Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-09-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
ExEcUrIvE DEPARTMENT, J

and which demand your Immediate attention
During the month of May last DIR. JAMES CAFES
PERcIvAL, State Geooglst died, creating a yacan.
cy that office BY his death the State has lost the
services OF faithful public officer Science zeal
GUS and accomplished laborcr; and American Litera.
ture profound scholar and gifted writer His re-
port of the Survey Of 1855 nearly completed nj
| the time of his decease, and was forwarded to me
shortly afterwards by DR. Jenckcs. of Halle Green
placed the manuscript in the hands OF l. A. Lap
ham, Esq of Milwaukee, to prepare it for publca.
ton, and herewith transmit it TO you.
| The act creating that office made an annual an.
| preparation for the estate Geological Survey" for
the term OF tour years which term expires in the
month OF March next. did not deem il for the in.
terest of the State to fill the vacancy thus created
until 1t was ascertained that it The intention and
poiIcy OF the State to continue that Survey have
therefore felt 1t to be my duty ut this time TO call
your attention to the subject connected as it is with
one OF the most important interests of the State
In pursuance OF an Act, approved the 3lst day of
March Last, entitled IAN Act for the Revision of the
General Laws of the State'of Wisconsin, appoint
4 ed Tim. .. Howe james L. Doolittle and Samuel
>. Todd, Esqrs., Commissioners. A short time after
their appointment, received from them their resig
nations, together with the reasons therefor a COPY
of which is hereby transmitted felt it due to the
distinguished ability of those Commissioners that
their reasons should be submitteto your considera
ton, before filling the places thus made vacant.
| Since your adjournment, the Congress of the Unit
ed States has donated To this State certain lands for
the purpose of ''aidng in the construction of Rail
road from Madison or Columbus, by the way of Por.
!.
ships "a and al and from thence to the West end of
Lake Superior; and to Bayfield, and also from
Fond du Lac, on Lake Winnebago, nortlerly, to
the State line"
The land thus donated W II exceed two millions o:
acres which, at two dohrs and fifty cents per &C, e.
being the price fixed for government land Oft the same
kind viii amount to above five millions of dollars
i The grant therefore is n magnificent one and If
properly used, will tend greatly to develop the res
sources of the State and bring the agricultural manu-
featuring and mining districts in close proximity to
each other, and mutually benefit each Nevertne
less, we shall have cause to regret even this dona
on munifcent as is unless in granting the avai!s
thereof, to railroads, we are cautious and consider
ate.
| The act evidently contemplates the building of
two separate and independent roads. The one from
| Madison or Columbus to Lake Superior, and the
other from Fond du Inc northerly to the Stale line
and that intention OF the act should be faithfully ad
hered to- There can be no evil results from having
| these roads separate and independent, and much
evil may be avoided thereby since two roads, run
nng through nearly the entire State owned and
! controlled by one corporation, would in time be dan
geroUs to the legislation of the State, particularly
that pertaining to its railroads interests and if it
should fail into the hands of political cliques and
mere spectators, might be injurious to the rights of
the people, and the prosperity of the State.
| Corporations OF enormous wealth and great power
are only to be tolerated by the necessities and wants
OF the State and should be shorn OF their power i'll
every practicable way
/ | would therefore recommend that tho two roads
referred TO in said act, be kept separate and in
dependent of each other 50 that instead of having
their power and influence consolidated into one,
they may act us checks upon each other, and that
they may, to u certain extent, be two roads compot
| ing tor the same business
If it should probable, that any Incidental
benefits growing out of said grant likely to
crue to those owning or taking stock in said
porations, then would urge upon you the propre-
ty and necessity of so framing the law making
| the avalls of said grant to railroad corporations
that all OF the citizens of the State may have fair
ana equal opportunity of taking stock therein, in
limited quantities. which will tend to avoid many of
the objections TO railroad grants by placing the same
In the hands of different interests, and among class
OF citizens, who will be I'M crested i'll the prosperity
! of the whole State
The lands donated by said giant should be brought
INTO market, speedily said act will permit, and
solo IN Limited quantities. at fair prices, to actual
settlers. They should not be permitted to fall into
the hands of spectators, to be kept out Of market
and the lands themselves left unmproved, and the
growth of the country thereby retarded / regard
this last recommendation ofgreat Importance which
if faithfully adhered to, will remove serious OBJ
| lectons to such grants.
