Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-05-27
A DIR ESS
Of The Wing members Of the Legislature q
1916 to the People of yMichigan.

" s'-'S'S'o~"'
FELLOW CITIZENS:
The Undersigned Wing members Of The Leg
isla'ure Of 1916. deeply sensible Of the great i'm
portance Of the subj 'cis upon which they have
been called To act dur,rg the very unusually long
and tedious session Isl at lis close. and al
the same iitne d,.s,rnus ot .vr ling ,aisconstruc
tion have fell il lh,ar ,ia'. TO submit to their con
s,itucn,s aud 10 the p .nplr of the State brief ex
position ii the gro ,n.ls aud mo ives Of their ac
iiou Aud while Ike our mrsi profound &C |
EMBELLISHMENTS t,r The honor conferred upon Us |
nv a generous suifrns we do no. forge, that
very heavy responsibility must rest upon every |
member of this Lrsisi, C. The manner IN which
that responsibility has been met bo'h BY ours ,ves
and by The ta,se m riiy % both houses-our
political opponents - whose power and " III we
have been n,sde 10 subni', will form the subject OF
this address. a paper which Is not ambitious, u
will deal not IN rhetoric bat IN facts, and Tor those
facts we think il is 10. TOO much To ask an aten-
tive consideration. bearing as they do uoon the
most vital interests Of the people Of the State.
|, had bee me apparent previous TO the mee-
ting of the Legislature that Mich was laborine
under heavy endorsements out OF which those
who had had the cp;rol Of her affairs for the last
4yearswere totally unable to exlrlcste her. She
had gone on from one runous expedient 10 anolh-
or, every year involving herself deeper and deeper
in difficulties until The DO dest OF Them all could no
longer denv that she had incurred many an dheavy
Obligations which her resources were totally IN
adequate 10 meet.
Early in The session therefore the attention OF
the Legislature was directed 10 an investigation OF
the financial condition of the Stete. The results
,f that investigation so far as il goes, and a com
par;sou of j, with the previous statements Of the
late administration, both OF which are exhibited III
the following tables will sufficiently show The pres
emf condition of the financial affairs OF the State
and the deceptive statements with which that 40 :
ADMINISTRATION attempted to lull the people INTO Sc
CURLY.
STATEMENT No i.
In his annual message for 1916 Gov. Barry said:
.1Ae ,pholc acknowledged Indebtedness Of the State
and IL, resources are exhibited by the following
statement.
I'VE have not room to insert the table as drawn
mn by the Governor. Those who have the message
are referred to it for the particulars. We give In
brief thus Ed Sent.
LIST the Funded Debt amounting to $3,355,242 As
Cd the Unfunded debt $72l,934 W
Total s4,O77,l77 10
Resources of the State, comprising
value of Internal Improvements
and their fixtures, Lands, assets,
and taxes uncollected and on hand $4,loo,ooo w
Excess of resources @'z'o@A o1a
To this statement Governor Barry added In sub
stance that taking into consideration certain other
matters, the resources and liabilities OF the State
would be about equal
STATEMENT No 2.
Showing the condition of the State, up to Jan. lS4
as set forth in the Report of Senator Hale, about
the LIST of Feb. 1876, of which Mr. Hale says Gen
,;re accuracy is not claimed for the Statement,
lint il will be found sufficiently exact for all Prac-
tcal purposes"
Bv this statement of Senator Hale the entire posi-
tive indebtedness the State is So'O22'oo4 az
Contingent ditto. z'1o'''4i
To,,, s7,777,4S6 81
Of the contingent liabilities of the State, we may
here remark. that the amt due the U.S. 1886, AZ
cannot be considered as properly chargeabie upon
the Treasury Of the State, though contingency
NAV arise, which will cause demand to be made for
that sum under circumstances which would render
resistance by the State impossible. The balance Of
the loan to the University will be paid by that
Institution and the State relieved entirely from any
liability on that account. The remaining sum under
the head of contingent liabilities is composed OF thai
norton of the five million loan bonds which the con
tractors failed to pay, and although not just o.
.cu;table demand against the State it will, unit
finally cancelled continue to be a subject OF emoar
RAISING negotiation, and matter of great socitud
on the part of the people. The contingent liaolil
ties therefore it will be form no part OF the pa
ais of any of our calculations, whatever dsposiuo
of them, may finally become necessary.
In the foregoing statement of Senator Hale tn
ann of the indebtedness of the state is carried orwar
to the LIST of January ls47 but it will be found o.
examination that there is now outstanding Oh hod'
inc domestic claims, and arrears on contracts NOR
than enough to balance the interest on the "noi
from the LIST of January, lS47, and that oeing Ill
case the actual liabilities of the State, at the pres
ent time, may be putt at the sum thereon stated VIZ
$5,022,84 a
From which sum We now proceed to oeduc' VI
.ctuaI nresent resources of the State as follows:
Central Railroad and fixtures with ma
chinery and cars on the same las fx-
ed by the bid for the sale Sc') oSo0o'OO
Southern Railroad and fixtures with
machinery and cars las also fixed by ,oooo
bill for sale kc.) 0''''
Unsold Internal Improvement lands