Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-02-01
r E PO R T.

pecuniary relief for the injury and destruction
TO property sustained by them, by reason Of the
late freshet and overflow of the several rivers
running through this State, beg leave to submit
the following as the result OF their labors upon
the subject:
Your committee are apprsed from the evidence
derived from different sources, 80 well as from
personal observation, that millions OF money
would not be adequate to repair the destruction
occasioned, and losses sustained by the citizens
OF the State in consequence OF this unexpected
dispensaton Of Providence; but your committee
not deferred by the enormy OF the whole amount
OF damages sustained by the citizens, because
full and ample reparaton cannot be afforded. by
the State, to each and every individual sufferer,
are unwilling to fold their arms in their own
exemption and personal security from the CON-
mon lot OF their suffering fellow citizens; they
are Of those who believe in the force and efficacy
Of that ancient and respected truth. as applicable
TO this subject, that half loaf is better than
no bread"
Your committee are not, in reviewing this
subject as one Of great moment to the people OF
Missouri, left entirely without an example and
guide as to the course which Mountainous
government will pursue when it shall please
the Almighty to aflict portion Of the nha5
tants Of such government, by similar calamity
10 that which has befallen large portion OF our
fellow citizens OF Missouri, during the present
year; they would only mention as an instance
one which is familiar to Missourians. The
course pursued by the government Of the United
States towards large portion Of our citizens in
the southeastern part OF the State, where the
visitation Of Heaven was sent upon their lands
and their homes, in the form Of an earthquake
in 1911 and 1912, by means OF which their
lands were either swallowed up or rendered
wholly vaueless. What then was the course OF
the general government? With that benevo
lence, that magnanimity and that inbred sym
pahy Of heart, which so distinguish the American
character, the government as early as 1915.
passed the law, which is now Familiarity known
as the New Madrid law, by virtue OF which the
sufferers were permitted to re locate their lands
on any Of the unapproprated lands Of the gov
eminent in the same territory.
Your committee in approaching this subject
however, find that difficulties and obstacles beset
them from almost every quarter. and not amongs
the least OF these, is the present exhausted and
depressed condition Of the monetary affairs of
the State. From the message OF the late Execu
tive, communicated to the General Assembly at
the commencement OF its present session, we
learn that the present Indebtedness OF the State,
including principal and interest, is more than
one million OF dollars, that he annual interest
is over seventy thousand dollars now accruing
against the State, and that the annual expendi.
lures Of the State, including the accruing inter
est, will exceed her annual income by the amount
OF at least fifty thousand dollars per annum in
the ordinary administration OF her affars-and
that that worthy officer recommends an imme
diate increase OF the rate Of taxation as the only
available resource by which the State is to re-
lieve herself Of her present pecuniary embarrass.
ment.
Surrounded by this state Of pecunary embar
rassment, your committee cannot see that an
appropriation to relieve the wants Of the suffer
ers from the recent flood could be made out Of
the ordinary revenues OF the State; neither will
they venture 10 suggest the appropriation Of
portion OF the proceeds OF the sales OF the 500 900
acres Of land, donated to the State by the Fed
era Government, even admitting that we could
anticipate the realization OF sufficient amount
Of that fund to answer the present exgencies Of
the sufferers, because those lands were donated for
the specific purpose OF internal Improvements,
having in view the general and common interest
Of the whole union, as well as the people Of
Missouri, who reside in the immediate vicinity
OF the improvements to be then made, and the
State Of Missouri having solicited donation of
the public lands for that object and purpose,
we will not question the policy or propriety OF
carrying out the specific purposes for which the
lands were granted by the Federal Government
But your committee have had also under con.
siderston the expedency and propriety Of assum.
ing through the General Assembly, to receive
Mssour's quota Of the proceeds Of the sales Of
the public lands, to which she is entitled by
virtue of an act of Congress, approved the 9Th
day Of September A. D., lS4l, for the purpose
OF relieving the sufferers before mentioned. Your
committee are fully aware that this subject is
one of embarrassment and difficulty, and thai
those embarrassmeIts in part now arise out oil
the former decision OF the State through her
General Assembly at the last session. Your
committee therefore, in approaching this enquiry,
do it with those feelings Of respect and Difference
which ale due 10 the acts Of the assembled repre-.
sentatves OF the people, and not in spirit o.
opposition merely 10 that decision. Il is not the
purpose Of your committee to enter into crit
cal or particular examination Of the reason!
which influenced the General Assembly to accep
the donation OF the 100000 acres of land, AM
by the same act reject the money, whan boil
land and money were proffered by the same &C
OF Congress to the State OF Missouri, and you
committee certainly means no dsrespect to tn
action OF that body, when they express the opin
ion that there is not, either in ethics, morality, o
the principles OF sound policy solitary reaso
for the rejection Of the one, that does not app
equally and with the same force to the rejection
OF the other. Your committee are aware tina
the act distributing the proceeds of the sales o
the public lands amongst the several States
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