1t will be useless TO say that the character the
men who are have control of said roads should be
such as to guarantee their construction, at the ear
lest practicable day. and that the influence of said
corporations should be exerted for beneficial and
legitimate purposes and the avails of said grant i'll.
vlolaby appropriated thereto.
The State has right and interest in said grant
not only IN having the grant appropriated to
develop its resources, but to pay the expense and
trouble II may have in taking charge and disposng
of the same aud some provision shonId be- made for
the benefit of the State, whereby certain per cent
age upon the gross earnings of said road upon
the capital stock thereof shall annually 20 into the
State Treasury.
No grant for railroad purposes has hitherto been
gwen to the State and it not likely any )ter grant
of its value will hereafter be given it, by the Gene
raj Government. cannot urge upon you, therefore,
too strongly the necessity OF carefully considering
the suggestions herein contained and Of disposng Of
said grant in such manner shall tend most rapid
y and surely to develope the various resources, and
foster the diversified interests Of the whole common
wealth.
Far better would be State to reject grant
once than by any unwe disposition of it, keep the lands
out market for years while the roads would remain un
built and the Legislature Of the State be subjected
al Annoyance and embarrassment through repeated nyes
LEGATIONS and continual legislation on the subject by which
in the end the grant itself would be wholly FILTERED away
and all its legitimate purposes defeated.
Sluce your adjournment, 1t has come to my knowl-
edge, from reliable recources, that many of tho c
zsns of this State, who have not oxpatrated them
selves and who, consequently still remain citizens
of this State, while going to Kansas Territory, for
lawful purposes, and while upon the rivers of the
United States made public ghways by the laws OF
the United States, have been seized their properly
taken from them, and they imprisoned, aud their
lives put i'll jeopardy, by the people of Missouri and
other Savehoding States. These outrages have be
come so frequent that hHY& felt 1t to be my duty
to call your attention to them, that you may devise
some legal and Constitutional way, if within your
power to protect our citizens and 10 redress their
grievances the General Government being impOtent
tor that purpose, or wilfully ncgecting to DO It
Kansas is in a state of c ivil war, growing OFT
of the maladm nstration of the government of that
Territory, and the determination 10 force Slavery
upon itnot by the people of the Territory, but by
the people of Missouri and other Slavch0ldmg States.
For that purpose they have controlled the elections
in that Territory, by mobs and at the point of tho
bayone its Legislature has been elected by the peo
pie of Missouri laws have thus been enacted that
disgracefu to the American character: the prop
erty of the actual settlers has thus been DESTROYED
without authority law, and the people themselves
in many cases, brutally murdered AZ this very
time the free settlers OF the Territory being
driven from it, by the people of Missouri and other
Slavehoidng States; while The national Administra-
ton is apparently accessory TO this subverslon of
their rights, unwilling to protect the people Of
thar Territory from these 0utraces. The
be pursued by the State of Wisconsin. in this emer-
gency, will leave to- your Judgment to determine.
/ am well satisfied that the My way to maintain
harmony among the States. both North and South,
is to restrict slavery to its present limits This
evidently foreseen by the founders OF this Republic,
who by the ordinance of 1887 dedicated to freedom
all of the territory then belonging to the United
States and prohibited slavery and involuntary ser
vitude therein. intending thereby to place beyond
the power OF Congress to extend the bounds OF s4a-
| very and forever to stop its agitation.
As lovers of freedom and the union OF these Sates
ii s duty to oppose the further increase OF Save
territory, preventing slavery thereby from making
dishonorable; free labor. ii enevaoy must where
it comes in competition with il; from Strengthening
| 9 systau which cnreaAenS 10 destroy tie Eaterrsi