New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-21
The Governors Message.

"
We this morning spread before our readers the
Message of Governor Walker, delivered yester-
day to the Legislature of this State We had
purposed reviewing this important document,
but our columns are too much crowded, this
morning, to enable us to go into the subject at
proper length. We shall, therefore, confne our
remarks upon it to the narrowest limit.
The Governor refers to the condition Of things
regarding the Compromise measures in the Ian
guage of patriot, and thus echoes the senti-
ments Of the great body of the citizens Of the
State. The eulogy on General Taylor is honor
able to himself and to the memory of the gal
ntdead, and he appropriately followed it with
remarks touching the contemplated monument
to Jackson, and the statue of Washington.
His reference to the public school system of
the State is in terms that must meet the appro-
baton Of every right-thinking citizen. We
should have been better pleased, ,however, if he
had added some specific recommendations on the
subject
The suggestion relative to the time of holding
Congressional elections is an important one, and
we hope it will be acted upon by the Legislature
during the present session.
The language applied to the case of the late
Register Of the Land Office is unusual in so grave
a document
With the explanation given by the Governor
for declining to call an extra session of the Le-
gislature when overwhelmed with petitions, reso-
lutons, etc, asking him so to do for the purpose
of altering the laws Of the State SO as to au-
thorize the organization of the Tehuantepec
Company, etc, we will rest satisfied. He was
governed solely by considerations of economy
The Governor very reasonably doubts the
competence Of the accounting officers at Wash
ington to withhold portion of the five per cent
iund due the State, but recommends the adop-
tion of no remedial measures in the premises
We agree with him perfectly in his opinion Of
the inspection laws now in force in the State
Like many Of the liberal class of our more
recent statutes, they are rather worse than
worthless.
judicious suggestion is that referring to the
qualifications Of Notaries Public and we trust
that it will be fully adopted by the Legislature,
without delay. The subject of the overfowed
and swamp lands, grasted to the State by Con-
gress, is very satisfactorily treated by the Go
vernon, and his suggestions, generally, seem to
us good, especially in the application to a Levee
system.
We are not so clear with regard to the recon-
incubation of q revision of the Militia laws of
the State. The existing laws on the subject are
bad, of course. So are all that ever have exist
ed, and no possible change, except abrogation,
can make them good.
The Governor does not seem to favor the Yam
4 kee notion of an agricultural bureau at Wash
4 ington, conceiying the functions of the Federal
Government to be already sufficiently multifa-
rious and complex, and that the subject should
beleft to the fostering care Of the State Govern
ments, etc This old song has been favorite
with demagogues as long back as our memory
extends
The subject Of the August riots is very pro-
perly disposed of in the message in less than
twenty lines, for the less that is said on the SUBJ
Ject, the better.
We are glad to learn from the Governor that
the Consolidated and Revised Statutes and Codes
of the State will be presented to the Legislature
by the first of February next.
The financial department of the message can
not be pronounced very favorable, but we may
call it satisfactory We are glad it is no worse
The Governor grapples very boldly, the sub
ject of calling Convention to frame new Con-
stitution, and with extreme confidence, actually
does what we have heard only one man attempt
before. He eulogizes the existing Constitution
Nay, more, he refers to it 6 with no ordinary
emotion fpride.'' The work of its makers 90 had
been chalked out by almost universal public
sentiment, and it seemed impossible that they
could wander in wrong paths.'' He '' cannot
see any good ground in what has passed, or is
passing, in State affairs, for change in our
organic law p
We have not the time, or the room, to exam
Inc the views set forth by the Governor in this
behalf There are voices in Baton Rouge that
will repeat them twice as often as their writer
will wish to hear them.
There is some strange reasoning in the mes
sage on the subject of free banking, upon which,
as we are informed, there has been much discus
sion and some contrariety of opinion This is
perfectly true, and is just as true with regard
10 Holy Writ. These has been IS some contra
rieey oi OPINION on that subject, also.
me evil the Governor believes, ' to be be-
y'l'a sne reach Of legislation, arising in the
dence.'' f"i ''i''p'"'
we are Slhu TO nnu the Governor in favor of
railroads, so far as they may be made indie
pendent OF direct State aid and especially So to
find him recommending, in explicit terms tho
repeal of the law laying tax on capital
The message was accompanied with letter
from Mayor Crossman, relative to the PARTICULAR
need of this city, one from Colonel j. j. Albert
relative to reports of Lieutenant Colonel Long
and MIR. Ellet, respecting foundations of the
Mississippi, one from MIR. T. F. Noone, respecting
the State Asylum for the Insane, one from At
torney General Johnson. respecting suits in his
hands, one from General Persfor F Smith, pre-
senting two chairs for the use of the presiding
officers of the Legislature, and one from the
President of Centenary College at jackson, La.
being report of the condition of that nsttu-
ton. We shall present these reports to our
readers in to-morrow's issue.
TIE ENGLISH ARCTIC ExrEpTioNs,-The late Arctic ex
petitions from England have led to serious controversy
One of the expeditions, it will be remembered fitted
out by private capital and placed under the command
Captain Penny formerly master in the whaling service
the other sent out by the Admiralty and commanded
by naval officer, Capt Austin, While in Wellington