Washington telegraph., 1852-11-17

might engage, would necessarily fail. I'd, Many
millions of the very best lands for agricultural
purposes. when reclaimed have and will be re-
scued from the swamps and tides. Thus. as it
were creating an Of country sufficient to sup
port and enrich nation:
The existing laws on the subject are necessarily
detective. and will require amendment, additions
and notifications to s,;it the exigency OF circum-
stances, which have developed themselves in the
progress of the work. But would recommend
that the main features of the law remain unchang-
ed There are many suggestions contained In the
| very able and satisfactory report of the Comms-
soners transmitted for your inspection, to which
/ would call your attention, and commend to your
favorable consideration
After some items relative to the Penite-n
tiary the Message adds:
Ifthe Penitentiary system is discontinued, those
convicts now confined for crimes and outrages up
on the rights of Others must be turned loose upon
| the community, to begin anew their course of
crime for. if retained in prison until their time
of service shall expire, under present regulations
the expense to the State for keeping them, will
fall but little short of what it would cost to re-
build the Penitentiary as contemplated Not only
SO, but our whole Penal Code must be changed.
and the State fall back into the antiquated and
barbarous practice which prevailed when the
science of Government was but an experiment.
| This is an age of Progress and no retrogressive
movement can be made: without the most disas-
! trous results.
! Contrary to sound policy, and the re -ommen-
dations contained In my Message to the last Cen
eral Assembly, that honorable body reduced the
taxes, then barely sufficient to defray the expen-
| ses of the State Government. The consequence
is; that the revenue collected has failed to meet
the expenditures of the State by the sum of
s22.469 81: and the probable deficit, as estimated
| by the Auditor, in his Report. for the next two
| yU1l he To fho
present indebtedness of the State to the Internal
| Improvement and other Funds, at the end of the
next two years, Arkansas will be behind hand
about sivty-fiv thousand dollars. This debt will
have accumulated in no other way, aud can be
attributed to no other cause, than the simple un-
willingness of the Legislature of the State to au-
thorize the collection of a sufficient sum of mon
| ey to de.ray the ordinary and unavoidable expen-
ses of the State Government. This policy is in
defensible; and, if we would attempt to keep up
| the semblance of State Government, it must be
| changed. If the people of this State unwi-
ling to pay the expenses of State Government,
| they are unworthy of such Government and
| the Legislator who would shrink from making
the necessary provisions for maintaining the Gov
ernment, for which he pretends to legslate is un-
worthy place in her halls.
| feel it duty incumbent on me to recommend
the passage of an act increasing the tax to sum
sufficient, at least, to meet all demands of the
| State Government. This must be done. or that
| miserable system of State Scrip by which both
the State and her officers, and, consequently, the
people defrauded out of large sums, will be
fastened down upon us for all time to come.
Here follows an Exhibit of the condition
of the State Bank, showing its total liabili-
ties to be Sl,605,S17 so; and its assets to
meet this S582, ,962-lcaving Balance
against the Bank of 81 ,O22,855 So
would further suggest, for your consideration,
the propriety of making some arrangement for the
settlement ct our public debt. | have no doubt
that this debt could be funded upon liberal TERMS
requiring the State to take up her now outstand-
ing Bonds, and, in lieu thereof to issue Bonds,
payable at some future day; at the same time CIV
ing some security tor the payment of the accruing
interest upon the new Bonds; which can be done
by appropriating the assets of the Banks for that
purpose.
In this way, the first step will be taken towards
the extinguishment of our State debt. And by the
time the new bonds reach maturity, by pursuing
liberal policy in developing the resources ofour
State, we shall doubtless be able to pay the debt
entaed upon us by our Banks.
BY adopting this policy, reputation as
State may be shielded from the threatened faint
of reputation. These are not the suggestions of
vague theory, but legitimate conclusions from
existing facts.
We owe debt Of more than S2OOOOOO upon
which we are not paying one dollar OF the accru-
ing interest, will revenues enable us to do
SO. Under this system virtual reputation is upon
with all it's train of odous and disastrous con-
snquences. An arrangement can be made with
majority of our creditors, by which our bonds can
be taken up less, perhaps than their value pro-
vided the State will issue to them new bonds paw
able at future period, and provide for the in
terest thereon. And in addition to this the pres
ent bond-holders WILL on like security make fur
ther advances to the State of half million, or |
more, to be applied to works of Internal Improve
ment calculated to develop the resources of the |
State.
! The State is fully competent to secure the pay
ment OF the interest upon these new bonds with. |
out taxing the people one dollar. The pncollected |
assets OF these two Banks, properly managed will |
be sufficient for this purpose until the proceeds of
our Railroads, IN which this new loan offered us
is to be invested, will pay divident sufficient to
meet this amount in part or in whole The lands
owned by the Real Estate Bank WILL in time
with the contemplated improvement in our State,
yield large sum Of money.
submit these sggestlons to your notice. and |
cannot resist the hope that you may, upon serious
and mature consideration Of the whole subject, find
in the facts upon which they rest, and necessity,
the inducement, and the practical means, ofprompt
and efficient legislation for the relief and advance
ment Of our suffering State.
In the discharge OF my duties as required by the
constitutions have endeavored to take fair and
impartial view of our condition as State and
our necessities people; indicating some of our
past errors, and suggesting the remedies, which
should be applied to their correction. In my
judgement there are still other subjects of Import
ance to our interests which my duty requires
should recommend to your serious consideration
and reflection.
Before State can become either great or pros
porous of herself those rights and bless
ings to her citizens for which governments are in
sttuted, she must foster, by legislative enactment
such associations of individual wealth and enter
prise, as will give force and efficiency to all her
efforts to promote the general welfare. 1t is the
absence of these democratic institutions and their