The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-10-09

Il
mediately after the passage of this law, the
President of the Company presented six hum
bred and fifty thousand dollars in Bonds of the
Company, which Bonds were endorsed and
guaranteed as the law prescribed. The Bonds
were then delivered to the President of the
Company, he executing his receipt for them.
Some time after this, the President and Mr.. Ed
win H. Ewing made application to the Cover
nor for the endorsement aud guarantee of nine
1 ty-fve thousand dollars more in Bonds of the
said Company. The reason given for this APP
pIication was that the bonds had been destroy
ed to the amount of ninety-fve thousand dol
lars, they having been through mistake burned
for other bonds, and presented as proof OF the
fact. a certificate of the Cashier of the Bank
of the Republic of New York, together with
the fragments or scraps of forty-three bonds,
or that portion of them which contained the
coupons: the body of the Bonds, containing the
signature of the President of the Company and
the endorsement of the Governor, being en-
tirely gone The fragments or scraps OF the
Bonds, presented as material proof of the fact OF
the Bonds having been destroyed, were so dis
colored and charred by the action of the fire,
that they afforded no proof that the Governor
had ever seen or endorsed them, leaving no
evidence before him but the certificate OF the
Cashier of the Bank of the Republic of New
York, where the Bonds had been burned thro'
mistake. In this connection, however, 1t is
due to state that there is no class of evidence
that could have been presented proving the loss
or destruction of the bonds, that would have in
duced the Governor, as the law now stands, to
endorse and guarantee any additional number
of Bonds on account of their loss or destruc-
ton, there being no law authorizing it to be
done. The Bonds had been once endorsed and
guaranteed and delivered to the President of
said Company, and this was complete execu-
ton of the law, leaving the Governor, after
its execution, no control or discretion over the
subject whatever. There is no law comforting
power on the Executive where bonds have
been misplaced or destroyed, upon application
to him, to issue other bonds in their place,
whether they have been endorsed or loaned
held by companies or individuals. The exer-
else of such power on the part of the Gov
ernor, in the absence of law, would be setting
a dangerous precedent, which might open the
door wide to fraud and speculation by all I'M
scrupulous persons into whose hands the Bonds
of the State, which had been loaned to compa-
MES to aid in works of internal improvements,
or those that had been endorsed or guaranteed
for the same purpose, might fall. The second
or third holder of Bond which had been
transferred by any internal Improvement com
V,
the bonds in his hands, would have the same
right to apply to the Governor for the issuance
of new bond, in consequence of the loss or
destruction of the old bond, so transferred
that the company had who first received the
bond from the State 1t would be unsafe and
dangerous to confer any such power on the
Executive thereby leaving it to his discretion
to determine the nature and character OF proof
which would authorize him to issue bonds in
all cases where they might be represented as
being lost or destroyed All questions of this
character should be provided for by direct le-
gislation, and not left to Executive discretion.
Taking this view of the subject, the Cover
nor declined to endorse and guarantee the nine
ty-fve Bonds already referred to. In refer
ence to the actual destruction OF the Bonds in
the present case, the Governor had no doubt
of its having actually occurred as represented
by the President of the Company and Edwin
H. Ewing, Esq, and at the time the appica-
ton was made for the endorsement and guar
antee of the Bonds, he felt more than anxious
to accommodate them and the Company, but
declined doing so for the reasons already given.
The. whole subject is therefore submitted for
your consideration and action, and will be dis
posed of as you may hereafter direct
Public Roads.
mer recommendation on this subject:
sour whole system of Public Roads is ex-
ceedingy defective, perhaps more so than in
any other State in the Union, imposing the
burden Of keeping it up upon that portion of
our fellow citizens least able to bear it, and
who have the least use for it after it is kept up.
Many persons are compelled to work on the
public roads many days in the year, who have
not the time to spare to do so, without pay,
and the necessities of whose families need the
proceeds of their entire labor for their support;
while on the other hand, there are many who
are exempt by law from working on the pub
lie roads, who are either able physically to
work them, or pecuniarily to pay for having it
done, and who derive the greatest benefit from
good roads when they are made, by the en-
HANGED value good roads impart to their prop
erty, and by increasing the comforts and facil-
tiles of travelling over them. In view of chang
ing or modifying our present system, | most
respectfully call your attention to the system
Of keeping up public roads in the States of Ohio
and Pennsylvania, where property and other
taxes are levied for the purpose of keeping up
the public roads and highways, and thereby
carrying out the principle, that the individual
who derives the greatest benefit from having
them kept up, aud in proper condition for the
travelling public shall pay correspondingy for
the benefits thus conferred. All persons shonld
contribute to the support of the government
under which they live, in proportion to the
protection they may receive from it. Our pres
ent road system, it must be conceded by all,
operates most uniustly and unequaly upon the
great mass ofthepeople, and ought to be chang
ed therefore recommend to your considera-
ton the propriety of so changing or modifying
the present system, as TO conform it TO the re-
quirements OF the public judgment and wants
of the country, and that it be done during the
present session of the Legislature"
National Homestead.
This important measure, by a large majority,
has passed the popular branch of our national
Legislature twice in succession, and was lost
both times in the Senate, which is conclusive
that the popular will demands the passage OF
such a law. / therefore call the attention Of
both branches of the Legislature TO my recon-
mendation upon this subject, which was made
TO the last Legislature:
IL feel that cannot conclude this message
without urging upon your consideration the
Importance and prorriety of instructing our
SENATOR'S in the Conyress of the United States