PENNSYLVANIA ENTERPRISES INC
S-8, 1996-09-27
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 27, 1996
                                                Registration No. 333-__________*
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington D.C. 20549
                         ------------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                         ------------------------------

                         PENNSYLVANIA ENTERPRISES, INC.
                         ------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



        Pennsylvania                                   23-1920170
        ------------                                   ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)


                              Wilkes-Barre Center
                                39 Public Square
                      Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18711-0601
                      -------------------------------------
             (Address of registrant's principal executive offices)


                             1992 Stock Option Plan
                             ----------------------
                            (Full title of the Plan)



     Thomas J. Ward, Secretary                                Copy to:
  Pennsylvania Enterprises, Inc.                        Garett J. Albert, Esq.
        Wilkes-Barre Center                           Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
         39 Public Square                               One Battery Park Plaza
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18711-0601                  New York, New York 10004
         (717) 829-8812
(Name and address and telephone number
      of agent for service)



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                Calculation of Registration Fee

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Proposed             Proposed
                                                            maximum               maximum
       Title of Shares                 Amount            offering price     aggregate offering        Amount of
       to be registered           to be registered         per unit**              price          registration fee
<S>                                  <C>                      <C>                  <C>                <C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Common Stock, no par value,            15,000                 $41.50                $622,500            $214.66
stated value $10 per share(1)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

</TABLE>

- --------------------
*    The  Registrant  has on file with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission
     Registration  Statement  No.  33-62892  which  relates to the  issuance  of
     200,000 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock under the Registrant's 1992
     Stock Option Plan.  Pursuant to Rule 429 under the  Securities Act of 1933,
     the  documents  that are deemed to  constitute  the  prospectus  under this
     Registration  Statement  will also be used in  connection  with  securities
     covered by such earlier registration statement.
**   Calculated  pursuant to Rule  457(h)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933 based
     on the price at which the  options  with  respect  to these  shares  may be
     exercised.
================================================================================


<PAGE>
                                    PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference
         ---------------------------------------

         Pennsylvania Enterprises,  Inc., ("the Company") hereby incorporates by
reference in this Registration Statement the following documents and information
heretofore filed with the Commission under the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "Exchange Act") (File No. 0-7812):

         (a) The Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     December 31, 1995;

         (b) The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
     March 31, 1996 and June 30, 1996;

         (c) The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 29, 1996;

         (d) The  description  of the  Company's  Common Stock  contained in the
     Company's registration  statements on Form 8-A therefor filed under Section
     12 of the Exchange  Act,  including  any  amendment or report filed for the
     purpose of updating such description.

         All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this  Registration  Statement and
prior to the  filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which  indicates  that all
securities  offered  hereby have been sold or which  deregisters  all securities
then remaining  unsold shall be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference in this
Registration  Statement  and to be a part  hereof from the  respective  dates of
filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities
         -------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
         --------------------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
         -----------------------------------------

         Sections  1741 through  1750 of  Subchapter D of Chapter 17 of the PBCL
contain,  among  other  things,   provisions  for  mandatory  and  discretionary
indemnification of a corporation's directors, officers and other personnel.

<PAGE>

         Under  Section  1741,  unless  otherwise  limited  by  its  by-laws,  a
corporation  has the power to indemnify  directors  and officers  under  certain
prescribed   circumstances   against  expenses   (including   attorney's  fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
in connection  with a  threatened,  pending or completed  action or  proceeding,
whether civil,  criminal,  administrative or investigative (other than an action
by or in the  right  of the  corporation),  to  which  any of them is a party or
threatened to be made a party by reason of his being a representative,  director
or officer of the  corporation or serving at the request of the corporation as a
representative  of  another  domestic  or  foreign  corporation  for  profit  or
not-for-profit,  partnership,  joint venture,  trust or other enterprise,  if he
acted in good  faith and in a manner  he  reasonably  believed  to be in, or not
opposed to, the best  interests  of the  corporation  and,  with  respect to any
criminal  proceeding,  had no  reasonable  cause  to  believe  his  conduct  was
unlawful.  The  termination  of any action or  proceeding  by  judgment,  order,
settlement  or conviction  or upon a plea of nolo  contendere or its  equivalent
does not of itself  create a  presumption  that the  person  did not act in good
faith and in a manner that he  reasonably  believed to be in, or not opposed to,
the  best  interests  of the  corporation  and,  with  respect  to any  criminal
proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

