The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-12-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
Gentlemen of the Senate.
and of The House of Re,

and Of the House Of Representatives.:
In being permitted again 10 convene under
suspicious circumstances, for the discharge
of the important trusts delegated to US for
The welfare oil the people, we find abundant
cause of congraiulation. During the year
which is now drawing to a close, sickness,
although wide spread, has been attended
with but comparatively little mortality, and
is happily succeeded by the blessings OF
health; the supremacy of the laws has been
maintained; abundant harVests have crowned
the labors of the year; our leading products
are commanding encouraging prices; self
relying industry has been rewarded and slim
ulated by its merited compensation, and the
deep gloom of individual embarrassment,
which so long has overspread the State, is
slowly retiring before the light OF returning
prosperity. For these and numerous other
blessings, il becomes US to render our CRATE
ful thanks to Him, the Giver of every good
and perfect gift and humbly to mplore con-
tinuance of His favor.
The ordinary expenses of the Government
for the fiscal year ending ON the 3lst of Oc-
tober last, were S7l,l22 %, being S22,-
246 IA less than the EXPENSES ofIhe prece-
ding year. In these expenses are also IN
cluded payments for The construction of the
new State Prison, and for thorough replir of
the State House, under appropriations made
forihose objects.
The ordinary expenses for the year 1916
are estimated at S67, 100, being silI fur
ther reduction of iouF thousand dollars.
The number OF polls tor lS45 estimating
Tor St,Tno from ~,
been received is about l24, 00G and The value
of taxables making a similar allowance, NAV
be stated at about SilS,500 900 This ex,
hibis an increse of 5000 polls aud of 3d.
100000 ofIaxables over the returns of 1874
The whole amount of State revenue paid in,
during the last fiscal year was S27l ,903 60
The assessment of State revenue for IS45 is
1913, 424 81 that for county, road school
and township purposes is S43I, 100 40. To
which adding The delinquencies of former
years, amounting to SllS,572 10, and the
total amount of assessments for the wear
1915, is Ss69,O97 OF.
The result of my own observation and re-
fieclon has been TO satisfy me that there is
great room for reform in our present system
of county expenditures. in the last fiscal
purposes almost equalled, aud in 1914 they
actually exceeded, the whole amount of our
State revenue in those years Respectively
The fault, no dOuot, is mainly impuiable to
the system itself, rather than to is adminis,ra-
ton. A leading item ofexpenditure, is the
pay OF jurors in our courts olinsi;ce. Under
the option given TO PARTIES, issues of fact are
frequently tried by the courts, and the spec
tacle is often exhibited, of the jury being in
attendance, unemployed and at an unnecssa-
rs expense TO the county. 1t is respectfully
suggested whether this evil co uld not IN IA
great degree be remedied, by establishing an
issue term or by requiring that during the
flrst days OF the regular term, causes Shall be
brought TO issue, ready for trial, and thai ,then
and before The Jury aud Witnesses are sum
moned, the plriesi in each case shall eieci
whether the trial sh Ill be by the court or ia
~. BY placing the jury causes together on
the docket for PARTICULAR days OF tbs Term,
the jury and Witnesses when convened, would
be as constantly occupied nntl discharged as
the nature of the business would permit
This, II is believed, would save to such per-
sons heavy tax upon their time, tighten
the county burdens, and promote the cause
OF justice.
Since the last adjournment Of the Legis-
lature, a grant OF one half of all the public
lands in the Vncennes District has been
made by the United States TO Indiana. to
aid in the extension and completion OF The
Wabash and Efie Canal, from rerre Haule to
Evansville.
The grant has two-fold aspect. b. the
first section of the act, there IS conveyed to
the State one moiety of the public lands,
lying in strip five miles in width, on each
side of The canal from one end TO the olher-
but restricted in The mods,ors selection By he
principle of alienation that is, by resoryiug
10 the United States every alternate section,
Or other proper subdivision.
By the second section of tbs act, lhere is
also granted to the State, one-hilf of all the
remaining public lands lying ,0itiout the i'm.
It's ofthe strip, and within the same land dis
trict; but as the principle of alienation is moi
imposed as to this part of The grant, the State
is lefi at liberty to set OF her noisy in such
places within the limits of the gfani, as may
best promote her interest.
AS these selections were authorized BY
the act of Coegress; to be made under ihed
feciIon of the Governor of the State, il earl,
became an object OF the greatest soltcilude
that such measures should be adopted as
would secure as far as practicable, the mos
valuable portion of these lands for tic i'm
portant object for which the grant vas m ade
eupposing The States half OF the lands 10 a.
mount to eight hundred thousand acres
which is very near the truth, then, differ.
ence in the value oil only Twelve and a hall