The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-04
Governors Message.
Gentlemen Of the Senate and Of
the House of REPRESENTATIVE

the House Of Representatives:
You are convened in pursuance of my
proclamation of the 18th of October last,
and it now becomes my duty to commu-
nicate to you the reason of your convoca-
ton. While we have abundant cause to
be devoutly thankful to an overruling
Providence for the success which has
every where attended industry--bounti-
fully rewarded the husbandman for his
labor-it is to be deeply dcplored that
our State is measurably overwhelmed with
pecunary embarrassments.
These embarrassments have grown out
of our system of internal Improvements,
adopted by improvident legislation, at a
time when the delusive phantom Of spe-
culahon seemed to have taken possession
Of the human mind, and led the world in
to extravaganza and error and, however
deeply we may regret the evil which this
system has entaied upon us, it would be
unwise and unpatriotic to shrink from the
responsibility of applying your best eff
forts to the pecuniary redemption of the
State, and the preservation of her honor.
The vast debt she has already incurred
must be paid, and this can only be done
by a strict and rigid maintenance of her
credit abroad, and the wisdom with which
her measures are directed at home.
failure to meet promptly single one
of her engagements, would inevitably
throw around her future operations diff
, cuties which would prove destructive to
her character and interest, and III great
degree paralyze her energies.
Although there may be but one opinion
among our citizens, that the money for
which we are indebted has been injudi-
ciously appropriated, still their virtue and
patriotism, their high sense of honor and
Justice, imperiously forbid delinquency
in its payments. am clearly convinced
that they would look upon no calamity
which might befall them so great and hui
initiating as that which would strip them
of their reputation for punctuality and
probity of their engagements.
When State loses sight of these para.
mount considerations in her public policy
when she ceases to hold integrity up to
the world as the polar star of her legisla.
lation-when she becomes careless of hel
standing among the communities arount
her, she will settle down into hopeless de-
graduation, and become the scorn and con
tempt of the world. Strongly impressed
with these sentiments, | have convoket
you at the present time, that you may bt
enabled to provide means for the paymen
of the interest, which will fall due on tn,
first Monday in January next, on the in
ternal improvement debt. The immens
amount of State securities in the marke
the general arrangement of financial at
fairs in this and in other countries-th
suspension of specie payments by tn
banks, and the contraction OF their issues
rendering the difficulties encounteredin oh
tanning money for any purpose almost in
surmountable, together with the shortncs
Of time intervening between the perio
fixed by the Constitution for your regula
meeting, and the first Monday in Januar
succeeding, when the interest become
due, presented doubts to my mind whe
ther the legislature, if they did not assem
bic previous to the commencement Of the
regular session, could adopt suitable me;
sures for the purpose Of providing the nj
cessary funds to enable the Fund Con
missioner to avail himself Of their adva,