Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-12-10

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GOVaRNOR,s MESSAGE
Gentlemen Of the Senate,
and ofthe House of Rspresentaiires:

and 81 the House Of Representatives.:
The favourable circumstances un.
der which we are this day assembled,
as to the general happiness and pros
Perity Of our citizens, are calculated
to awaken sentiments Of the most lively
gratitude towards the liver Of all
Good, for a continuance of his favour
and regard towards our flourishlng and
prosperous country 81 &c our last
annual meeting, our state has contin-
ued to advance With accelerated rapid
ity in population and Improvement, a
favourable season has rewarded the
labour Of the agriculturalist with a
bundant crops, and thereby diffused
activity and prosperity among all
branches If industry ano enterprise.
1t is true that during the past summer
our state was again visited with the
epidemic, and in some places severely
afflicted; but, Wills, we are called up
on to symPathise with the sufferers, and
mourn over the loss OF many valuable
lives, we still have abundant. reason to
be thankful that its ravagcs did not be-
come general.
The receipts into the Treasury ur.-
der our present revenue laws continue
to increase in proportion to the ia
crease Of expenditure. The sum
brought into the tr.asury from takes,
during the present fiscal year amounts to
forty-Onc thousand four hundred and
fifty eight dollars and eleven cents.
The ordinary expenditures during the
same period amount to forty-one
thousand one hundred and seventy.
two dollars and nincty-two cents, leav.
ing a balance Of two hundred and
dollars and nineteen cents
which, added to the amonts in tho
Treasury, from other sources, leaves
IA total balance on the 3Oth Novem-
Der, 1888, Of seventeen thousand sir
hundred and sixty seven dollars and
seventy nine cents. Reports from the
Auditor and Treasurer will in due
time be laid before you, showing, in
detail, the condition Of our financial
concerns.
Although our present revenue sys-
tenn is efficient, aud abundantly sup
plies the public wants, vet il is appa-
rent that its assessment is defective,
unequal and unnecessarily expensive.
At my request the Auditor Of Public
Accounts has. with some labonr, pre-
pared from the files OF his office tabu-
lar statement, showing the quantity of
first. second, and third rate lands re-
turned by the listers from the several
counties in the state in the years 1881
1897. and 1888. An examination Of
this statem'nt, which will he laid be-
fore YOU. will at once satisfy you ofthe
imperfections Of our present method OF
listing lands 4 that IN its practical re-
suits, II is unequal and dl>proportion-
ate among the several counties OF the
state. Notwithstanding the general
directions. as to fixing the rates Of tax
able lands. prescribed in the revenue
laws. some counties return large pro-
portions Of first rate. and others equal
in fertility Of soil and possessing other
advantages in at least an equal degree
return little or none Of that quality.
II will also be seen from this statement
that the quality Of lands returned BY
the listers is continually VARYING in its
proportion. and the quantity Of first
rate land diminishing. notwifhstand-
ing the annual increase Of the aggre-
gate taxable lands in the state.
IN compliance with the acquisitions
Of Joint resolution Of the General
Assembly. the Auditor has prepared
from the tract books a statement Of
the actual quantity ofland> taxable for
the wear 1893. from which you will
perceive that the listers returns fall
short Of the true quantity oflands taxa
bic for the present year upwards Of
23O,OOO acres. which. at the medium
rate Of taxation, would have produced
t. the Treasury the sum Of thirteen
hundre4 dollars. While this method
ofl;sting and rating the taxable lands
in the state continues. no certain esti-
mate can ever be made Of the revenue
that .iE accrue from lands, as the
quality and quantity are continually
varving. These imperfrctions can
orlv he remedied by an entire change
in the method Of making assess
ments.
The several counties in the state
have been furnished with a schedule
or tract hook. showing the quantity of