Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-01-11
Governors Message
Gentlemen of The Sennte

-s94 and House of Representatives:
On the thirteenth day of July last, REUBEN
WOOD, having accepted an appointment in the SER
vice of the United States, resigned the Office oil
Governor of Ohio, which, thereupon, deyolved on
me as Lieutenant Governor of the State
Having thus assumed the powers conferred by
the Constitution the Chief Magistrate of the
State, itis made my duty upon your assembling at
the Capital as the Representatives of the people,
to communicate to you the condition of the sever
al departments of the State Government, so far as
the same has come to my knowledge, and to rec
ommend to your consideration such measures as,
in my Judgment, should claim the attention of the
law-making power of the State.
Before proceeding to the discharge of this duty,
permit me to congratulate you on the auspicious
circumstances under which you are convened
The year that has just been numbered with the
past, has been of unusual prosperity; the earth
has given forth its fruits in great abundance; in
dustry and enterprise have been appropriately re-
Warded; and the comforts and enjoyments of life
have been more generally and equally difused
among the great body of the people, than at any
former period of our history.
These evidences of the goodness and continued
favor of that Supreme and All-wise Being, who
watches over and controls the destiny of all hu-
man institutions, should have their due and proper
influence on our minds, and command the homage
of our grateful Acknowledgements.
The present is an interesting and progressive
age. The discoveries and inventions of the few
last years. have stimulated boder inquiry into the
science of human Government, in almost every de-
partment of life.
Under these influences, the organic laws under
which the State Government was first established,
have been superseded by new Constitution, in
which private and individual rights are believed to
be better defined and more securely guarded.
The people have retained in their own hands,
the selection of their officers well in the Judi
cai as in the Executive departments of the Gov
ernment; private property has been rendered tru-
ly inviolate, and all increase in the public labili
ties, except to very limited extent, and for ex-
traordinary purposes, has been efectually prohib-
ited So
The General Assembly has been restrained from
passing any law, either of general or private ma
ture, except by areeorded vote of majority of the
members elected to each House, and from grant
ing any privileges or immunties that may not be
revoked. amended or repealed by any subsequent
Legislature.
Corporate powers can only be conferred under
general laws; and no bill can be introduced or
considered, for any purpose, which shall contain
more than subject to be clearly expressed in
its title.
No money. can be drawn from the Treasury, ex-
cept in pursuance of specific appropriations made
by law; and al property not used for public char
liable or religious purposes required to bear an
equal proportion of the burdens OF the State
The duty of preparing laws, in accordance with
these changes, and carrying into effect the various
provisions Of the New Constitution, devolved on
your immediate predecessors. who, during long
and iaborious session, passed many saiutary and
important statutes. To render these more per-
feet, and to mature and adopt such additional
measures as may be found necessary to promote
the public welfare, and complete the organization
of the New Government, are among the principal
duties that will claim the attention Of the present
Legislature. sz4sss
The people,in this Government, are the source
of all power. they hive the right to ask, and it
is the dutyof their agents to furnish, full and cor
rect MISUNDERSTANDING the condition and man
agement of the affairs of the State. Complaints
Of high taxes and constantly increasing burdens,
are becoming general; and nothing contributes
more successfully to allay unnecessary apprehen-
sons ON this subject than full exposition of our
financial operations, while it enables the Legisla-
turei to apply the appropriate remedy.
The Reports of the various officers of the Gov
ernment, which are herewith communicated, will
place before you the detailed accounts of their re-
spectiye departments.
1t appears from the Auditors Report, that the
receipts in the State Treasury for the fiscal year
ending November l5, 1853, have been as follows
General Revenue for State purposes, collected