The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-31
Affairs In IlIlnoas-
MEETING OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF COW

MEETING OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOV.
The extra session OF the Illinois ,rs co,n.
menced on The 30 insl. when the message of Gov
French, touching on the SUBJECTS necessary to be
actco upon, was presented. We give an extract
peow o. all Of general interest, the other subjects
being OF minor and entirely local character In
The message he says:--" Among the first and most
lmpoitant duties to be discharged, Is the ELECTION
OF Senator IN the Congress Of the United States,
10 succeed 10 the expired term of the Hon Sidney
Breese. Upon the presentation and examnatlon
Of The credentials Of the Hon James Shields as
81 major elect for The term, he was declared Dy the
oehae ineligible to a seat In that body; and upon
grounds which, In the judgment of the Senate rem
dertd the act OF the Legislature Of Illinois, in elect
ing him, wholly VOID; thus leaving the State en-
trely uhTepresented by an incumbent of the term,
as compulsory as though no election had been at
1t u now well known that an effort Is making to
reduce The confused mass OF our State Indebtedness
INTO something Ike an intelllsbe shape, by with
drawing all It's various kinds and cancelllng It, and
substituting therefor uniform bonds and SECURE
ties. The measure is already nearly completed
the amount sull outstanding, bearing but a very
limited relation to the whole amount exchanged
The CHEF object Of this measure and that which
has constantly been kept IN view from the begin
ning, has been to ascertain, with certainty, the
true amount OF our State liabilities. This object
can never be gained while claims of indefinite
amount, growing out OF our Cal al and internal inn
provement undertakings, remain unadjusted-
Claims have been allowed aud bonds and scrip is
dred and seventy thousand dollars, for damages
arising from the abandonment OF canal contracts,
or damages accTuing tn private properly This sum
is charged upon The means and resources of the
canal; and II these are at last found insufficient 10
discharge it, this amount, VITA the residue of the
canal debt, must tail ultimately upon the State
treasury. BY virtue OF law approved March LIST,
lsl7, all claims relating TO canal affairs were
CURED 10 be proven before the State trustee within
a limited time, and thereafter filed IN the Office of
the SECRETARY OF state. The aggregate amount
thus attempted to be proven aud al!e ady filed in
the sSecietaiys office. exceeds nine hundred and
seventy thousand dollars, exclusive of the sum of
three hundred and seventy thousand dollars, pre-
y.ously allowed IL is 10 be remarked, that the
proof OF these claims and everything relating
thereto, was er qogfe OF the cha mant, no eXaml-
nation Into their correctness having been made on
behalf Of the State OF their relative ju slice or
injustice, / am not fully lntnrmed; but will take
occasion 10 say that watchiu care over The public
lntere sis requires that these accounts should be
ahmed ana inquired into the part OF the State be-
fore they are finally allowed. Some of ihese CLAIMS
rest upon evidence of peculiar character and while
no honest claimant Can justly complain of careful
review Of the evidence upon which his claim rests,
nothing could be more unwlse than for the State
sDier these claims 10 remain dorma0t in the Sc
cretaIy's Office until the means within tAe reach of
the State for testing thrir correctness have dsap-
peared Many OF them originated in different
causes, and are sustained by different and distinct
testimony. IL is, iheD next To impossible, that IN
thelr present condition., they can be made the sub
leCt at that d. llberate examination by the General
Assembly which Is so important, Ia order 10 render
stnct justice TO all concerned. Besides, the time
demanded for y full Investigation OF these claims.
would exceed that allotted TO an entire session or
the Legislature, TO say nothing of the mpractlca-
biliy Of solving State Legislature into a irIbu-
nal for the purpose OF such inquiry. These
claims ought 10 be examined and settled within
the earliest practicable period There are few who
have had experience In legislative assemblies, who
are not aware how often it happens that Claims
against The State, having httle or no merit, by a
strsrge and almost up accountable process at last
work iser way through the legislatures their iajus-
tee not appearing until TOO late repair the evil Ex-
penence has taught us that IL Is 20 tins that we
may look tor The most nsldlous aud dangerous tax
upon The means in the Treasury. The people may
reduce salaries, abndge expenses, shift the duties
appropriate to two three officers upon oue with
the view to more rigid economy aud limited ex-
pendiiure, but u may all be lost, and much more,
10y the inconsderate allowance Of extravagant
and qu. siionable claims upon the treasury. |
would therefore, urgently but respectfully suggest
To The General Assembly, the expediency Of provi-
ding by law that the claims referred 10, with all
Others OF specified class, shall be submitted TO
board Of officers of the government, Others TO
be appointed by whom they shall be first examined,
reported upon, and then laid before the Legislature
for ultimate approval or rejection and that the
action Of the Legislature shall be haal
FREE LABOR IN THE WEST INDEs.-Several
planters from Guadalupe are In the provinces IN
France, hlrng laborers to 90 out to Guadalupe to
work On Their plantations there.