Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-12-11
GOV oIssS q 81 s Gs.
Felis,o- c1ttscn. q. &c ssaaf.

81 r.. Il u = +
Feltstv- Citizens of Ne Sen0ts
AID of The slz5sse Of seifg8'c5:
In accordance wiib The ProFi.5dns offitcneat con
sttutiOn making the ErsgionBGE f5e general aI<em-
hly bieuiiel two Years have elapsed since H. as-
sembliug OF the last le;sla!Fei tfna iash happy to
inform yen that not aware tiiet any of tts,
sential interests of coRizncu Veth have suffered
On the contrary, lisIc has been saor3ed the people
TO examine AID test tue Soaring and effect rf the
various laws enacted by your predecessors. The
credit OF the State, has not tceh endanCe:e.t by
heavy additional appropriations and the laiSs ex-
srori,i iSelerIt 10 session 'sf the genera! as
..J, .'s -, "cer EUidcd Al. which tend to de-
lam.
Alter tbs long Interval, allow eae to telnz- You
my scinAtions, anafto congratulate you epti; I'M
geaeral prosperous condition oF eur beloved com
rnonwenl5h. There3las not becn but one ezEHrn-
stance Omar our .eicity, and, 'iaf AN h':Ff 10
has prevailed for tie last three fcn2hs in thc city
of Eorfa.k and toxin of Portsmouth, has cHSt
glOsm ugar the Shtle State. w siEcerely i'i.hent
with our feilow-oiLnns the raynEes ana desgi&tion
which Death has wrought among them. It has
awakened: the deegsst sympathy throughout our
own bor,!ers and proved that tlie kindly fizs Of
brothcrly affection PeTvade our lister States, > 40
with our DeUp G, have contributed IurRel- 90 5eIieve
the wants and miDfer the yrt of The afEj; ted
We can -! entertain th. ..ope TIM. with the return
OF Tue citizens - frtiT homes, AMI the restoraiion
of the: CeaIlh business and comHerce will revive,
and renew ed proslesity DaY att"od them v E:Ting
this visitation % subject for Humiliation, :d a
suitatie Gppur;uutrfor aCEnOwisA ling our Ctt'tn-
dence upca 4 kind Providence thought II i:rnper
occasion :or ssSing apart day OF thahTsfifins,
and recommending It's observance throughout the
State uuder af gratitude FOR the renewal OF
this impeding aliGiioO, and fer the unnuufSeFed
blessings hitherto bestowed upon rs as people In
accord with thla Recommendation, Inc Qt MIS-
observed.
ties which devolve upon you, as the chosen fcpFe-
sentRtiyes OF free and cnii1hicurd people, am
sure you. sill not fer moment remember
that The htnor interest and futuEn welfare OF the
common ealth has, tor season. been ronrAitIcI to
your guardian care md that upon your actor, nj
this eventual period cEsear history may depend for
an indthr4te time thc7seal or woe OF our coI1mon
.ccsntry.
regret that the situation of the finances of
the commonwealth will not cnalle' lt-c to
present ihtm as in prosperous condition. but
while this .suadoubn4lly true, apprehension lied
be felt that ample provision will not be proEipily
made To meet every liability and 10 place the II. a
curry hereafter in position not Ia Sc jeoparde1 by
unforeseen contingencies. The people OF fhs ':U1n-
Inonwes,ih place too nigh an esiInsie upon the he-
cessity OF rcdeening her VghiCd faith ever 70 nb-
ject to the taxation necessary to meet her ena2e-
neu's ana their representatives VIII, with aarity,
provide thu revenue ~ meet the emergency.
From Tx. reports Of the accounting officers Enu
will perceive that there has hceu during the last
fiscal year, considerable deficit in the lfe@|urY
To suppy WHICH, ittwas necessary 20 res ut Ia the
power yegtcd the executive OF raiaing, by tempo
rnry loans on the credit OF the Sta: e, tho arnO.nt
required ~ the wants o! the treasury. THIS n'hount
WAS readily furnished by the Bank Of ir4ini". the
Farmers f,Suk the branch Of the EEChnnge Bark at
Richmond the Merchants and Mc,hapivs' Bark al
Wheeling. and the Northwestern Bank OF Nirkinih.
The interest nu these oaus has bccE paid out q, ihe
| civil contingent fund .
