Litchfield enquirer., 1850-05-09

placed in a high and responsible Office.
Without any claim TO long experience IN
public affairs, / shall necessarily enter
upon the discharge of the duties which
devolve upon me, with great ditiidence.
The State for which you are called 10
legislate, though limited inits extent, oc-
cupies deservedly proud position in the
Union, demanding alike from all those
into whose hands its dcstinies may be
committed, the task of unceasing efforts
to maintain its interests and its honor.
In coming together again to legislate
for the people Of the State, it is impossi-
BILE to overlook the general prosperity.
That prosperity is in part owing, have
no doubt, to causes which lie beyond the
reach Of mere legislation. 1t is to be
found in the native industry, enterprise
and perseverance of the people of this
country. Never have we had greater
reason to be thankful for the blessing; of
free Cover nm ent, than at the present
time, or grateful to the God of peace and
concord, who llas thus far held us to-
gether in the bonds Of a glorious union.
The period at which you have assem-
bled, is marked by the progressive spirit
Of the age, In matters Of legislation,
our own state has not been behind her
sister states of the confederation. Tho
now but little more than thirty years
since the adoption Of our present Constl
tuition, that instrument has undergone
several important alterations. Others il
is believed are required, and the demand
for convention to revise and amend the
Constitution of the state, seems to have
grown into public sentiment. The
subject will come before you at the pres
ent session for Anal action, so far as the
legislature is concerned, and from the
almost general expression of opinion in
favor of the measure, l cannot conceive
that it will be necessary for me to press
the subject upon your consideration. A
measure so just in itself, and called for
by the voice of the people Of the state,
cannot fail to meet with your earliest at
tention.
The actual expenses Of the Stale the
past year have been 1871 ,72O.84 which
sum includes the payment Of $3.32o.75 in
ierest on The debt to the School Fund. The
receipts into the exclusive of the balance of
last years account, $2O.241 So, and the
sum Of $4,000 borrowed of the School
fund since the last session of the LegiSla>
ture, amount to the sum Of Sill, 1878,
showing that the expenses have exceeded
the current receipts in the sum of 81 &c.,
IL.
The debenture and contingent expenses
the Generul Assembly and judicial expeu-
ses OIL the State, especially the latter, con-
s,itule important items in our increased
Expenditures. The Judicial expenses alone,
for the year ending the 4lst of March 1850
amount to the sum of SAG, OO4,o9 showing
an excess over the expenses Of the same de-
partment for the previous year Of VI $50, 90.
The average yearly increase of the Judicial
expenses for six years past, has been at the
rate Of $2,997 ,39, or nearly three thousand
dollars per annum.
For several years our expenses have
greatly increased, and notwithstanding the
additional tax Of half cent on the dollar,
which has added 10 orr annual receipts
since lS47, an average nett amount of y H.
9OO, il has been found impossible to meet
the current expenses OF the fiscal year,
without borrowing money for that purpose.
The State is now indebted TO the School
fund, tor loans of money al different times
10 The amount of 5S2l2.43. Thus si.ua-
Jed, with defective system of Judicial ex>
penses on one hand, drawing largely from
the treasury, and on the other, an made
quate system Of taxatian, the question
will again come before the Legislature.
whether the the existing debt shall be carr
ried forward, increasing with each returning
year, or whethOr such measures shall be
taken as will be most likely to remove the
bur,hern of ndebtedness.
1t seems proper that some plan should
be devised to throw the costs of supporting
prisoners after conviction, upon the Coun.
ties. This would materially reduce the
Judicial expenses. Strong grounds exis.
fnr requiring the adoption Of such plan.
The fact that several Of the Counties where
the work house system has been adopted,
draw largely from the State treasury every
year, whilst they continue to have large
amount of whata called surplus earnings
on hand goes far to show that the State is
made to defray the expenses ola system
which by its own accounts is able TO sustain
itself to considerable extent. Payments
made under such circumstances are equiv
alent 10 special appropriation 10 the Coun>
ties thus favorably situated. The Counties
should be made TO delray the expenses Of
the work house system, to the extent at
least of their surplus earnings, The State
would thus be saved considerable sum
which with due regard toecon-
omy in contingent and other expenses,
would obviale the necessity of resort TO
any loans 10 meet the current expenses of
the State.
Il is stated in the report Of the Comp
troller, which you will have before you that
The law OF the last session imI osng a tax
of one half Of one per cent. upon The mar.
ket value of stock in Rail road corpora.
lions in this State, hold and owned by nom
residents, has not effected The purpose for
which II was framed, for reasons which he
has given in full. Assuming that Rail
Road property shold bear nable,pro.
portion of the public burthen, he recon-.
Ac kaN Ontl