Demoine courier., 1854-12-14
Governors Message.



Yos bavsagsin assembled in obedience
70 the mandates OF the Constitution, TO
deliberate spon the affairs of State. AID
TO enact ssch laws as may be necessary
70 ssesrs 10 the people lhei, just rights
and privilege under q republican form
Of govsrnmsnt.
Your dsiies are Of no ordinary charac.
ter. The enactment Of laws for the
government Q State which must, directly
or indirectly, affect the welfare Of every
person within ito Jurisdiction, will show
the importance Of the powers with which
you have been invested, and how wisely
and judiciously they should be exercised.
Our constitution is less careful Of pre-.
scribing legislative duties to be perform
ed, than of imposing certain restrictions
upon legislative action. The examples
sof history and consian, experience teach
o., that there 10 a tendency in political
associations a. well as 10 persons, to an
undue exercise of power inconsisten.
with individual rights. For that reason
IN unwavering adherence to consti,u
rional principles, a constant, regard for
the rights and privileges secured TO. and
retained by the people, and a strict OBJ
sefvance Of the prohibitions upon legs.
laiion. should, under all circumstances,
be maintained.
Il gra.ifes me 10 inform you tina. the
State 10 in q highly prosperous condition,
general health prevails, a bountiful har-
vnss h~a oNaio r~oev,oI RI. n4orSe - ,ko
~husbandman; emigration unprecedented
in the history and se,tlemen, Of the West,
has been pouring in upon US; the public
lands are being rapidly settled and i'm.
proved by those who, with the pioneers
Of the country, will doubtless build up a
government, which for its liberal and
just policy and its attachment FOR the
Union will rank among the frs. of west.
ern States. For this prosperity and all
the great privileges which we enjoy, lie,
Us be grateful to HIM who holds in his
hand the destiny of men and nations.
In calling your attention 10 the con.
dision Of the State, il is in the first place
appropriate that l should refer to our
financial affairs, and l do 90 with pride,
when / contrast that condition with many
Of q sister States. The funded debt
Of the State for which bonds have been
issued. a. will appear by the rerort Of
the Auditor. amount 10 the sum OF
seventy nine thousand seven hundred
and n~inety-6ve dollars and seventy five
cents.
Sixteen ,housand four hundred and
forty.two dollars and five cents of these
bends became due on the first day Of
May last, and the others will be payable
10 l656,'57, and SO. Ii will therefore
be necessary for you to make provisions
for their payment in the event tina, the
ordinary revenue should not prove sufi.
Client for that purpose. / need not say
that the payment Of these debts a. ma.
surity 10 important TO preserve the good
faith and credit OF the Stale.
Dy the Tseasurer's report which is
here's with transmitted, it will be seen .ha,
from the 6rs. day of November. 1852.
up TO the thirty.frst day of October,
1854, there has been received into the
Treasury S125,462 81 cenis, SlO,5l5
20 cents of which was received on the
sale Of Saline lands. During tina. time
there has been paid u on AUDITORS
warrants ell6,542 90 cents. The 3.
mount of monies in the Treasury on the
3lstday of October last, being Sl5,522
~ cents, including The sum of 90, 500
SO cents which was in the Treasury on
the lss day of November, 1852.
Al the last session of the General As
sembly, /. was thought advisable to SO
amend the revenue law, as TO require the
assessment of taxable property to be
made by a township instead of q county
officer. This system, as | have been
informed, has proven much more expen
sise than the former one, and leads to
errors and inequalities which have been
injurious to the public revenue, and VI
Just 10 individuals.
To secure uniformity in the assess
mem Of property, and remedy, az far as
practicable, the evils complained of, l
would recommend that the present law
be 30 amended as 10 require the election
Of . county assessor for each county,
with such other regulations as may be
slough. necessary to secure q faithful dis.
charge OF his duty.
Permit mi again 10 call the attention
Of the General Assembly to the laws es-
iablishing Common schools and the State
U~niversi.y, a. a subject Of the greatest
importance, and in which the people feel
. dep iassrest.
Experience has taught Us that these
laws are TOO complicated, and by fire.
quent amendments have become mex.
plicit and contradictory, 90 much so, tina.
ii has become difficult TO understand, or
carry them into force, wilhou. the COM
mission Of errers, which not unfrequently
lead TO prosracied and burdensome lii.
CATION.
Another objection TO the system, is
the employment Of a greater number OF
officers uan would seem TO be necessary,
and smong them, tina, of school fund
Commissioner in each county. the du,ies
of which officer might, it is believed, DO
discharged by the county Treasurer with
less expense and greater accuracy than
under the present arrangement.