tin roe f
of a large store, was carried ;woe hun
dred feet, and rolled up like a scroll.
The whole atmosphere, is said, to have
been filled with slate, tile, shingles and
fragments of wood. In,Elizabetlitown ,N
J., the damage was extensive; a large oil
,cloth factory was levelled with the ground
• the workmen, with the exception of one
man, heard the cracking of tie timbers
in time to escape; and even I e escaped
with no injury but a broken arm, he was
found suspended by that, held between a
couple of timbers.
$367,803
There has been also a considerable of a
flood at Albany. The sudden breaking
up of the ice swept a large amount of
proptrty away. The !splendid steam boat
North America, worth $90,000 was smash
ed to atoms by the ice, and the fragments
carried down the stream.
Canal Board.
The new Board, are, Jas. Clark, E. B,
Hubley, and W. F. Packer.
Nothing is more in keeping with rota
ting Democrats, than the above Board.
Jimmy Clark, has held office for the last
quarter of a century, and Mr. Hubley is
called from Congress, being the represen
tative from Schuylkill county, and of
course, his constituents must go unrepte_
seated, or else go to the expense of a new
election. Ile has rotated into another
office. Packer is a Printer. Is e like
that. But such of our readers who
can recollect the howlings of the Loco
Foca presses, at Ritner's appointing prin
ters, will perhaps expect to see the same
consistent gentleman coraplai3 now.
Congress has appointed a committee to
investigate the defalcations in public
offices. The committee have already gone
on to New York to commence their labors
in ferretting out the Swartwout and Price
corruptions. The people should recollect
that General Jackson gave a certificate of
good character to these plunderers, and
that a former congreos refused as a useless
expense to permit a comm ittee to be ap
pointed.