Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-01-20

in the accompanying report of the Adj. Gener-
all canno too strongly recommend to your
the careful preservation of the rights
and privileges of the brave men who arethus alb
sent in the service of their country. In every
constitutional measure, having for its object
such protection or extension of their political
or personal rights as circumstances may seem
to demand, or TO evince the gratitude so Justly
them from the State for their services and
sacrifices, assure you of my thorough coop
The ordinary expenses of the State Govern
ment for the fiscal year ending on the 3lst day
of October last was $50, 762 81.
The ordinary expenses for the year 1913, are
estimated by the Auditor in his report at the
present session, at ST. 900. The number of
polls returned for 1847, estimating for the
counties of Cass, Crawford, Jefferson, Lake,
Pulaski and Wells, from which returns have not
been received, as beingonly the same as last
year, are 129, 8o7, being an increase of 2,762
over that Of the preceding year. The value of
the entire taxable property for l847, (estimat-
ing in like manner for the same counties,) is
1924, $50 900, leaving an increase of 81, $685.
SOC, over that of last year.
The amount of revenue paid into the State
Treasury during the last fiscal year, including
some previous arrearages, is 1885,, 347,07, bring
S68, 8 ,07 more than was paid in during the
previous fiscal year.
The assessment for 1S47 is, for State purpose
$3.50, SD, II, and for county, township, road
and school purposes collectively, 1852. 67l 90.
Add to these sums the delinquencies of former
years 1927, 258,47, and the total amount of the
duplicates for 1847, ST 100, 6O4 A.
A slight examination of our present revenue
system will be sufficient to demonstrate its
great susceptibility of improvement. Under
its workings, it is quite manifest that a large
amount of the invisible wealth OF the commu-
nifty, such as corporation and other stocks, cash
on hand or at interest, and the more portable
and valuable kinds of personal property, &c,
is not found on the assessment of rolls. This
description of taxables is generally owned by
those who are the best able to pay, and their
non-assessment leaves the burden of taxation
so much the heavier on property which is visi-
BILE, and especially on lands, which cannot es-
cape notice and scrutiny, and which the true
policy of our State requires should not be Wis
tied with d~isfavor. The assessment sheets OF
l847 as compared with those of 1916, show a
decrease on personal property, in some coun-
ties, to the amount of $4,000, in one county
to SAC, 900, in another to $50, 900, and in an
other to S75, 900. The Auditor of State has
presented some further facts and reflections, in
relation to the present mode of assessments, at
the close of his report made at the present SEES
sion, to which your attention is invited.
Although careful and elobrate legislation is
probably necessary to make the system such as
it ought to be, yet it is believed that very little
labor will be found sufficient to emove its most
glazing evils. and the subject is recommended
to your consideration.
By an act of Congress to establish a uniform
time of holding elections for electors of Presi-
dent and Vice President in all the States of the
Union. approved January %, 1915, it is pro-
vided that the electors shall be appointed III
each State on the Tuesday next after the first
Monday in the month of November in the yeal
in which they are to be appointed. As the day
for holding such elections heretofore, in this
State, has been on the first Monday of Nov.
of such year, and as by the existing State laws
the returns of the same from the several town.
ships are required to be delivered to the propel
Clerk of the Circuit Court on the following
Wednesday, the postponement of the time o.
the delivery of such returns until the Thursda,
after the election, is respectfully recommended
in order that the same time may be afforded
for maturing the returns under the present, as
was allowed under the former law. By the
present law, too, the Governor is required t.
transmit TO the electors certificates of theil
election, by the hand of the marshal, or of spe-
cial messengers. From motives OF economy
it is presumed, that the marshals will Away.
be employed in the transmission, unless in cast
OF emergency. Ifthey are employed, it is de
sirable that the Legislature should settle the
mooted question, whether they shall receive
any compensation for that service in addition
to that W hich the present law gives them 70
travelling and returning, over nearly or quit
the same ground, in making their returns to tn
Secretary of State. And if it should become
necessary to employ one or more special mes
sengers for the performance of that service
some provision should also be made by law
settling the amount and pointing out the mod
of their compensation.
BY reference 70 the Auditors report, it ap
pears that the principal of the late suspende'
debt of Indiana, now amour S Tor rather at tn
| commencement of the operation under its lat
T arrangement it did amount) to 81 ,065 900, il
the shape of outstanding bonds. On thi
amount, no interest had been paid (until tina
arrangement, since in the year lS4l when tn
l credit of the State was Frustrated. This amour
of the annual interest on that debt, is over hal
a million of dollars, 1854, no. payable hal
: yearly. This debt, large in itself, was there
fore increasing at a rapid and fearful rate, ant
$ in view of that and of our limited resources
l many of our best citizens, involved in despair
ullN utAlOuo W lCofC tHCi PtOPSA1J uhiAOuHhOCi
r ed.to their children, were sacrificing their home
: for far less than their value, and leaving tn
C State. The same causes were preventing me
9 of capital and industry from coming among u
y to purchase property, improve the country, an
h add TO our wealth. All this, it is evident ha
a a tendency to increase the gloom and despor
dency that pervaded our business affairs genel
ally, and to diminish the ability of the peopl
1.-THE great mass of whom were also involvedi
n debit to meet their individual engagements
d Add to these considerations the example a
ready set by other indebted States in resumin
payment of their obligations, and it is notsu
prising that a general anxiet y should have exis
ed in Indiana, that its character, if possible
should also be indicated. The great obstacl
that presented itself to so desirable a result WI
d the great disparity between the amount of tt
debt and the ability of The State for its discharg
by means of taxation.
1t was under this conviction, generally,
not, universally entertained, that favored ii
principle of disposing of the profits ofthe w
bash and Erie canal in satisfaction of so larg
a portion of the debt, as to leave the balant
+ within the ability of the State to pay from tt
treasury, asthe only practicable means left tt