HUN pi R\
1
a ',IWO) ILitugoptr—Ortiottb' to Gencrat Katt'lttilettrc, autiertioing, Vottt
%raDll. Z:l 9 SZT(§).
PI/11 LI4IIM, ET
THEODORE H. CREMER,
The "Joon NAL" will be published every Wed
nesday morning, at $2 00 a year, if paid in advance,
itnd if not paid within six months, $2 50.
No subscription received for a shorter period than
six months, nor any paper discontinued till all ar
rearagcs are paid.
Advertisements not exceeding ono square, will be
Inserted three times for $1 00, and for every subse.
quent insertion 25 cents. If no definite orders are
given as to the time an advertisement is to be continu
ed, it will be kept in till ordered out, and charged ac
cordingly.
iflocount of William Dorris, Treasu
rer-of Huntingdon Academy.
1844. RECEIPTS.
Jan. 3, To balance due on settlement be
fore County Auditors, $863 09
Aug.B, To cash from Dr. H. E. & Wm.
M'itlurtrio in part of their bond, 200 00
Oct. 10, do. do. do. SOO 00
N0r.15, To cash from County •Treasury,
in full of an order of County
• Comtnissioners, for $5OO and In
terest,
.1845. $1930 59
Jan. 3, To balance due on settlement, 295 981
EXPENDITURES.
lan. 9, By 1 corn broom,
us, 20, By order of trustees in favor of
Thomas C. Massey, 23 80i
ditto. ditto. 35 00
Feb. 12, By order of ditto. in favor of
Cunningham & Burchinell, 300 00
14, By ditto T. C. Massey, 12 00
22, do. P. Swoops & others rent, 100 00
March 12, do. John Anderson, 10 00
By 1 sweeping brush, 31/
May 20, By 1 hind dusting brush and
_ .
1 broom, 50
31, By order of trustees in favor of
Thomas C. Massey, 20 00
ditto. ditto. 14 18,5
July 13, ditto. John Anderson, 10 00
20, do. Curt'harn & Burchinell, 500 00
Aug.l4, do. Thomas C. Massey; (2) 29 50
Oct. 11, do. Cun'ham & Burchinell, 500 00
17, do. John Anderson, 10 00
N0v.20, do. Thomas C. Massey, 20 00
27, do. Ephraim Kylcr, 10 00
30, do. Thomas C. Massey, 10 07
Dec. 24, do. W. C. F. Hight, 1 00
28, do. Thomas C. Massey, 800
.30, By
. 1 coal stove from George R.
hiTarlane, & co. - 20 00
Balance in hands of Treasurer, 295 98}
Totsl
OUTSTANDING DEBTS.
An order of the County Commissioners on the
Treasurer for five hundred dollars, bearing inter
est from 14th June, A. D. 1842.
A bond of Henry Glazier and Dr. B. E. M'Murtrie
for seven hundred and sixty dollars, on which
five hundred dollars has been paid as stated in
last year's account
The sums collected for tuition, have always been
paid to the teacher and settled and accounted for
by hint with tho secretary of the board of trus
tees.
We, the auditors of Huntingdon county, having
examined the account of William Dorris, Trcasur•
`sir of the Huntingdon Academy from the 3d day of
January, 1844, up to the 9th day of January 1845,
find the same to be as stated above and do approve
.of the same. Given under our hands this 9th day
-of January, A. D. 1845.
THOMAS E. ORDISON, 4
JACOB S. MATTERN,
WILLIAM CALDWELL, , 4'4
Huntingdon, Feb. 5, 1845.
HUNTINGDON
CABINET &, CHAIR WARE ROOM,
Cunningham & Burchinell
irDESPEC I FULLY inform the citizens
*No
of the borough and county of Hunting.-
don, the public generally, and their old
friends and customers in particular, that
they continue to carry on busbies in their
tiew establisment, one don, east of th e
north eastern corner of the Diamond to said
borough, where they are prepeared to sell,
Wholesale and retail, all articles in theit
line of business; such as
;Sideboards, Seeretaies, Sot.
pas, Settees, Bureaus,
,toorkstands, card, pier, centrt
dining and breakfast tables;
*Ugh, Field, French, and Low No
BEDST RADS.