The enl re receipts o! revenue MO the treasury,
exclusive Of the Internal improvement fund an ;hc
Literary fund, as shown yIhc exhibits Of ihn an
diinr fp.Llic accounts, amounted - 81 ii69"5 So
which, vi the balance III the treasury at the .ud
Of the preceding fsc;i year, OF SOC sol o. makes ii
! total of Sf.ToTSi9 H. The warrants drawn uIThe
treasury, disbursements luftng iIle same irrt'd
! excluding tue same. funds, Aniruoted 10 81 e2,-
! 1853 | o. Shaving an actual deficit Of $385 OlS Cd
which, as before stated PROVIDED for Ivy ttIi-
purnry lusn OF $IO0GO0 The treasurer, under The
provisions of the law, executed Ills notes ty ih7
| banks PAYABLE on the 18TH instant. Bot as the re-
venue of The State Il not payable uutil that tae
and sufficient nnU.t.tt 'aruor !- rsrcis", by ian
day i, VII he necessary ,hcn that these notes l;e
ncwed. This accommodation, il iJ understood, iEIe
| banks VIII not hesitate to cXeid.
In addition TO this deficit cXliihiic-l by n coiniar-
isun bctweon the rc"cTp's and disbursements, Il is
proper TO state that suudry appropriations made by
law, and which 70 have been paid within. The
last fiscal year, have Necn deferred in cUusrqia;ce
of want OF funds. These amount il the aggres {,
to about &23O,O00, and will requiTe au additnEtat
amount to ye provided to pay them during the PFC
During Inc months Of December aud Januar., a
large portion of the commonwealth revenue is pay
rbe, and will he-rese@vedr amounting, it is esrina-
d, TO 81, 0,e0O. The interest due on the puaic
debt, and payable on The LIST of January is $g27,-
SS2. While therefore, ;he amount in the two n,op .
will be largely more han sufficient lor thc pay.crt
of the interest and iur the ordinary expenses of i.
governmcrt, yet it is necessary 10 meet the in'trrs;
punrrually, the treasurer has been authorized 10 ~:
goiintc n further temporary louu for whatever
amount ms2 lie requisite.
It may L. asked wtat Circumstances havc gro
duced This nortIinary deficiency il the revenue
The cEtimaies OF receipts and Disbursements fOr:te
st two years were m"dE by ihc legislature of 1885,
and Of courac upon tho circumstances then eXisslE
aud upon contingencies which had existed bciSrn
and which lad not previously proved !aac ou>, Iud
therefore fully relied on but which, under lie
condition q! the country, its monetary ai!sfr6
since, hay" entirely failed II is knos,n to the gEr
eral assembly, that the surplus revenue of the fl,i
+ for inter naE Improvement, derived from the PROFITS
upon its productive stocks, aud all Eycnliums ulS
the sale OF State securities, required TO he Inid
into the treasury. AS the Bourd Of Public Wo.Js
were authorized 10 FUhSCrihe i large anloun,i,a
works OF iH'crna Improvement and to neCniil;
the sale OF State bends 10 meet these suLscrptiois
anu 'i'eSe o"nuS "e:e men at premium Of liver
='I TcT cent, considerable slFm was estimated e,
be received from This soa!rce II was viii coral cS.
talrty supposed ilS; the companies which L:r4l
heretofore Irhctuay paid the iu1eres unon ttre
loans made m 80 them by the State, would continue:
meet their engagements. But this they have net
been able to DO and this resource has failed. Soaik
OF these companies which at the TING of the e#ri-
mate were laying handsome dividends, and hatE
been so paving for maGy years. have from the re-
cessity of re, niing Their roads with heavy rails a
from the pressure of The times been forced to srS:
pend the pay of dividends altogether, or to par
them in scrip, payable future day, bearing iI.-
terest thus Increasing lie deficiency.
Blythe estimates of tla last fiscal ycsr, based upon
these cont ns3cnci"s, it was calculated that there
would be received in the treasury, from the surplus
OF the internal improvement fund, S63O978 80.
cents. while tie actually recciSed was onjF
Sl6259l. shaving deficit in this item alone i:
S46s,3sT 90 cents Under The constitution and laIy.
the commissioners of THO Sinking Fund were l:a-.
CURED 10 pay OFF that portion of the public debt
deemabe within the year, and to iqnida;e the ir-
ierest upon Tie whole permanent debt. To comply
with. this requirement. the auditor forced under
the law, to place the amount to the credit of tar
Sinking Fupt, and thus produced at once the de;ie
cheney in the treasury. 1t is known, sslso, that he
tax on licenses some s=;ten is contingent Que
The county courts Throughout the Sthte have tee
power to Gr6at withhold licenses te The keepers
of ordibariesaud persons ensage'l in e sale of ar
dent spirits; and the tax sueh licences depenJ
upon the grant. Underi the hope of reforming tie
morals OF the people the friends of tcDPera hae
induced maniot the courts to refuse such licenses
from inns au!i other causes there was a Cehcit s,
the es,linase ;on this item of S54 029 49, Add al
nS l"iIhEe on the part OF the James River ar
hSn1 @ Company to pay the interest on its deE7
10 llpe commonwealth of $lBllS T2, and from.
S539 535s so FTl,e - 49,