Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-12-12


December 4, came to hand by Friday eve
ning's mail. We have time to say but few
words in relation to it.
The recommendations of the Governor
contained in the first part of the message,
will meet hearty response from almost ev-
cry citizen of the Territory So far as the
sessions of the Legislature are concerned, it
is fact, as the message declares, that they
have been prolonged without any apparent
benefit TO the territory, for even if debts have
not been contracted on the filth of the terri
Tory, the prolonged sessions have gwen birth
10 many laws uncallcd for and operating in
directly TO the detriment of The people The
public interest, in our opinion, would be sub
served by short sessions.
The subject of Territorial Indebtedness,
we trust will be taken hold of in earnest. 1t
Is an evil which is not lessencd by avoiding.
If the debts cannot be met at once their
amount can at least be settled and cred tors
can have the assurance that they will even
tually be paid. There are considerable
a mounts of bonds issued three years ago, al
so scrip issued two years ago, which have
been utterly repudiated by the general 90
vernment, and which must OF course be paid
by the Territory. These bonds and scrip,
which were taken on the pledged faith of the
Territory, are scattered in small amounts to
different holders, and should be promptly
paid for the holders are suffering for the mo-
ney If the Legislature do nothing else,
they are expected at least to strike a correct
DIR. and CIR. account, and give it to the peo-
| pie.
| 1t is in unmakng rather than making laws.
that the Legislature can best subserve the
interests of the people. Doubtless expert
ence has demonstrated the necessity of amen
ding some of our established laws, but let us
have no new laws. Our statutes are hume
rous and complicated enough, and we are
daily evidencing that so far at least as VIC are
concerned, the world is governed too much.
There is no transaction of life but which, has
lis statute enactment; law enters into every
thing. The people are supposed to be in
capable of taking care of themselves in any
particular, and the law is sent for them, by
their wise rulers as sort of dry nurse through
life, for which they have to pay dear enough
in all conscience. We are of the opinion
that every statute of the book, except those
which guard and protect community against
crime, (and these, under the circumstances,
would soon lose their v9cation,) may with
great safety and almost uncomfortable good
be repealed.
Next comes the question of State Govern
ment. We can never be great or indie
pendent people, until we enter upon state
government. There can be little doubt that
we have now the requisite number of inha-
bitants. Should we commence at once. one
or two years must elapse before we can per-
feet our organization. Increasing as our po-
pulaton is, at the rate of a kingdom year,
is it not the duty of the Legislature to take
the preliminary steps without delay
The rest of the message is taken up in
discussing the question of the southern
boundary. Some two or three years since
we examined this question as fully as the
documents on record in the Library at Ma
olson would permit, and come to the con-
clusion that we had no valid claim whatever
to the territory lying between the present
recognized southern boundary of Wisconsin
and line drawn through the southerly bend
or extreme of Lake Michigan. 1t is very
probable though, we did not get all the au-
thorties on the subject, and the Governor
has doubtless bestowed more study and in
vestigation upon the matter than we have,
we therefore give this portion of the message
without comment.
The message is in no-wise Objectionable.
If the Governor himselfis not what he should
be, and if his recommendations and opin ons
do not correspond with MS previous conduct
if does not affect the value of tie message. |
We speak of it in virtue alone OF what APP
pears on the face of it.