Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-01-16


the year lS49 shows the amount Of taxable
property. according to its assessed value 10 be
seventy nine million four hundred aud fifty. six
thousand FIVE hundred and forty seven dollars
ninety -sevsn cents. In arriving at this sum
the assessed value Of lands is $3l 5l2 39l n;
the value Of town lots is $22, ,44l ,46S; the value
Of slaves is $l7.772, ,lS0j other personal prop.
erty is s7,73l, sos 20.
The revenue for the last two years. up to lst
Of October, lS4O, and which has heen received
into tao treasury, amounts to $500, 1856 29, and
liz 10 estimated, il the present rates aud obi ects
Of taxation should hot bs altered, that the rev.
lenue 10 be received into tho treasury !vr the
next two years, will not fall short of $3.50 =
600. This together with the amount now in
the treasury, will bs a sum sufficient TO defray
the ordinary expenses of the government to
meet any probable appropriations made by the
Legislature; to pay the interest on the State
deb. as il becomes due, and to pay the State
bonds, constituting the State debt, a. they bs =.
come due.
| leave il fvr the legislature 20 Determine us
to tho oppressive character of the law 40 it now
stands. My convictions lead me to the opin
ion that if il should be determined to LET the
law remain, aud abide the decision of the court,
tha. it should be greatly modified. The s,rk.
ing injustice and oppressive character of the
la~, will be made apparent when you examine
the table Of licenses prepared by the Auditor,
which shows ito operation.
On the lst O,tober, lS4S. there was bal
ancs in the treasury Of the three per cent fund
Of $l5 40 cents since then, aud up to the l,t
Of October, 1850, there has been received intn
the treasury $l6li0, all of which ha. been
sppo rtioned among the counties according To
law.
There have been paid into the treasury since
the lst day of October, l84S and up to the lsl
of October, 1850 of the "lnterntl Improve
men, Fund" $l39 SOl 6S: of this amount,
1920, ,46l AZ have been paid from the Savannah
land office the balance from he other three
offices. There remains Of that amount, not yet
an portioned, and distributed among the counties
$2l, ,l54.
The Register Of each land office is required
by law to make quarterly report Of lands sold
al his office to the Register OF Lands at the city
of Jefferson. describing the land. by ranges
,ownships, sections, parts Of sections. by whom
entered, and the amount paid for the same
Thi, ,npur,an, duty has not been performed by
James H. Darlington, Register of the State
Hand ofIice a, Chliicrhe, since the lst of Oc,o.
Ihsr, lS4o, up to which time the last report was
made.
! au, not in possession Of the reasonI for
lthe neglect Of 80 important duty. The Reg
,ster o! Lands is required to record this re-
port in book To he kept for that purpose, aud
lin this way, constitutes an important iuk in
1.-The chain Of title TO the purchasers. From this
report also, the only evidence i, derived by
which the Auditor is to charge tho Receiver
with the amount Of money received by him at
1.-THE State land Office and when thus charged,
he can only have credit ON the books of the
Auditor, by paying the amount into the State
treasury. BY failure of these reports, this i'm
Iportaut check upon the Receiver at Cillicothe
has been entirely lost. The known integrity
Of the Receiver, affords good groui'd to believe
that there has, as yet, been no pecuniary loss
to the State on account OF this neglect. He
has regularly come forward and made his quar-.
terly payments al the treasury Of the amount
which he reported as due, and Cor which the
Treasurer gave him recei pit, upon the proauc.
ton Of which to the Auditor, the Treasurer
was charged with the amount The Register
Of this Land office has. also for more than twelve
months failed to send up to the Office If Score
tary Of State, or make quarterly returns of the
certificates showing the purchasers Of those
lands: consequently no patents have issued for
lands sold within that time in this district MOI
can the purchasers of these lands obtain their
patents until this duty of the Register is per
formed. Steps should he taken TO have til,
quarterly reports from this Office sent up To tn,
Register Of Lauds. and the Auditor should b,
invested with power to settle and square III,
accounts Of the Receiver with these rspori.
and also that the certificates should be war,
, ed TO the Secretary of State, in order diet iii,
, patents may BE- issued.
The duties of the other registers, aud ali tn.
receivers of the different land Offices, have bee
performed with proinr:ness and energy high
Ily CONNIE ndable, and render them we'll worth,
| the confidence and trust repo'ed in them
r The bonds of the State, outstanding on tn
@ list of January lS49. and which constitute tn
h State debt, amounted 10 1886 26l. a por.iu
| of this amount $4,000, the State had borrow
ed from the branch bank at Palmyra. which, II
, ths maturity Of the bonds, on the l9h Ma
' IlS40, instead Of renewing them for anolhe
9 twelve months, ani paying the interest IN ad
, vance. according to the terms Of tho loan
= caused to be paid. The sum Of $4,000 con
n stitu,,ng portion also Of this debt, was borrow
!, ed under the provisions Of an act to sustain tn
>, credit of the State, approved 10Th February le
II As. The bonds bore All interest Of eight pc
;, cent. per anrum, and rsdeems5le at any tim
o after two years, and payable at the treasury
!, the State. Icaused the holders oI the bond
:. TO be notified to present them for payment o
= the Is, day of February last, and that no il
IS ;erest would be paid on them after tha, time
10 The bonds have been presented and pai
v which, together With the interest then due,
n mons to $l9S67 SO. Although these bon'
ID were payable at the Treasury OF any time aft