ALSO—Every variety of
CMalaaaLpas e
•
pitch as Rush seat, Cane sent. Bulb, Bent :
Riltimore, ight•back, Boston putters,
Conunon.Rocking Chairs, together with
tz WLSSTIttI &DU 011.1=3 0
Tf all colors, qualities and sizes; and Paper
ianging of various patterns and qualities
N. B. Co ffi ns made and funerals attend
ed either in town or country, ut the shortest
notice. They keep a splendid HEARSE
for the accommodation of their customers.
Nov. 29, 1843.
J. 11133 WELL STEWART,
,i1r 1 .1 4 6:11311117 4111' 1144111%
HUNTINGDON, P.N.
Office in Maio street, three doori west
Q( Mr. Buoy's Jewelr establishment.
u February 14,1843.--tl.
• A. K. CORN YN,
itirimainsiur rigAWs
HUNTINGDON, PA.
iltVee in Main S;reet, two doors East ol
McUrentlt's Temperance Mime
~~~ ~ ~~'C~~~~~ ~~~ a ~~;
PCMTP.T.
The Vanity of Wealth.
Wealth and tho high estate of pride,
With what untimely speed they glide-.=
How soon depart !
Bid not the shadowy phantoms stay,
The vassals of a mistress
Of fickle heart.
These gifts in fortune's hand are found,
Her swift revolving wheels turn round,
And they are gone I
No rest the inconsistent goddess knows,
But changing and without repose,
Still hurries on.
Even could the hand of avarice save
(to gilded baubles, till the grave
Reclaims its prey,
Let none on such poor hopes rely,
Life, like an empty dream, flints by,
And where are they ?
Earthly desire and sensual lust
Are passions springing from the dust=
They fade and die ;
nut, in the life beyond the tomb,
They seal the immoral spirit's doom
Eternally
867 80
The pleasures and delights which mask
In treacherous smiles life's serious task—
What aro they, all,
--
But tho fleet courier of the chase,
And death an ambush in tho race
Wherein we fall?
$ 26
A life of honor and of worth
Has no eternity on earth,
"Pis but a name ;
And yet its glory far exceeds
That base and sensual life, which leads,
To want and shame,
The eternal life, beyond the sky,
Wealth cannot purchase, nor the high
And proud esta•e ;
The soul in dalliance laid—the spirit
Corrupt with sin—shall not inherit
A joy so great.
MIEJCIELLANMOI:7I3I,
From the Boston Merchantile Journal.
Stray Recollections of a Sleigh Ride.
ay elm SPRAY
Among the few things which Dr. Johnson re
pented of *at having once gono by water to a place
he could have reached by land. Ilia opinion of
sailing, as a sport, was similar to the one entertained
by Dr. Franklin of sleigh riding. With all due
respect to the memory of the learned Dear,' it has
always appeared to me to be an evidence of long
earn for a man to prefer land travel to a water trip.
However there may be many such perstns, and ra
tional people too, althotigh I cannot understand it.
As regards sleigh riding our Doctor was nearer
right. Still as 'hat is a species of sailing, it is not
to be utterly despised ; for in itself it does not amount
to much, it certainly promises a chance for advsn•
tare of some sort. I was once amused by a trilling
incident which grew out of almost the only sleigh
ride I ever shipped for. It chanced some six Ut
seven winters ago.
$l9BO 59
Frank Foam and myself had just arrived from
Sumatra. His mother lived in Milton, anion the
morning of our arrival he chartered a clipper horse
and light cutter, for the trip out and back, giving
me scent along side of him. It was a regular old
fashioned January day; the wind was at that eter
nal point, North West, and a nipping and eager
ate' it was. During the first half hour, although
we were running off twelve or thirteen knots, we
made nothing ahead, except some few crafts bound
to the city. Presently we descried something a
little different, standing the same way with us.—
Upon sealing it proved to be a dark bronze colored
sleigh with two ladies in it, and a gentleman (neat
ly rigged for winter) on the front seat ; the home
was a boy of giant frame, and although not hand
some, he had a go ahead' look about him, a sort of
Webster expression. Just as we came up, his dd..
ver turned him into a snow-drift, and allowed a
sleigh load of women and children to pass, when ho
began to snort, and the thunder of his nostrils star
ted the crows fur miles round.
