, 1844-11-30

ouoJSSt. "io respectfully eCOtIllileuu
a memorial 10 Congress proposing
the donation by the general govern
ment of the whole, or such part OF
these lands. as may be proper, TO the
counties in which they are situated,
upon condition that these counties
will undertake to drain the lands thus
donated. Such a measure would
greatly increase the value of the ad-
jacent public lands-facilitate the in
tercourse between the citizens OF
that region of the State-afford a
fund whereby these swamps may be
drained, and render a healthy coun-
try capable of supporting a dense pop
mation.
The last Legislature passed n me.
mortal to Congress on the subject Of
providing for the defence of the Yves.
tern frontier Of our State. by furnish
ing mounted dragons as the most eff
cient force that could be employed
against the Indians on our border. ]
congratulate you on the fact that, al
the last session of Congress, an act
was passed to remount the second
regiment of dragons, whose services
will be the means Of afiording protec.
ton TO those who live OIL our ives.
tern line.
There has been repeated legisla=
ton on the subject of ascertaining
the actual strength and condition OF
the militia of this State, in order that
the Adjutant General might report
the correct number to the proper au.
thority of the General Government,
and our State be thereby entitled to
its full share of the public aims. 1t
is believed that all the legislation
heretofore had on this subject, has
most signally failed, and that great
loss has been sustained by the State
annually in consequence. The ex-
posed situation of Missouri-llable TO
attack at any moment from the lndi,
ans located on our frontier-renders
it very important that some measures
be adopted that would enable the
State to receive its full quota ofarms.
In consequence of the imperfect
organization OF the militia at this time,
no certain reliance can be placed on
the reports made by the few officers
now in commission. Isuggesi TO the
General Assembly the propriety of
passing an act requiring the asses
sor of each county, when he is enga-
ged in listing the taxable property,
to write down the name of each per-
son subject to militia duty in his coun-
ty, and TO report the number thus
found to the Brigadier General in
whose brigade his county may be
situated; and that the Brigadiers Gen.
eral should consolidate the reports
thus made TO them, and return the
aggregate of the brigade to the Adiu-
tant General, to be by him reported
as the true strength of the militia Of
this State. The names of the entire
militia of each county of the State be-
ing thus obtained, a speedy organiza-
ton could be effected at any time.
In order to enforce a strict COM
pliance with the duties thus imposed
on the assessor, the county court
should not be allowed TO audit the
accounts of this officer, until he had
produced satisfactory evidence of
his having complied with the provi-
slons of the law in this respect.
entertain no doubt but that this
plan would produce a closer proxim-
alton to the true strength of the mill
tia of the State than any other that
has heretofore been adopted, and that
the additional labor that would be
imposed on the Assessor, would not
be found to add very materially TO
the expense of ascertaining the a.
mount Of taxable property in the
State, and bear but a very small pro.
portion to the increased amount of
arms that would be thus procured.
By an act OF the last General As
sembly,' approved on the sixteenth
day Of January, lS43, the number of
the circuit courts, to be held in each
county from and after its passage,
was reduced from three in each year
and among other provisions
It was enacted in the third section.-Il
in all suits brought in the cir
cult courts of the St. Louis court of
common pleas in this State, issues
shall be made up as now provided /;
by the act entitled. Gan act to reg {
llate the practice of flaw" approved I
9TH March, 1885, and after the issues I
hall have been made up, the suits {
stand continued until the Sc {
;ond term, when they shall be tried, G
continued for good cause. 1t
s believed that no serious objection c
'xists to the reduction of the number I