The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-01-06

every dtizen subject Of great interest and
| importhce. To carry out and encourage
| this srGect, two state fairs have already
been hid. and have given evidence Of valu-
able iIll.s. Perhaps no better means can
be defsed to stimulate and encourage agri-
| cultuhl advancement and it is submitted
| Whether the appropriation from the treaau-
I ry, ipaid of these objects, may not be in
| crcash to three or five thousand dollars a
| year, with great profit to that interest in onr
state Ehich is at the foundation of al! great
ness. am fully satisfied that the state
! wouldi IN the end reap q rich reward for al.
monci expended in this way.
| In }formcr communication | recommend
! ed thdamendmcnt of the state constitution
in SOME particulars deemed by me important.
The t,riy manner Of amendment now pro-
videdby the constituton--the many fca-
lures IN which amendment is dcsirabie--the
intimate relation the different features of
that Instrument bear TO each other, all seem
to poitt TO a convention for its entire reyis-
ion On the score Of economy, it appears to
me that nothing could be lost by such con-
roatiop. when II IL remembered that each
proposed amendment must now undergo dis
cusson and occupy the time OF the legiSa.
turc f"Stwo successive sessions, and then be
submitted TO the people for their votes. II is
not deemed necessary at this time to 60 into
any dstail Of Of the points Of objection to the
present instrument, bnt TO submit TO your
Judgment the call Of a convention in which
all the provisions may be fully and fairly
considered and constitution drafted which
shall be better adapted to the wishes Of the
penple and. the present condition Of the state
The legislature having at its last session
provided for the appointment Of 4 superin-
tendent Of public instruction, and made it
his du,y 70 recommend to you suitable pro-
visions for the entire reorganization Of com
mon schools the subject Is most earnestly
recommended 20 your thoughtful considgra-
ton. am not fully Informed Of the pccul-
lar provisions which will be submitted 10
you by the superintendent, but the conf
ucnce rcposed in his Judgment, and the great
amount Of care and attention he has given
the subject since bis appointment, gives me
the utmost confidence that he will be able to
submit 10 you plan which will be acccpta-
blcto' the people and greatly enhance the
benefits ofthe common school system. do
not deem it nc essary to repeat the recon
mendhtiOiIs heretofore made in Inference 10
common schools, but the whole subject is
submitted 10 your attention, with the belief
that you will be able TO mature such sys
TEN as that the advantages of education will
be much more generally diiiused, and that
the character of the schools will be sufficient
ly elevated to place within the rea h Of eve
~ child ofthc state the means Of an cduca-
ton which shall fit them for every station
and condition in life
The attention Of the legislature is called TO
theproprcty Of placing copy Of Nebsteres
Quaro Dictionary IN each Of our district
schools This work has become u national
treasure, and its great value as a work eirei-
oreiice cannot be too fully appreciated. 1t IS
an encyclopedia imperatvely needed III every
school room. Some Of the states Of the
Union have made appropriations to place 1t
in every district school For its vast amount
of information, for its great usefulness as the
acknowledged standard Of our language, It
demands at the hnuds Of the constituted au-
thorities q permanent place in a!l our dis
trict8 49,
b&fitg the past year, the friends OF tlc
colofaftopuatio of this country have been
makibg- speca efforts to thoroughly organ
anaGMUye Msis The religious societies
0vLHlA ooctt3u- vi tflt Sldtt navy lohNiA "NhN'
upon the subject, End now -aremaking strong
efforts to raise funds to successfully establish
the society. If once starteded under the d.
rcction of good and efficient officers it could
be carried into effect, have no doubt but
much good could be done, and that many
humane and benevolent persons would free.
ly give TO aid in coloni1ing our colored pop
ulation, where they would ENJOY the rights
of citizens, ana be considered men, and take
part in all the duties in life, and thereby sep
aratc the blacks from the whites and send
them TO the land Of their fathers, An effort
will be made the present session TO have you
charter such society, and to aid IN Its efforts,
which hope will meet your appreciation
and sanction.
The benevolent institutions Of the state, at
Jacksonville, the hospital for the insane, the
asylums for the education Of the deaf and
dumb and the blind, are in a ilouri,hing
condition, and answering all the purposes
for which they were established. The legis-
lature in the establishing of these in
stitutions, has shown philanthropy worthy
Of older and more populous states. The po-
lice arrangements OF the insane hospital has
been changed during the past year, and
have reason to hope that any difference OF
opinion tia. formerly existed has been so
far healed as to insure general good feel
ing towards the institution. That OF the
asylums for the deaf and dumb and the blind
remain as at the last session, commanding
the confidence of the entire community, so
far as am informed. You will in due time
receive from the supcrintendents of those
institutions reports giving full information
in rng IN, th.ir and nuDnrl-
ment
In my message to the general assembly, at
their regular session, Jan. 10th, 1868, ! ba-
scd a calculation that if the taxes were kept
at the same per cent. on the dollar Tor vari-
Gus state purposes, and the increase OF tax
able property in the state each year be ten
prr cent, that, with the other available as.
sets of the state applied, in eleven years
from that time the state debt would be redu-
ced to S74, $50 G2. AIN pleased TO inform
you that the past two years the increase OF
taxable property, after making all abatc-
mcnts for errors &c. was, for 1858 over
1862, 81 per cent, and the increase on all
taxable property for 1854 over 1858, lno
lands being taxable only once in two years,
except those sold after one assessment and
previous to tho noxt, and the personal prop
erty,) is about IA 4-9pc cent, making an
average increase Of the taxable property Of
the state for the last two years 32 per cent,
instead Of 10per cent, as assumed in the
calculation referred to. think we can rea-
sonably expect an increase of at least 20 per
cent. a year for the next few years on all
taxable property Of the state. Should this
supposition prove true, and the taxes remain
as now fixed by law, and the avals regularly
applied TO its cxtinguishmcnt, the debt would
be paid much sooner than assumed. have
no donbt but the receipts from the Central
Railroad and branches will far exceed the
amount of $4,000 per year, as stated in
the calculation.
TIE present condition Of the state debt
may be stated as follows, showing the
amount paid during the past two years, anu
the amount due January lst, 1896:
1868, Jan. l..
Intern. Improve.
ment debt,
principal $o,Tl,oos ~
Interest TO .Janu.