Well,' said Frank, 'lt's not often you see a pi
lot boat run ashore to accommodate a fisherman or
a crack Boston concern, like this, so mindful of the
bushwhackers. as to give every one he meets the
whole of the road. Perhaps he has been Wiling
and keeping away to try our sailing, if so he has
found a customer,'
So Frank laid the string on, and took the lead.—
the stranger dropped quietly into our wake and
showed no dieposition to change his position until
our slackened pace convinced him that we were
trailing front him, end were inclined to see his log.
He then spoke td the ladles, who drew down their
veils, and he said to his horse, Away there !'—
And away it was, for no sooner were the words
uttered, than the bay stuck his ears straight forward
like the bowsprit of a pilot boat, and shot by like
an arrow I
Bee that fellow make the dust fly,' cried Frank.
Who ever saw such a gait? 'Tie neither a trot,
pace, or rack, but a splice of the whole—a flash of
lightning harnessed in a snow squall.
Our companion carried all sail for a few minutes,
when he hove to, to shovel out, but started again
just as we came up tvith him,
When pretty well along we found the travelled
part of the road narrow, icy and curving. There
wee margin enough on both sides, but the absence
of any track upon it, looked auspicious. Here we
rote a chtmsey looking, yellow sleigh, with excessiVe
beam. Tha horse was of a'dun color, (he scented
done every way) and steered rather wild. Whether
this was owing to the model of the sleigh, or the
fact that he hail served nie time in a New York
ferry boat, we could not determine. He hoviever,
continued to shuffle along, when the bay came up
ate round rate, and was gradually keeping off to
shave close under the lee.
You see,' said Frank, the tho with the bay
keeps his luff on this track—he knows 'the road—
two inches more to the left and his trim craft would
be bottom up among the breakers.'
Just as the bay was in the act of passing the lum
berman smoothly, the dun made a lurch and fell
aboard of him. To avoid a capsize, the bay was
brought upon the road suddenly, when his gearing
caught in the tackle of the other, and the yellow
sleigh, its nog, Jerry Hawthorn, and his two sisters,
probably went a little faster for a short time than
they went before. Upon heaving to, it was found
that the countryman's concern was a little injured,
and clamorous and abusive enough he was in his
demand for damages. The stranger, without hee
ding him, passed his reins to one of the ladies, and
seemed intent only upon putting the lumberman
In a shape to proceed.
I say,' said Hawthorn furiously, I ought to have
some remuneration for that shaft, which is broke
short off, and I leave it to these gentlemen to any
whether a dollar is too much, considering the loss of
time in mending it, the board of these young ladies,
and the risk there was in case my horse had ran?'
'Why you and sculpin,' said Frank, the fault
• ivas your own. The thunder and lightning horse
win doing well enough until you drifted down
upon him.
A momentary ripple played upon the face of the
stranger at the inconceivable idea of the old dun
running--but when Frank ceased, he said to the
countryman, with an air of seriousness, 'You say
you want a dollar?'
'Yes,' replied the other, and that's reasonable
when you think of the shaft—the time—the bciard,
and the way you drote that mad horse.'
My friend,' rejoined the other, 'your aerie is
not extravagant, but however correct you may be
in your estimate of damages, you are unjustly hard
upon my driving. The fact is, my horse has not
been out for a month, and I am very weak from
sickness. You know the 'Snail Hoe—
. What 1' yelled Jerry, retreating instinctively.
I say,' Mintintled the stranger, ' that lice Small
Pox (here he offered J erry a soiled dollar bill, which
he had been fingering for some time, and in the act
showed the bark of his hand, purple with—cold)
not only effects a man's strength and vision, but his
looks. That however, is my misfortune, and not
your fault.
My good air,' said Hawthorn, with a grin at
horror, put up your money, I wont touch it. lam
satisfied you are a gentleman, and a good driver—
go on—go on.'
don't like to leave you so,' replied the other,
let me at least take these misses to that boarding
howl., out of the chill.
No, sir,' shrieked one of 4,0 rose buds, we are
not cold--we'vo got on double quilted, stuffed
petticoats.'
My dear friend,' said the countrymman, don't
stand in the cold any longer, do drive on, I shall
do very well, the shaft is only cracked a little, and
with some cord whiCh I have, I can fix it in five
minutes.'