         Section 1742  provides for  indemnification  with respect to derivative
and  corporate  actions  similar  to that  provided  by Section  1741.  However,
indemnification  is not provided  under  Section 1742 with respect to any claim,
issue or matter as to which a director or officer has been adjudged to be liable
to the  corporation  unless  and  only  to the  extent  that  the  proper  court
determines upon application  that,  despite the adjudication of liability but in
view of all the  circumstances  of the case, a director or officer is fairly and
reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses that the court deems proper.

         Section  1743  provides  that   indemnification   against  expenses  is
mandatory to the extent that the director or officer has been  successful on the
merits or otherwise in defense of any such action or  proceeding  referred to in
Section 1741 or 1742.

         Section   1744   provides   that  unless   ordered  by  a  court,   any
indemnification  under Section 1741 or 1742 shall be made by the  corporation as
authorized in the specific case upon a  determination  that  indemnification  of
directors  and  officers  is proper  because  the  director  or officer  met the
applicable standard of conduct, and such determination will be made by the board
of  directors  by a majority  vote of a quorum of  directors  not parties to the
action or  proceeding;  if a quorum is not  obtainable  or if  obtainable  and a
majority of disinterested  directors so directs, by independent legal counsel or
by the shareholders.

         Section 1745 provides  that expenses  incurred by a director or officer
in defending any action or proceeding  referred to in the Subchapter may be paid
by the  corporation  in  advance  of the  final  disposition  of such  action or
proceeding  upon receipt of an  undertaking  by or on behalf of such director or
officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not
entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.


<PAGE>

         Section 1746 provides  generally  that except in any case where the act
or failure to act giving rise to the claim for  indemnification is determined by
a  court  to  have  constituted   willful   misconduct  or   recklessness,   the
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by the Subchapter shall not
be deemed  exclusive of any other rights to which a director or officer  seeking
indemnification  or  advancement  of expenses may be entitled  under any by-law,
agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as
to action in his official  capacity and as to action in another  capacity  while
holding that office.

         Section  1747  also  grants a  corporation  the power to  purchase  and
maintain  insurance on behalf of any director or officer  against any  liability
incurred  by him in his  capacity  as  officer or  director,  whether or not the
corporation  would have the power to indemnify him against the  liability  under
this Subchapter of the PBCL.

         Sections 1748 and 1749 apply the  indemnification  and  advancement  of
expenses  provisions  contained  in the  Subchapter  to  successor  corporations
resulting  from   consolidation,   merger  or  division  and  to  service  as  a
representative of such corporations or of employee benefit plans.

         Section 1750  provides  that the  indemnification  and  advancement  of
expenses  granted pursuant to this  Subchapter,  unless otherwise  provided when
authorized  or  ratified,  continue  as  to a  person  who  has  ceased  to be a
representative  of the  corporation  and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs
and personal representatives of that person.

         Article II, Section 15 of the Company's  By-Laws,  provides that to the
fullest extent that the PBCL permits  elimination or limitation of the liability
of directors,  no director  shall be personally  liable for monetary  damages as
such for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, as a director.

         Article  VII,  Section 1 of the  Company's  By-Laws  provides  that the
Company  shall  indemnify  its  directors  and  officers to the  fullest  extent
permitted by the PBCL.  Persons who are not directors or officers of the Company
may be similarly  indemnified in respect of service to the Company or to another
such entity at the  request of the Company to the extent the Board of  Directors
at any time  designates  such person as being  entitled to the  benefits of such
indemnity.

