Litchfield enquirer., 1852-05-13
MESSAGE,
Fello0 Citizens of the Senate and of
The House Of REPRESENTATIVES

FeLloU Citizens Of the Senate and of
The House IF REPRESENTATIVES
| am again called upon to express my
grateful Judgements for the honor OF
being placed in this position.
Chosen by the people to the Office which
have held for some time past. have no
language to convey the feelings which this
occasion is SO well calculated to inspire.
Still greater obligations having been laid
upon me by this renewed and fuller express
sion Of the popular will, cannot withhold
the deeper assurance Of my gratitude for
the honor of their choice.
About to enter upon the duties of this
station for third time. can only rei,erate
the pledge heretofore given, to devote my
self as far as possible to the faithful dis
charge of those duties. Seeing that what
concerns the Staie, concerns the individual
also, am not unmindlul Of the lesson which
that truth incnlcates, or the labors which it
demands.
You have met together at the period FIX
ed BY the laws Of the State to look after lis
interests, and legslate for the general good
In looking back upon its past history,
there is much to be proud OF, and more to be
grateful for. In its growth from rude CO.
lony to the maturity and freedom of State,
and in the progress of all those good things
and blessings which have fallen to our lot,
we may see the directing hand OF Him who
planted. end who still ustains.
Ii the past is worthy of such "a retrospect,
the presentis full Of promise, and the flu
ssture looks bright already to those who have
faith in human progress, and faith in the
Providences of Cod
The duties upon which you have Just
entered. will naturally direct your att.n-
ton in the first place to the present condi-
ton OF the affils OF the commonwealth
These You will be able to judge of from the
reports of the several public officers, and
others who are required to communicate
with the General Assembly. Your tine
will next be oc> upied with questions which
concern the business of legislation general
~.
Several Efforts have been made hereto
fore to procure the call of Convention to
revise the Constitution without success
Tie necessity for such movement. seems
to be apparent enough, from the repeated
attempts which have been made to amend
that instrument A numter of changes in
it are required to lay the foundation Of se-
veral rational reforms which cannot be Ell.
fected in anyother manner.
1t cannot have escaped your notice,
think, that the affairs OF legislation are Of
ten perpexed and embarrassed, by vast
amount Of private business. refer mole
particularly TO that of special character
L. 4
period occupied by far the largest portion
of the time of our annual sessions. This
subject having been so often noticed should
pass it by at this time if cid not feel it to
be my duty to renew the caution heretofore
given in relation to that subject.
The number of private acts, mostly for
the benefit of associated wealth. far exceed
in number the Statute Laws of the State.
The few laws for the protection and securi-
ty of the citizen, and for the advancement
of his best interests, containing everything
which it has been determined to preserve
until this time, are briefly set forth in vo-
June Of moderate size, and the few pages
which have accumulated since the late re-
view Of 1919.
A brief insight into these matters. shows
the necessity OF proceeding with great eau
ton in the business ofiegisiation. " hist
admit the propriety Of granting some of
these acts which are called for. at times
such. for example, as those which concern
societies and institutions in which the pub
lie have moral interest. and some few 9TH
ers-I very much question the right to
clothe capital with the power of multiplying
itself. Many of the schemes which are an
nualiy presented for the action Of the legis-
lative body, are little better than mere pro-
jects for creating Offices under some plea for
the public good, with power to draw from
the productive industry Of the country the
means Of making few rich. at the expense
Of the many.
IN addition to the pressure Of business
OF private nature. which so often con-
sumes the greatest part of the time Vi
session. it cannot be denied that MAORI
ties are sometimes obtained for certsin acts,
against the feelings and contrary to the
wishes Of the people. This 10 often done
by msking one thing support another in