No 'sooner did Jerry begin to hoist for the tope,
that the citizen also began to fumble about the bot
tom of the sleigh. The countryman drew back,
the tan-yard grin had vanished, and with it counte
nance in winch despair and indignation were
strangely mingled, tie said—
Stranger this is too much. You drive along
like a whirlwind—pick me up as a steam engine
does a cow—drag me half a mile—break my sleigh
—and then insist upon giving the SMALL Pox!'
At every count, Jerry's wrath increased, and at
the close, when his eyes fell upon a bundle of axe
handles which stood in his sleigh, the expression of
his face was absolutely terrific.
Well; responded the stranger, coolly., it you are
quite sure that the shaft id not broke short off,' and
certain that the youg ladies won't have to board
out, why, I will consent to go—only remember
that I was willing to remunerate you, although the
accident was consequent upon an infirmity for
which I am to be pitied.'
He then stepped into his sleigh and stood along
under easy soil, leaving Prank and myself, more
amused at the scene, we hnd witnessed, than any of
the readers of the Merchantile Journal will be at
my faint description of it.
An Ingenious Rogue,
The following details of a piece of rongery late
ly practised in Paris surpasses in ingenuity and wit
any thing recorded in the annals of the living
An individual, well dressed, presented himself
at the shop of a female who sold ready made linen
in one of the retired parts of Paris, and observed
to her, that she appeared to keep a largo assortment
of gentleman's shirts. 0, yes, she had them of all
descriptions, and very cheap.'—' Pray, madam, said
he, have yoti any garments of a similar doserip•
Lion and superior quality for ladies; I am about to
be married ! and wish to make my intended wife a
present of three dozen.' Certainly, certainly, sir,
I have some which I am sure will suit you, and
forthwith three parcels, each containing a dozen,
were exhibited on the counter. Ono was opened
and the stranger examined it with much attention;
at last lie said I am afraid these are too short : then
seemed lost for a moment in thought, at the difli
,co, nitecatucc,loratitg, acto, alticneco, Raticit t tics, matinlitc itt, c.
42.t2t€)
dilly which presented itself to his mind of ascot=
mining the precise size wanted, an idea seemed to
strike him, Madarrie,' KO said, yob are about the
height and site of the lady I shall shortly marry,
world it be asking too much of you (6 draw one
of these over your dress?' o Not at all, do it
with a great deal of pleasure.' Ina minute the good
woman appeared iii the body of thh ahopcomplete
ly enveloped in one. the stranger looked at her,
wulked round her, and stooped, appearantly to draw
down the garment behind Nei. to It'll length, in
doing which ho very adroitly fastened her clothes
to it with a large pin. She supposing his exam
ination finished.attempted to take it °flagon', when
to her astonishment she found her clothes rose up
with it. At Ibis moment the fellow grasped the
parcels and made 01l with then. The poor wo
man hesitated to follow—made another attempt to
divest herself of the superfluous covering, but fail
ing to do so, ran after him. So much time, how
ever, wao lost, and so many boys collecting about
her, at the novel appearance she presented, that she
was soon compelled to return to her shop and put
up with the loss.
From the New Haven Morning Courier.
SIVIALL
rnmar OF 1717.
'Good morning to you, neighbor, ; a pretty heavy
fall of snow this, rather difficult getting about.'
' Yes, but it seems to me that of late years we do
not have as much snow as formerly. Why, I can
remember when it used to be good sleighing for six
weeks at a time, and the people just as much started
for a long journey upon runners, Os they dó now
upon wheels. I remember when I Was a boy, and
this burry place was but a village, that in going to
the school house, which was then out of town, al
though, if new standing, it would be in a thickly
settled neighborhood, that we Used to cut across lots,
and frequently Walked Upon the snaky crust, Over
fences, of which the post tops Were all that woo
visible.'
'Yee, I remember it too; but now-a-days the
youngsters can't find even a drift above their shoul
ders. Why, thirty years ago, when I used to go to
York for goods, I was almost always obliged to dig
the wood pile out of the snow, and sled enough into
the old kitchen to lost the women folks till I came
back.'
