Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1858 — Governor's Message. [ARTICLE]

Governor's Message.

Senators h and Representatives: Previous to the year 1852 provision was made in this State for annual sessions of the Legislature, but the members of the convention who framed our existing constitution believed that biennial sessions, after that period, would, in ordinary times, fie sufficient. They provided, however, that when in the opinion of the Governor the public welfare should demand it, he might call a special session of the General Assembly. The thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly,, which adjourned on the 9th day of March, 1857, .did not pass, any law’ for the purpose of raising a revenue for the years 1857 and 1858. Until that time it w:as confidently hoped by the people of the State that their epresentatives would at all times be willing Jo provide the necessary means to sustain every department of the gtiveriirnent established by their Constitution. They also expected that provision would. be made to support every Benevolent institution they had approved. They felt that although improvident legislation had in former days impaired the credit of their State, as simi ia-r legislation had injured the reputation of x>.thers, yet, that for many years, the credit of Indiana, maintained in every particular, was to them a matter 01 just pride and congratulation. = They felt that although Indiana, in the days of her iinprovidenep, had been unable to maintain the high character of a sovereign State in responding to all Iler pecuniary obligations, yet she had now attained to that position of wealth and influence among her sister States, that any failure to redeem every undertakingwould be injurious to her credit and her honor. Notwithstanding these and other considerations, the members of the last Legislature, for reasons into which it is not my duty to enquire, failed to enact the laws necessary to sustain the various interests to which I have alluded. Shortly after such adjournment I informed the people of the State that there was necessity for legislation, arid expressed a readiness, whenever the law’s could be passed, to call the members together. Believing that there was such a want of harmony among them that necessary legislation could not be secured, I declined to exercise the power entrusted to the Governor to call a special session of the General Assembly. But a new Legislature having been elected, I have, at the earliest practicable day exercised the power to which I have before alluded. _ Although that Legislature failed to appropriate the means which were then in the treasury to sustain the interests for which they had been raised, the Administrative and Executive officers of the State believed that such was the regard the people of Indiana had for the government they had establishes—such their anxiety for the maintenance of their constitution, and the support of their laws, that it was their imperative duty Io apply, the money in their possession to the purposes for-which it was collected. From that adjournmen l of the Legislature those officers have endeavored to sustain every interest of Indiana, as provided for by her constitution and. by her '*’■ ' ■, /mind tfiit the laws ol thej >' - . ” Auditor, Treasurer • •><.:U <1 A’ I O iUtil RIX d tO proCllf! money to pay the interest an the public,

