A. L. Bishop — The State TForAvs of Pennsylvania. 255 



pany forwarded to the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of 

 Pennsylvania the following letter : — * 



Office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., 



Philadelphia, December 20, 1855. 

 To the Hon. Andrew G. Curtin, Secretary of State : 



Sir : — I respectfully subnait on behalf of the Pennsylvania Rail- 

 road Company the following proposal for the purchase of the mair[ 

 line of state improvements ; also, a proposal for the Columbia rail- 

 road only. . 



For the main line from Philadelphia to the Monongahela and 

 Allegheny rivers including the real estate, shops, tools, engine- 

 houses, depots, locomotives, cars, toll-houses, lock-houses, water- 

 power and other property connected therewith, the sum of seven 

 million five hundred thousand dollars. 



Payments to be made as follows: Five hundred thousand dollars 

 on the delivery of the works to the company, in cash or certificates 

 of state loan ; ten per cent, of the remainder on the thirtieth day of 

 July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five ; and ten per 

 cent, annually thereafter until the whole amount is paid. The 

 instalments unpaid to bear interest at the rate of five per cent, per 

 annum, payable semi-annually on the thirtieth days of January and 

 July of each year ; the company to have the right at any time to pay 

 off the whole or any portion of the purchase money, by the delivery 

 to the State Treasurer of an equal amount in certificates of state 

 loan ; the state to relinquish her right to purchase the Pennsylvania 

 railroad, and to repeal all laws imposing a tax on tonnage passing 

 over said road. 



The Pennsylvania Railroad Company will further agree to keep 

 up the canal portion of the line east of the Allegheny mountain ; 

 also, that portion of the line between Blairsville and Pittsburg, 

 until the Northwestern railroad shall be open for business from 

 Blairsville to the Allegheny river. 



The company will also agree to purchase the Philadelphia and 

 Columbia Railroad at its cost of construction, to be determined by 

 three eminent civil engineers, to be appointed by the state with 

 the concurrence of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company; upon 

 which sum so ascertained, they will pay forever semi-annually to 

 the State Treasurer an amount equivalent to the dividends paid to 

 the stockholders of said company on an equal portion of its capital 

 stock. 



Very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



J. Edgar Thompson, President. 



* See Leg. Docs., 1856, p. 47. 