Well, I must say there is nothing, in the line of
comfort, which I like more than a good old fashioned
wood fire. Don't you remember what great logs
we rolled into the fire-place, the fore sticks so large
round as a man's thigh, and the sizeable cat sticks
that filled up the space, end the half bushel of broad
chips that shingled the tot)? Wheh they were all
pretty well lighted, what long curling flames licked
their greedy tongues about the chimney ! what roa
ring and crackling there was--how the shadoto
danced on the walls—what a cheerful gip* prove
ded the Mom !'
Aye, aye, neighbor, and don't you remember of
cold evenings, when somebody dropped in, how the
gals used to bring up a basket of fine apples, and
pass 'em round in an eosy old fashioned way, while
the cider in the tall flagon stood hissing hot on the
hearth 1 I tell you what, these stoVes have been
the death of good stories, cider is out of date, and
the apples don t taste as they used to.'
g Well, I Jcifft know how it is; I suspect that
both of us have changed a trifle since those days,
and things don't appear through spectacles as they
did to boy liciod's eyes. ity father talked Just as you
do about old times, and my grandfather never found
any thing good for tho last forty years of his life,
and I am half inclined to believe that modern int
provements are not very beneficial to the human
race. But talking of snow, don't you remember
the great snow storm of February, 17171'
, Not exactly, though heard my grandmother
say something about it.'
Well, the snow commenced falling in great
abundance--the air was so thick with it that you
could scarcely see ai rod—it rose on the ground ap
parently a foot at a time--fences were pretty soon
gone—the doors and Inner windoite of the hounes
were speedily buried—tress seemed to sink down,
and hay stacks dwindle to bed hives. in this rap.
pid manner it continued td fall for three days and
nights, until it accumulated to the depth of at least
fifteen feet; in some places, I am toad, it was full
thirty. People were blockaded in their dwellingo
for many days; some burned their furniture to cook
with till they could get out, which they were obli
ged to do from the chamber windows. It was an
exceedingly difficult matter even then to get wood,
and the trees which were !then cut down, were
found after the snow disappeared, to have been lop
ped off twelve, fourteen, and sumo say eighteen feet
above the ground. There was a snow storm for
ye. Hannah Dingley, a lone woman, who lived
out in the fields not far Llano town, was buried alive
in her little shanty, where she remained for i.lx br
eight days, subsisting on a few potatoes whirls she
happened to have by her, and a fete cars of dried
corn. She was at last discovered by her neighbors,
by the smoke which ramie from her chimney through
a hole which was shelled through the snow, and
taken out without having suffered much injury,
though site had turned up pretty much all her
choirs and tables. Eleven hundred sheep belonging
to one man, perished. One e flock of a hundred, was
dug out of a snow drift on Fisher's Island, where
they had been buried to the depth of sixteen feet.—
It was twenty-eight days after the storm before they
were found, and its a curious fact that two of them
were alive and apparently well, having subsisted on
the wool of the others.'
, Well, I hope we shall never see such a storm.'
,Sodo I. Good morning.'
- .r. 3 grDcs)at:)cc9
ReBERT A. -MIMURTRIE,
OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
In the &use of Representatives, February 4th,
in favor of the Bill crectmg a new county lobe
called Blair, out of parts of Huntingdon and
Bedford counties.
Mr. M'MURTRIE rose and said in substance as
follows :
Ma. Srsinen :—I hetet Hatched with pa
tience, attention and gratification to the very labor
ed speech of my vet) , worthy and intelligent col
league, against the passage of the bill now under
discussion : and while I admit that its general as
pect is indicative of great industry and research, in
relation to the facts upon which its merits ate based,
still I must be permitted to suy, that had it been
delivered on some great State question, involving
the interests, honor, or the integrity of the Com
monwealth, I would not trespass upon the indul
gence of the House, by any attempt to answer any
of the objections or arguments adduced by him, in
opposition to the passage of this bill.
But, sir, as the gentlemen has thought proper in
his speech upon this occasion, not only to state
grave charges against certain portions of our com
mdr. constituency, and especially against that por
tion of it with whom I am most bloatly and. inti
mately connected, as a part of the reasons why
this bill ought not to pass, as well as to other rea
sons, which, in my judgment, ought not produce
an adverse influence upon its passage, I shall rely
for a feW moments upon the indulgence of this bo
dy, while I attempt to demonstrate, to any reason
able, candid, unprejudiced mind, that this bill is
justly entitled to your favorable consideration.