         The Company has purchased director and officer liability  insurance for
its directors and officers.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed
         -----------------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits
         --------

         The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference.
The  reference  numbers  correspond  to the numbered  paragraphs  of Item 601 of
Regulation S-K.

4-1      Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company,  as amended -- filed
         as Exhibit 3-1 to the Company's Registration Statement No. 33-47581.


<PAGE>

4-2      By-Laws of the Company, as amended and restated -- filed as Exhibit 3-2
         to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 1994, File 0-7812.

4-3      Rights  Agreement  dated as of April 26,  1995  between the Company and
         Chemical Bank, as Rights agent -- filed as Exhibit 4-1 to the Company's
         Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter  ended  March 31,  1995,
         File No. 0-7812.

5-1      Opinion of Moses & Gelso,  L.L.P.  as to the legality of the securities
         being registered.

23-1     Consent of Moses & Gelso, L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5-1).

23-2     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

Item 9.  Undertakings
         ------------

         (a) The Registrant hereby undertakes:

               (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
         made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                    (i) To include any prospectus  required by section  10(a)(3)
               of the Securities Act of 1933;

                    (ii) To  reflect  in the  prospectus  any  facts  or  events
               arising after the effective  date of the  Registration  Statement
               (or the most  recent  post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,
               individually or in the aggregate,  represent a fundamental change
               in the information set forth in the Registration Statement;

                    (iii) To include any  material  information  with respect to
               the  plan  of  distribution  not  previously   disclosed  in  the
               Registration Statement or any material change to such information
               in the Registration Statement;

         Provided,  however,  that  paragraphs  (a)(1)(i) and  (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply  if the  Registration  Statement  is on  Form  S-3 or  Form  S-8,  and the
information  required  to be  included in a  post-effective  amendment  by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant  pursuant to
section  13 or section  15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

               (2) That, for the purpose of determining  any liability under the
         Securities Act of 1933,  each such  post-effective  amendment  shall be
         deemed to be a new  registration  statement  relating to the securities
         offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
         be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.



<PAGE>


               (3) To  remove  from  registration  by means of a  post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         (b) The Registrant  hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the  registrant's
annual  report  pursuant  to Section  13(a) or Section  15(d) of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the  Registration  Statement shall be
deemed to be a new  registration  statement  relating to the securities  offered
therein,  and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar  as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising  under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and  controlling
persons of the registrant  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,
the  registrant  has been  advised  that in the  opinion of the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission such  indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is,  therefore,  unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.




<PAGE>




                                   SIGNATURES

         The Registrant.  Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the  requirements  for filing on Form S-8 and has duly  caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized in the City of Wilkes-Barre,  Commonwealth of  Pennsylvania,  on
the 19th day of September, 1996.

                                     PENNSYLVANIA ENTERPRISES, INC.


                                     By:  /s/  John F. Kell, Jr.
                                         -----------------------------------
                                         (John F. Kell, Jr.)
                                          Vice President, Financial Services

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         Signature                           Title                              Date

<S>                                         <C>                                 <C>
(i) Principal Executive Officer:


    /s/  Thomas F. Karam                     President, Chief                   September 19, 1996
- -------------------------------------        Executive Officer and Director
   (Thomas F. Karam)


(ii) Principal Financial and Accounting Officer:


    /s/  John F. Kell, Jr.                   Vice President,                    September 19, 1996
- -------------------------------------        Financial Services
   (John F. Kell, Jr.)


(iii) A Majority of the Board of Directors:


    /s/  William D. Davis                    Vice Chairman of the               September 19, 1996
- -------------------------------------        Board of Directors
   (William D. Davis)


    /s/  Robert J. Keating                   Director                           September 19, 1996
- -------------------------------------
   (Robert J. Keating)


    /s/  John D. McCarthy                    Director                           September 19, 1996
- -------------------------------------
   (John D. McCarthy)



<PAGE>


    /s/  Kenneth L. Pollock                  Chairman of the                    September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------       Board of Directors
   (Kenneth L. Pollock


    /s/  Kenneth M. Pollock                  Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (Kenneth M. Pollock)


    /s/  James A. Ross                       Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (James A. Ross)


    /s/  Ronald W. Simms                     Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (Ronald W. Simms)


    /s/  Paul R. Freeman                     Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (Paul R. Freeman)


    /s/  Richard A. Rose, Jr.                Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (Richard A. Rose, Jr.)