debt. Believing that the welfare of the State would be promoted by paying such interest, a loafn was negotiated on the 22d of June, 1858, with the Board of Commissioners of the Sinking Fund for■'sl6s,ooo, which was applied to the payment of such interest. After the State has undertaken to pay all the interest and principal of her debtj her ! sovereign integrity demands that her obligaI tions should be redemed. Sec. lofart.Sdof ■ the constitution declares that “It. shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide by law for the support of Institutions for the education of the Deaf and Dumb and of the Blind, and also for the treatment of the Insane.” No appropriation was made by the 'Legislature to sustain those Institutions, ! but the money was in the treasury—the j clear provision of the constitution that those , Institutions should be supported, the officers jot the State thought should be maintained ■ and executed, and accordingly they applied ,tße funds in their possession to that purpose. Ihe officers of the State have been enabled, by an economical administration of the I public funds, to thus far sustain every department of the government. and pay the I interest on our indebtedness, leaving.a baljance in the treasury of $131,342 28, u i'hout ' making any loan except the one to which I have before alluded. j No tax having been levied for the year' 1857—58, all the resources for sustaining the government, or maintaining its credit, will. 1 at an early day, be exhausted, unless ttie Legislature shall provide a remedy. I re-j commend to you. therefore, that at* as eailv ' j.a diy as possible, you take into consider:!- ' ■tion the condi’ion. of the treasury, and-that' a tax be levied tor the. year 1858. The report of. the Auditor of State will exhibit to you the amount which it is estimated w 111 bd necessary to raise. If lhe tax is levied at once, it can bo collected in time ' to meq| the ordinary expenditures of thej govern inent. It will b<j necessary; to negotiate a loan to meet the interest w hich will be due upon the public debt upon the Ist I l.day of January. 1859. .No difficulty wiil be I .found in negotiating such loan, provided the) ' levy is made for the tear 1858. .1 ustice to the residents and ow ners of the : property of the State demands that the expenses of the government'should be paid by i ; them equally, according to the value of thefr ! property. To secure so desirable a result,; it has long been the policy in Indiana to i I have freequeht valuations of all the real ! i property within the State. Accordingly, on i 1 the- 13th ot" February, 185 y, an act was pas-; sed to appraise the real estate, and to make 1 the value of the same equal and uniform. Since that time no act of the Legislature has | been p-ussed ordering'a new appraisement. In the meantime the increase in thelvalue of that kind ot property has l been very large, i II thaf increase had been uniform, a necessity for a new appraisment would not exi-t. j But since the passage ol that. law. a great difference has arisen in reference to the' reI lative.value of' real estate. When the last assessment was made there was but one I railroad completed to Indianapolis, “from anyj point in the State, nor wer<*-itTiy other o: the ; i existing works finished, \mi cannot but i appreciate the effect that, ihose roads had I upon the value of the property of the State. Indeed, it has so -increased the value of such j property, that it is confi lently believed that ■a new assessment Would show that the taxables.ol the State now amount to four hundred million dollars. If this" view of the subject is correct, it is manifestly unjust that the revenues paid.J'or the support of the government should be levied upon the appraisement of 185 1. At niy request, the Directors of the State ! Prison Have made a partial report as to the ; conditio.i of that Institute n. You will ob- ■ serve by an exa nination of that'report that the new cell house has been finished, but,j even.now, after the same has been completed, such is the limited capacity of that institution that iX is impossible to retain with safety, or employ with' profit, more than three hundred nntnety convicts. The number which will be confined there by the Ist. iof January, 1859, will, in al! probability. • amount to live hundred. You will therefore seethe absolute necessity of either greatly ; enlarging the existing prison, or of erectin' l -! an additional one in koine other part of the State. In view of the prison being located upon th■■ south.-Til boundary of the. Slate, th- rGiv '<: oisiug a heavy exp-iise in transporting th - convicts from th - various counties, and beli.-'cilig that a portion ot tin- labor of lhe inmates cmud be'more protitabTy employ ’d in so n-’ other locality, and relying upon the advice, and opinion of those most experienced in managing such in- ; sti'tutioils, that three hundred to tlire • hundred > and fiftj- .convicts are us many as should be confined in one locality, I accordingly, join with the Directors and Warden of the Prison in recomtm-n----i ding to you that a law he passed at an early d.iv, ■ providing for the erection of another State Prison, I and that the same bo located somewhere in the northern portion of the State. Little can be done towards thep-rection of said prison until the spring of 1859. If it should ho regarded as desirable to use the labor of a portion of the convicts in the erection of said prison, one hundred and fifty to two hundred ot them.could be employed for that purpose. If you should decide to pass such a law, provision should be made tor tin* purchasing of more land for the use <rf the new, than belongs to the State adjoining the present prison. There are generally confined in the prison many who cpuld be profitably einploved in raising necessaries for the support of the institution. I have thus briefly called, to your attention those interests of the State which demand, i;t mv ! opinion, your im’medvite. attention. I have done this in the hope that a few days only of your i time wiil bo rquired, deferring to makeany other recommendation until you assemble at the regir” lar session, which will be on the (ith day of January, 1859. In conclusion, I hope that’harmony may prevail in your councils, and that wisdom i and patriotism may guide, your avdions

ASHBEL P. WILLARD.

oO“The Mi nnie rille has proved terribly destructive in the late fights with the Indians in Oregon and Texas. Our soldiers can fire at the Indians at. such distance as to be entirely safe, Unless th,* Indians learn the use of the Minnie rifle they will be exterminated by it. (101. Wright says in a late letter to the Secretary of War, giving an sccount <i( a recent engagement with the Oregon Indians: “Tho men fired at. the gallant red rascals as they would have fired at targets, and the movements during the action were as orderly as onia field" dav. . The enemy has lost courage , II 111 ■>.. J. (, 1 mi-y Jones hu« resigned his seat in Oongres.-. His I. tier of resignation to Gov. ! Packer i» dated the first instant.