I am, sir, well aware, of a general indisposition
among deliberative bodies to examine, and scrutinize,
investigate and consider, the merits and demerits of
bills of a local character, with the same care and
attention, as those of !mire general application,
and this is very easily and rationally accounted for
when it is recollected that all general laws, have a
direct bearing and influence upon the whole mass
of citizens; while local bills are mere matters of
local dr individual concernment. But I trust, sir,
before I sit down, I shall be able to address such
considerations to the members of this House; as
will make it apparent to every unprejudiced mind
by strong and convincing truths, that the common
principles of justice and humanity, as well as the
dictates of sober reason, all call loudly for the pas-
Sage of the bill now under consideration.
In the matter now befdre the House tile people
of the county of Huntingdon ask for What Why
for that even handed justice which is meted out
daily by this Legislature to the whole people of the
State. They ask for no exclusive privileges over
their fellow 'cititens. They ask for no special le
gislation to fill their coffers with wealth, to the in
jury and destruction of their neighbors and fellow
citizens: they ask for the violation of no principle
of justice, no breach of any of the safeguards which
the Constitution and laws have thrown as barriers
around the social and civil interests of community.
No, sir, they ask for no such thing; but, they corns
up here into these legislative halls, exercising the
sacred right of petition, and ask for deliverence
from the evils entailed upon them by their present
courtly organization. Evils of Magnitude, which
are continually increasing, exist as the fruits of ir,
which unless speedily removed, will become too
onerous and serious to be borne. Att imperiouti
sense of duty, Which, as a representative df the
People of Pennsylvania, I have sworn to discharge
with fidelity, impels me to urge the passage of this
bill. I declare before the House, in all honesty and
sincerity, that did I believe for one moment, that its
passage would inflict evil upon any one individual,
or that palpable and gross injustice would result to
any portion of lire Crirnmonwealth; I would not
stand up in myplace, and urge its passage: But,
sir, believing that in the course I am pursuing, I
am not otily acting for the good of tire whole peo
ple, as well as for the interests of those who have
sent me here, to represent their interests, I feel it
my duty to present the merits of this bill fully and
fairly before the House.
What, sir, does the bill propose to do 1 To erect
a neW county opt of part of Huntingdon and Bed
ford to be called Blair. No doubt there are gen
tlemen in this House, who are Well acquainted with
the territorial limits of these two counties, as well
as their internal arrangements. To such, any in
formation touching those matters is useless; but to
those members who have no geographical knowl
edge of those two counties, it may be important for
them to understand that Huntingdon county com
prises an erea of about eighty miles in length by
fifty in breadth, with a population or about forty
thoiniand souls—interspersed among its deep and
fertile valfies, and along the sides of its rough and
rugged mountains. The taxes assessed upon real
and personal property of the citizens of this county,
for State and County purposes in 1843, was $19,-
186 15. The two counties of Huntingdon and
Bedford contain an area of territory sufficiently
large for three counties, with abundant wealth and
population for the speedy, prompt and effectual ad
ministration of public justice, and retaining within
them, all the elements of progressive population and
prosperity. luntingdon, the present Seat of Jus
tice for Huntingdon county, is located on the Juni
ata river and canal, at a point, distant from thirty to
thirty-five miles from the upper line of said county,
which distance has to be traversed by the citizens
of the upper portion, over roads and mountains
\.•.5 , 'W.(31)1105.
sometimes nearly or quite inipasSalAM Medford
the Seat of Justice of Bedford counlY,"and is die=
taut about thirty-two miles from HolliAsysberg.--
The people of the two townsh pb of fireenGelti
and North Weodberrq, which this bill 06poses to
take from Bedford tottniy, slid idcOrporite
the new county of Blair, would, instead of being
compelled to travel from twenty-live to thirty miles
to attend their courts, and tiansact their county bu
siness at Bedford, have only a very few miles to
tea 4el tb Hollida3itturg the contemilated Feat of
Justice in the new county:
'thtts, I centend, that the great distance which
the people in the upper part of the county have to
travel to transact their county buSiness at Hunting
don, tts well as the great distunce which the citizens
of Greenfield and North Woodberry have to travel•
for the sante purposcO, is one among many other
reasons which I shall urge, Why these countied
should be dismembered and the new county created.
