Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-15


whose Judgment, it cannot be ubed, both the par
ties will repose with entire confidence.
Having been summoned from another sphere of
the public service, the duties of which have con-
| tinued TO perform until discharged from them
| by taking the oaihs which have Just now been adj
ministered to me, il will not be expected that upon
this occasion should into any detailed expo.
sltion Of the affairs Of the Commonwealth. The op.
| purtunity of informing myself in respect TO them
will be furnished by the Reports OF The various de-
| parIments, and of several Boards of Commissioners
! to whom have been entrusted the supervision and
examination of many important institutions and in
terests OF the State As these reports received
| shall make them the sub ects of such special
muncations as their contents may require. There
are, however, certain topics which is proper that
] shGu now bring TO The notice Of the Legislature.
The state of the Treasury is such as to require
your careful attention. Without going into the
details which have been furnished me by the Aud
itor, and which VIII more appropriately be land
before you in his report and in that of the Treas
urer and Receiver General it appears that there
is deficit in the OF binary revenues of the past
year to meet the expenditures for the same peri
cd, of S65,3l SO. While the receipts for 1852
do not vary essentially from the estimate made
and submitted to the Legislature by the Auditor
in April last, the expenditures have greatly ex.
ceeded it. The excess over the estimate in the
items of cost of Legislation and State Printing
amount alone to about $4,000. The cost of leg
islation has increased, during the last two wears,
IN an unprecedented RATIO; the excess Tor the
years 1851 and 1852 over lS4l and 1912 the cor
responding years of the last decennial period be-
ing the sum of Sl44 800. In 1851 loan of $1,000
was authorized to supply the deficiency of reven-
ue, upon the issue of per cent. scrip, payable in
two years, which falls due on the LIST of July of
the present year, and must be provided for If
to this be added the deficit for 1851 and 1852 and
the amount anticipated for 1863 together with
further necessary appropriations for the new Lu-
matte Hospital and State Aims Houses, it is the
H. Al IL
1858, 900 to be provided for, beyond the ordinary
expenditure, without taking into the account the
expenses of the proposed Convention for revising
the Constitution.
Impressed as | am with the conviction that the
law passed at the last session, providing for the
calling of such convention is at least Of doubtful
constitutonality,- that all the amendments that
are really desirable could be made in the manner
| prescribed for its own amendment in the Const-
tuition itsef,--that many of the declared objects
| for which a Convention has been urged could be
! attained by simple acts of legislaton,-and that
tits neither wise expedient to subject to gen
| eral revision and alteration, frame of govern
ment under which the Commonwealth has so en-
| inently prospered,- Thereby substituting expert.
ment for experience, and subiecting the organic
| law, the only protection of the minority to the
| capricious fluctuations Of political parties l can
not refrain from expressing regret, that for such
an OBJECT an additional burden should at this mo-
ment have been cast upon the Treasury. I sub
NIT to the wisdom of the Legislature, to devise
such ways and means to replenish it. and toensure
| Its economical administration for the future as
our constituents have right to expect from the
/ government. 1t, in consequence of these unusu-
al drafts upon 1t, there should be necessity for
! resort to taXation, am confident the people of
| this Commonwealth, whose resources are limited
only by their industry and intelligence, will more
readily yield to that necessity than to the remot-
est imputation upon their good faith, which would
| result from resort to any temporary expedents,
that look to the postponemeut of their Just obi
| cations.
At the last session of the Legislature proy-
sion was made for the sale of the entire body of
the Public Lands owned by the Commonwealth
within the State of Maine. Under the authority
vested IN the Commissioners, by the Resolves then
PISSED upon this subject, proposition from GER
tain individuals for the purchase all these lands
was received, which was acceptable to the Com
mlssioners. The contemplated sale, however,
was not ratified by the Governor and Council as
was required by the Resolves, and the sale was
not eonsummated.
regard this result as fortunate, both for Mas
sachusetts and Maine. For,while | cannot doubt
that it is clearly for the interest of this Common
wealth to dispose of this property, it is as obv-
ously for the interest of Maine that she should
become the owner of it. The possession of so
large territory within her jurisdiction, by an in
| dlyldual, or a private company, through which
! power might be concentrated and exercised over
| the numbering business, from the forest to the
het, ulSllll pTe1uu1cldl 10 the government
the people of that State could but be regarded
! by both with serious concern.
While il cannot reasonably be expected that
Observation-Disclosures receive less price than the
fair value OF the property less than others are
ready to pay for it, considerations arising out of
our past relations to our sister State, and the Oh
legations of good neighhorhood subsisting be-
tween us, suggest the propriety of our giving to
Maine an opportunity to purchase these lands at
fair price, and within a reasonable time an on
w no has pnfN I'D
Legislature has not been in session since the Com
missioners were authorized to make the sale If
she declines to avail herself of this opportunity
L recommend that the lands be offered at public
sale IN small parcels, for cash, or undoubted Sc
curity> The security should in no case be a lien
| upon the land or TIMBER butlndependent of both.
retaining such lien, would render it necessary to
keep up the machinery and expense of the Land
Agency, or the transfer of its duties to some other
department, and thereby defeat one object which
we should otherwise accomplish by sale of these
lands that of dispensing with such an agency
altogether.
The public charities of the Commonwealth, as
embodied and expressed in those noble institutions
for the relief of the poor, whom we have always
with us, as well the destitute and friendless
stranger Just cast npon shores, and still more
those in which the State, with 4 godlike benef-
cence, ministers to the mind diseased, or stretch
es out paternal hand to lead the vicious and
the abandoned back to the ways of virtue,
|
All requisite information to guide your action
respecting them will be laid before you; and
only desire in this connection to express my read
mess to aid in any measures, which may tend to
elevate and improve these cherished objects of
the solcitude and regard of the people OF Massa-
chusetts.
The cause of Education has ever been regarded
by our people as second to none of the great in
terests committed to the care and guardianship
of the State. Among the first to enlist the
warmest sympathies, and to secure the efficient
aid of the early colonsts, it has continued to re-
ceive from their descendants to the present hour
a constant, if not at all times an adequate, sup
port. Our colleges, founded and fostered by the
wise and far-seeng lberality of individuals, from
the two mites which were cast into their treasu-
ries by the needy pilgrim, to the prncely munii-
cence OF their endowments in later days, cannot
fail to be regarded with deep interest by an intel
lgent legislature. The manner in which they
have been conducted, has secured for them the
foremost rank among similar institutions in tbe
country; and they now furnish to our youth the
opportunity of acquiring an education of enlarged
and liberal culture. But the peculiar glory of