204 A. L. Bishop — The State Worhs of Pennsylvania. 



for the adoption of the improvement policy of 1827. The shape of 

 the State of Pennsylvania and the wide distribution of its inhabi- 

 tants were such that no one leading line, sufficiently far reaching in 

 its benefits, could be selected upon which the concentration of the 

 energies of the commonwealth might be exclusively directed to 

 the entire satisfaction of all the districts. The natural outcome of 

 this was exactly what took place, viz. — the adoption of a policy of 

 mutual accommodation. The case is clear that this programme was 

 forced upon the party in favor of first building the main line. Once 

 adopted, however, its continuance was regarded as essential to the 

 preservation of the public faith; and the inevitable outcome was 

 the chain of log-rolling legislation which marked the progress of the 

 public works until their completion. 



In conclusion, a work is necessary regarding the causes for the 

 renewed expansion commencing in 1836. At this time, the fever 

 of internal improvements was raging throughout many states in the 

 Union,* and Pennsylvania was no exception. Moreover, as will 

 be seen later, as extensive patronage had now grown up under the 

 past 'expenditure of nearly $23,000,000 upon the public works. 

 Again, in addition to the fact that the faith of the state had been 

 pledged already to those districts in which new works now were 

 undertaken, two other events occurred about this time profoundly 

 influencing the situation. These were the distribution of the 

 surplus revenuef and the chartering of the Bank of the United 

 States. By these events, between five and six million dollars were 

 thrown into the public treasury.t All these conditions combined 



* Bounio, ^History of the Surplus Revenue of 1837, p. 126. Xiles' Reg., 

 XLVllI (Juno 6th, 18.35), p. 2.SS, says: — "Canals and railways are multiply- 

 ing with such rapidity over the country that it is next to impossible to keep 

 pace with them." 



f The bill for the distribution of the surplus revenue of the United States 

 wiis signed by the President on the 2.3d of June, 1830. In accordance with 

 this law, Pennsylvania received .$2,807,514.78. Some of this money was used 

 for educational pui-poses. The )-est was placed in the public treasury and 

 used largely for paying the interest on the public debt and for the extension 

 of the transportation improvements. 



T "Unfortunately for Pennsylvania, two circumstances occurred about this 

 time [1836] which in their consequences have been more disastrous to her 

 best interests than all the other evils which she has been subjected to. It 

 will easily be perceived that the circumstances alluded to were the distribu- 

 tion of the surplus revenue, and the chartering of the Bank of the United 



