The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-11-12

BURLlNG
the expenses for the year 1910, there ha.
! been appropriated for the pay and mileage
of members of the present legislative as
sembly, for the pay of officers, for print
Ing, furniture, stationery, fuel and al
! other incidental expenses, $27,O50. 1'hi:
sum is deemed sufficient to meet all ne
cessary expenses. l would therefore re
commend TO the consideration of the legis
lative assembly the propriety of confn
ing the expenditures authorized by them
within the appropriation. The Secre
tary of the Territory informs me tina
there are upwards Of six thousand dol
lars due to individuals for furniture, sta
. tioneTy and services rendered to the leg
lslative assembly at the two first ses.
sions, and for which no funds have been
provided for payment. This deficiency
reported to the Treasury Department
with my estimate for the expenses of the
year l54l. and solicited an appropriation
to meet it.
This method of contracting debts with
individuals beyond the means OF payment,
is pracIicing deception upon the pub
lie creditors, and ought, in my opinion.
to be carefully avoided.
BY reference to the appropriation bills,
1t appears that there were allowed to
the clerks and officers of the legislative
assembly at the two first sessions the fol-
lowing sums, to wit first session, to the
clerks and officers Of the Council 49,
$50, and to the clerks and officers of
the House of Representatives. S3,3O0;
second session, TO the clerks and officers
Of the Council. s3525; and to The clerks
and officers Of the House of Representa-
tives, s2.S25. These aggregate sums
were embraced in the appropriation bills,
but there is no law in existence in the
Territory that defines the officers to whom
this money was paid, or the compensa-
ton allowed to any such officers. Until
such a law shall! be passed, establishing
the number Of officers and fixing their
compensation, it will be impossible for
the Executive to comply with the annual
requisition of the Secretary of the Treas
ury Department in furnishing him cor
rect estimate of the sum necessary to
defray the current annual expenses of
the legislative assembly of the Territory.
The States generally define by law the
number Of clerks and officers employed
in each branch of the legislative assem-
bly,. By the laws Of Chic, the number
of clerks and officers to each branch,
and the compensation Of each, are spe-
cally defined. According TO the laws Of
that State, the compensation of the clerks
and officers of both branches Of the legis.
latiye assembly, for session of seventy
five days, would amount to 200. In
this Territory, at the first session, it a
mounted to $3.50, and at the second
to S6,450. These statements are sub
mitted to the candid consideration of the
legislative assembly, with request that a
law may be passed to provide for organ
izing the Legislative assembly. defining
the number of officers to be employed,
together with the compensation allowed
to each.
In recommending this measure, | dis
claim any desire on the part of the Execu
tive to prescribe to the legislature the
number or character Of officers to be en-
ployed in their respective branches, or
the compensation to be allowed to such
officers. The Legislature is the proper
Judge in these things; and it is but fair to
presume that it will employ none but such
as are necessary to the convenient des-
patch of business, and that compensa-
ton adequate to the services Of such Off
GERS will be allowed them respectively.
am not aware that any important gen.
eral subject will be presented for legisla-
tive action. Your predecessors have
passed laws embracing all general sub
jects. Their recent enactments would
seem to require their continuance in force,
excepting in cases where they may have
been found defective. Frequent changes
of general laws are always attended with
inconvenience to the public, and should
be altered only with great caution. Should
any subject requiring the attention of the
legislative assembly be communicated to
the Executive during your session, it
shall be promptly laid before you; and
you may rest assured Of the CO operation
of the Executive in all measures that may
be calculated to secure the prosperity of
our country and to advance the physical,
intellectual and moral condition of its in
habitants.
That all your efforts may harmonic
in promoting the public good, is the sin
cere desire of,
Gentlemen, your very
Obedient servant,
ROBERT LUCAS.
BURLINGTON. Iowa TERRITORY,
November Sd, 1910.
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