Litchfield enquirer., 1847-05-13

however, the most essential feature oI the former AclS-!aht is, an actual reg> iSiraticn of the name of every elector es> fore receiving his vote. The object ot the | Registry Act was to prevent fraudulent Vo> ting, and at the ,.ame time, to secure 10 the honest s,ecIor, free and unembarraSSsd 1 exercise of the right. IL was not, perhaps, to be expected, that law combining these | objects, and perfect in all its details, should 1 be al once framed.
 Such regulations as seemed necessary to ! guard against fraud in the larger towns, ap> pea red to the smaller ones to he bnrdensoms and unnecessary. or the cOnStitutionality { of the Registry Acts, cannot entertain doubt Indeed, the correctness of!he prin> ciple on which they were founded, seems now to be admitted by all.
 Ixubmit 10 the decision ofthe Legislature whether .he existing law does not embrace all the provisions, which in justice to the small towns, can be reasonably required, and whether, if any further safeguards are necessary. they may noi he supplied ny the vigilence 0: those who feel it an incumbent duty to protect the ballots box against the frauds, would. how> ever, remark, that the 9th section of the Act of the last Session requires, Tn nay judgement, some modification. l do not think that an opportunity is given for full and fair vote in the choice of RepreSenta> lives, where there is no election made on the lst Monday in April-and especially, in those towns where many of the electors live remote from the polls, and usually res turn 10 their homes before the vote is de> clarsd.
 A Bill for public Act to provide for the enrolment of the Militia, ard to encourage
 the formation of Uniform Companies, was reported to the last General Assembly, or- dered to be printed with the Public Acts, and continued to the present Session. The Bill, will, therefore, require your attention, and will, undoubtedly, receive at your hands all that consideration which it's importance demands.
 We are admonished, by passing events, that peace, however desirable is not perpet> ual That the confused noise of the battle and the warrior has not ceased to be heard, {, and probably, will not cease from among men, until the prince of Peace shall sway an universal sseptre. It is therefore die.
 tate of wisdom, as well as patriotism, that in peace we should be prepared for war Prepared 10 assert and vindicate our rights whenever assailed, either by the invasion of foreign foes, or by lhe outbreakings of popular violence. Prepared, not by the maintenance of large standing armies, ops posed alike to the economy of our Governs ment, and 10 the genius of our free institu> tionS-but by a thorough organization and training of the Militia, the citizen soldiery of the country. The efficiency of this force was tested on many well>fought field du> ring our Revolutionary struggle, and recent> ly, and most proudly has it been vindicated on the Rio Grande, at Monterey and Buena Vista.
 It is believed lha, the Militia of this state, will compare favorably with those of any other state In the Union, in all Of those elements which constitute the char aster of the soldier, the citizen and the patriot. l Iecommtn nd this al m of our de. fence to the favorable consideration of the General Assembly. And be assured l shall most cheerfully co-oPerato in any measure calculated 10 give efficiency to the Militia of tho State, anu ut the same time relieve this valuable portion of our fellow citizens from the pressure of un> necessary burthfns.
 The Reports of the Treasurer and CCmptroller will bc laid before you from which it will appear that there was due from the lreuslry to the school 1und at the close ofthe fiscal year, the sum Of $ll ,565,66 for moneys borrowed during the year. At the commencement Q: ihe year, there was in the treasury $l4 ,7Oa,|3 showing an expenditure during the year of $26, ,27O Al beyond the income. It would seem that some measures ought to be adopted to relieve the treasury of this debt, to detray the sxpensss ot the gov srnment, and discharge such liabilities as may be cas, upon it by grants of the Gcn> eral Assembly.
 Intimately connected with our finan' cial concerns is the subject of taxat'on- and it is one of deep and momentuous ln- terest 10 our constituents. The attention of the Legislature has been repeatedly called to it by my predecessors 'n othce. It is a subject of very general complaint that the present system operates unequal. ly upon different classes, and ,ha, !: casts dispropc r,ionale amount of the public buuhen on those in moderate cir cum> s,ances-and yet, either from the intrin- sic difficulties attending the subject, OF IDS COIlHlClIuk 'nlCtVS'o "'Os'SSf >' - tenn is suffered to remain undisturbed, with scarcely an effort 10 remedy even its most g!aring defects. We still con, ,inue virtually to tax the industry and enterprise of the artiZan, the merchant and the mechanic-at the same time that we tax their acquisitions, which are the fruits of that industry and enterprise. h may not be expedien,, entirely to change inc presen, system, 10 which the
 peopie have become in some measure, ac.
 cusiomed-but it is well deserving the consideration of the Legislature, whether certain reforms may not be engr"tted up- l on it, better adapting it to our present circumstances. rendering it more equal
 in it's operation, aHd more acceptable to
 ,he people. ..
 There is also another subject, to which the attention of the Legislature has bee"
 repeatedly called, and which in my
 judgement, demands thorough invesli-
 gation. rcfer to the judicial expenses
 of the state. These are large, and for
 series of years, have been constantly In-
 creasing. In 1920. they amounted 'nde al. V..Ia Hf