Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-01-17


cou of the prison at Charlestown.
The indebtedness Of the State, exclusive OF rail-
road liabilities, is as follows viz:
Temporary loan of sxty-dve thousand dollars
State Reform School loan, of one hundred thousand
dollars and Prison loan, of fifty thousand doilais,-
maxim aggregate oftwo hundred and fifteen thou
s md dollars. And If there be added agreeaby TO the
stimle of the auditor to the Prison loanity thousand
dollars, ard 20 the temporary loan, thirty thousand
dollars, the debt of the State the first of January
1852, will be two hundred and nInety-hye thousand
dollars.
While this debt is insufficient to excite serious APP
prehensons, it is wise to allow continuous annual
deficit.
have not made such an examination Of the items Of
expenditure, enables to express an opinion wheth-
er they may may not be reduced.
They will be affected by the legislation, and mate.i-
ally controlled by the length ofhe present session. The
daily expenses Of the Legislature win be unusually large,
and session of ordinary length will give an aggregate
cost beyond that of former years.
do not advise the neg ect of any important business,
but the circumstances to which have referred will
justify pubic expectation of promptitude and econo
my In moment of prosperity 1t appears to be better
policy to increase the revenues OF the State even by
taxation, than to permit the accumulation oil public
debt But | trust that your wisdom will prevent re-
sort to either of these courses.
In Massachusetts, as in several OF the New England
States, the House of Representatives is based upon
combination of the numerical ght OF the people and the
and city enjoys government which possesses won
erfu degree of completeness and sovereignty. The
present system of representation has existed tor so long
period, and has upon the whole been well sustain
ed by the public judgment, that it does not seem advis
able to abolish ii, with the idea of establishing system
based upon population alone. Its effect is to preserved
degree Of equality between the sparse and dense por
lions of the State, and also to give nearer equality Of
power to the different leading branches Industry.
If the principle of the provisions of the Constitution
on this subject is to be sustained, some amendment Is
necessary In the last ten years, large additions have
been made to the population of The State but not to
every section nor to every branch of industry in equal
proportions While there should be none but the kind
est feelings between different sections, and between those
eng .ged in different industrial pursuits, the preponder
ance # one section interest cannot he regarded
otherwise than public evil. Unless some change shall
be made, many will be unepresented large por
ton of the present ten years. As the right CT represen
aton is of the most important rights of the citizen
the duty of providing for its free and just exercise is
one ofthe most important duties of the government
The value ofthe right of representation depends ma
eray upon the security and independence Of the right
of suffrage. THIS latter is not the original right of the
government conferred upon the citizen, but the right Of
the citizen by which he takes his part in the constu-
ton and management of the government.
The public, therefore, can properly establish such
regulations only necessary for the general con-
venence and safety. The publicity of the ballot does
appear be regulation of this sort as its entire
secrecy is consistent with the safety and convenience
Of the whole community.
You may think it desirable to establish single rep
resentative districts in the cities and single senatorial
districts throughout the Commonwealth Were this
change made the Legislature would more truly repre-
sent the whole people; while closer intimacy and
more direct responsibility would exist between the
representative ami the electors
Similar provisions have been adopted by other
States and the law of the United States requiring sin
gle districts for the election of members of Congress
is based upon the same principle.
Your predecessors have repeatedly considered the
propriety of eecting Representatives m Congress by
plurality of votes, at the second or third trial.
The law of the United States which requires each
State to be dstricted, does not confer upon district
m 6t be 5he qgssf9a whether It will or
is State rights and when is ascertaned by exper
erce that particular system fails secure the object
OF all elections representation aud government
1t is clearly within the province of the Legislature to
make the necessary amendments
At the last session of the Legislature an alteration
was proposed IN the corporation of Harvard College
ard in the regular course Of business, the measure
will be brought to the notice Of the House of Repre-
sentatives The examination and reflection which
have given to the ST beet have left no doubt in my
mind OF the right OF the Legislature to make important
changes in the government of this institution But il
should be remembered that the right coexsts with the
duty to exercise it only fo- the benefit of education
throughout the Commonwealth II is in this view
alone that the subject is no" introduced to your no.
ticc
Whenever the legislative pow, is exercised. due
regard should be had to the rights of the college and
the audable purposes for which it established
but within the acknowledged limits of that power
there should be no hesitation in adopting any practi
cable measure calculated to advance tie interests of
learning.
am not aware that the militia system requires any
alterations but it is made by the constitution an
important part of our government, great care should
be taken to preserve the organization aud efficiency
Of the active corps.
There several subjects of Importance which
have been referred to Commissions whose reports as
have reason to believe will be laid before you during !
the present session. do not regard this as an appro
pirate occasion for their discussion
The charitable institutions Of the State deserve the
careful consideration of the Legislature; and shall
chee:ully in all reasonable appropriations and
measures in their behalf.
In ordinary times | should omit the discussion of
topics which national in their character; bnt tho
excitement which has sprung from the institution of i
slavery and the examination Of questions connectel
with it, seem TO justify some deviation from the gem
eral policy.
The institution of Slavery older than our government
and is one of the most important subjects which the Amer
lean mora't or statesman contemplate 1t exists in
nearly onellaf Of the States Of this Union and il rec,g
Missed by the Constitution which has been adopted by nj
Where exists it is regarded benefit where it does
not exist it is regarded evil
One portion Of the country has pecunary interest in he
existence equal to many hundred millions of dollars tbe
other regards it as moral political social and n,SI
evil, which dshonors labor and degades the laboer Win
in the sphere of its influence. The actual conflict of these
opposite interests and opinions unless regulated bv th
Constitution, would end in the destruction of The American
Union
It may not then, be inappropriate consider how far the
INSTITUTION of Slavery is general subject of legislation
and therefore of general political interest," how far jts
existence and responsibility local. and the subjects of
local legislation only.
By the peace Of 1888 each of the thc en- former colonies
at to the rank of free and sovereign state bay
ing the right, of course, suc abolish any of lis old
institutions, or to establish ones The Constitution of
10. dmi Ied
powers 1t did not recognise any the existing institutions
of the States except far necessary to render The
{. =