    /s/  John D. McCarthy, Jr.               Director                           September 19, 1996
- --------------------------------------
   (John D. McCarthy, Jr.)

</TABLE>



<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                 INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit                                                                         Sequentially
Number                              Description                                 Numbered Page

<S>               <C>                                                          <C>
4-1               Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as
                  amended -- filed as Exhibit 3-1 to the Company's
                  Registration Statement No. 33-47581.

4-2               By-Laws of the  Company,  as amended and restated --
                  filed as Exhibit 3-2 of the Company's  Annual Report
                  on Form 10-K for 1994, File 0-7812.

4-3               Rights  Agreement dated as of April 26, 1995 between
                  the Company and  Chemical  Bank,  as Rights Agent --
                  filed  as  Exhibit  4-1 to the  Company's  Quarterly
                  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter  ended March 31,
                  1995, File No. 0-7812.

5-1               Opinion of Moses & Gelso, L.L.P. as to the legality of the
                  securities being registered

23-1              Consent of Moses & Gelso, L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5-1)

23-2              Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

</TABLE>


                                 LAW OFFICES OF
                              MOSES & GELSO, L.L.P.

                             120 S. FRANKLIN STREET
                           WILKES-BARRE, PA 18701-1188




                                            September 24, 1996



Pennsylvania Enterprises, Inc.
Wilkes-Barre Center
39 Public Square
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania  18711-0601

Re:      Pennsylvania Enterprises
         15,000 Shares of Common Stock
         -----------------------------

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as special counsel for Pennsylvania Enterprises,  Inc., a
Pennsylvania  corporation  (the  "Company")  for the purpose of  rendering  this
opinion in  connection  with the filing by the Company with the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission of a registration  statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") relating to the sale by
the Company of 15,000 shares of Common Stock, no par value, stated value $10 per
share (the "Shares") pursuant to the Company's 1992 Stock Option Plan.

         As such special  counsel,  we have  examined  such  corporate  records,
certificates  and  other  documents  as we  have  considered  necessary  for the
purposes of this opinion.  In such examination,  we have assumed the genuineness
of  all  signatures,  the  authenticity  of  all  documents  submitted  to us as
originals,  the conformity to the original documents of all documents  submitted
to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter  documents.
As to any facts  material  to our  opinion,  we have,  when such  facts were not
independently established,  relied upon the aforesaid records,  certificates and
documents.

         We are members of the Bar of the  Commonwealth of  Pennsylvania  and we
express no opinion as to the laws of any other  jurisdiction other than the laws
of the United States of America to the extent specifically referred to herein.

         Upon  the  basis  of  the  foregoing  examination  and  subject  to the
limitations contained herein we are of the opinion that:

         (a) when the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act,
no further  authorization,  consent or approval by any regulatory authority will
be required  for the valid  issuance  and sale of the Shares  (except  under the
so-called "blue sky" or securities laws of the several states of which we do not
express any opinion); and

<PAGE>

         (b) the Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in the
manner set forth in the  Registration  Statement,  will have been validly issued
and fully paid and non-assessable by the Company.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement.

                                            Very truly yours,



                                            /s/ JOHN P. MOSES



                   CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
                   -----------------------------------------



As independent  public  accountants,  we hereby consent to the  incorporation by
reference in this  Registration  Statement of our report dated February 23, 1996
included  in  Pennsylvania  Enterprises,  Inc.'s  Form  10-K for the year  ended
December  31,  1995  and  to  all  references  to  our  Firm  included  in  this
Registration Statement.



                                             ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP



New York, New York
September 19, 1996




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