Sir, the loss of time, inconvenience and great
and necessary expense attendant Upon the travel
to those two seats of public justice, are no incen
siderable items to be taken into the account in esti , .
mating the rule by which that democratic doctrinti
of equal and exact justice," which we all profess
to believe in, is to be applied to those who seek
at the hands Of this Legislature in the passage of
this bill.
But, Mr. Speaker, a more imposing reason, and
one of immensely greater moment, than a mere
Calculation of dollars and cents spent in attending
the courts of justice at the remote points before
mentioned, exists in the facts which realty and trulf
are found upon examination of the immense masd
of business which has accumulated, and Is constant- .
ly accumulating upon the dockets of the Court of
Huntingdon county. To such an extent has it ac
cumulated, that the amount of cases hive precluded
the idea of that speedy and impartial justice, which
it is the privilege Of every freeman to demand and
enjoy. No reasonable licipe can be entertained, that
this evil can perhaps ever be remedied bit by a di;
vision of the county. The liaise Of cases accuinti
late on our dockets is so great, arid from such an
insuperable barrier to the speedy and faithful ad
' ministration of the laws, as lb amount almost to it
denial Of justice. To such an extent has the evil
progressed, that the establishment of a District
Court has been strongly urged as the only remedy,
if the present bill is negatived. At this titne there
are nom 1500 to 2000 suits standing untried upon
the dockets of Huntingdon county. Those who are
unacquainted with the facts in relation to this sub
ject, to they really iiXitt, can forth no adeqUate eon;
ceptiorl of this evil. When Judge Wilson took
his seat as President Judge of the Courts in Hun;
tingdon county, so large was the amount of busi
ness which had accumulated upon our docket, that
Ire held several special adjourned courts, in order to
reduce the number of causes; hut with all his
prortipttless, efficiency Mid energy, end debuted as
he is to die interests of the people in his district;
such was the stale of the legal business of the coun
ty, that his efforts to remove the evils complained of
were inadequate to accomplish the desired object...
Why, sir, such is the state of business in our coun
ty, that a party defendant whci lies no defence td
make, and who is merely fighting for time and ex;
tension, in order to accomplish the utmost limit of
his desires, need only appeal from the Judgment of
a Justice of the Peace oi an award of arbitrators,
put his cause into court, and there is an end of the
Chase for three or four years; as in the ordinary
course of business it cannot be reached within that
time, owing to the immense mass of suits, which
Have prcceeded it. The practice alluded to has be
come too frequent, where the only object is to gain
time, or "put far away the Civil day"—and no rem
edy seems to be at hand; except it be the cicadas of
a new tribunal to the decision of which a portion
df the Walnut's of the bounty can lie ref ire,'.
Our courts continue two weeks at each term.--:
The first week of the session is usually devoted id
the disposal of the criminal business of the colan
der, and wo never have less than about ono hun
dred cases set down for trial on the civil list at each
terra, of which not more than ten or twelve aro
findlly disposed of. Sir, could the members of this
House properly appreciate the immense evil and
vexation which arises from this eatirce, in the waste
of time, useless expenditure of money end delay
of justice, I am persuaded they would entertain but
one sentiment in relation to thid matter:
The lawyer notifies his client, that his cases is
set down for trial--subpoenas are issued, and par.
ties and witnesses appear in attendance, and afar
having been detained for four or five days, are dis;
missed to re-enact the solemn farce of attending
Lyon the administration of justice at some future
and more convenient SCIIbUll• These suitors and
witnesses are compelled, time after time, to go
through with the same ceremony, until the loss of
time and necessary expenses, incurred maul, and
in many cases greatly exceed the sum in demand
between the litigant parties. Why, sir, it is, with
in my own knowledge, that parties have been cora
pelted to attend court six or eight terms before their
cases could be reached. I have known witnesseg
dragged from 30 to 40 miles for 4 end 5 terms
continually, where the party appealing had no de
fence whatever, but was only fighting for dine.—
This course is attended with great cost, perplexity
and ruin and cannot be avoided, unless some alb(
Judicial tribunal be substituted to which can ba
referred a portion of the already accumulated, and
constantly increasing business of Huntingdon
county.
The larger portion of the court buainces of Hy*
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