Nebraska advertiser., 1857-03-12
Gsv.nor's Vote Message.
To ruE Cogscn-

GESrLEaaEx.-The bin entitled ''Au act
relocating AID establishiagthe seat Of govern
ment.p psoD,siug to remove It from It'd present
location 70 the town of Douglas in Lancaster
county,, has been presented to me fol my ap
provai. and [ have given to it that cllm and
deliberate. crnsideratiop which its importance
would seem to demand.
From the time | entered into the discharge
of the responsible duties deyolving upon the
Executive OF this Territory. it has been my
determined purpose and sincere desire to CO.
operate with the Legislative assembly as a CO.
ordinate bFsach OF The Territorial government.
in all matters calculated to promote the WELL
fare and prosperity Of the whole Territory
And it is with regret that now, for the first
time, l feel myself compelled to differ from it,
and to interposs the power aconfded tD me By
the Organic Law, tae exercise of which, en-
trusted as it is to the sound discretion of the
Executive, should be the result Of mature and
candid deiberation.
III entertained doubts as to the exrsdiency.
Of the proposed removal Of the seat Of govern
menf, l would most cheerfully yield them to
the implied wish of the people as expressed
through their representatives; but with me it
is not a question Of doubt.
Nor can I believe the people desire this
change. AS far as / have been able to learn,
the removal Of the seat Of government was not
made the issue before the people in any county
in the Territory, at the time the present Ley
~islative Assembly was elected; and | am there
fore constrained to believe that this movement
has been gotten up and pressed hurriedly and
inconsiderately through both branches of that
body by a dominate majority, not only in the
absence of any positive instructions from the
people, but contrary TO their wishes, and most
certainly to the injury Of their best interests.
It is, | believe, universally conceded by all
who are familiar with the geography of the
Territory, that our principal settlements for
many years to come will be confined to a tract
Of country not extending more than thirty or
forty miles from the Missouri River.
The present seat Of government as located
and established by law, occupies a central po-
sitiOn in what, for some time, must constitute
the body Of our population being about equal
distant from our extreme northern and south.
ern settlements. It is immediately opposite
the great gateway into the Territory, and is
more accessible, not only to those within the
Territory, but to the various portions of the
country east Of us, than any point which car
be selected. The facilities for reaching it, anc
through it, che Territory at large are annually
increasing, and we may reasonably expect tina
in a few years it will, in point of time, be with.
in four days of the great commercial marts o
the east. These certainly are advantages which
in tho location of the seat of government Il, should
not be overlooked, in addition to this, a costly
and substantial building, sufficient to meet ant
ooo1r.-.n1,t - II ovy,n Jo-,.l- Al nv =
ritury for many years, is now in course Of cree
6 ton at the present location, and viii be com
: pleted during the following year, if not retard
ed by ill-advised and hasty legislation, withou
the cost ola single dollar to the people of ths
Territory.
In consideration Of these facts, I am unabl
TO discover my sufficient reasons whya chang
should be made, or even desired, more especi
4 ally to a point which if it has an existence q
! all, except On paper, is entirely remote fror
the centre of population, and entirely remot
from the geographical centre of the Territory
d It is not pretended that asingle house, or ~
a sod shanty, hos been erected upon the site
the proposed Capitol or in its vicinity. It AZ
= pears 70 be i floating town not only without l.
l%calitv but without inhabitants. Its e~xis:enc
if it has any. seems at present to be confined
~
the brain Of some desperate fortune-hunte
and its identity reposes in ali 1ndeinable nun
; Der Of certificates of stock for $50 each, nea
ly gotten up and hndsomely executed, wit
, all the requisites Of President, Secretary. a,
Where the precise location Of this town is pre-
a tended to be, I am unable to determine. B
d some it IS said to be somewhere on Salt Creel
A. By Others, further removed from tie settl,
ments, and 10 the vicinity of the southern bour
Diary of the Territory. ALL agree, howeve
= that there are two towns in the county of Lal
!! caster by the name of Douglas already mad
: upon paper. To which of these it is the il
: %teution Of tae Legislature to remove the SCI
Of government, I am left wholly to coDiectur
t. It may 50 happen, and, from my knowleds
o. Of the speculative genius of a certain class
Ii our citizens, ! think it highly probable, tina
D. should the BIZ under considera ion become
law, each of these rival towns would set M
claim TO the Capitol, which might require lor
y and tedious litigation to settle, leaving IL
q people Of the Territory in the mean time, will
, out a scat Of government.
This much | have felt it my duty to say
to the policy Of the contemplated removal. an
l. while / am deeply sensible of the fact that. IL
70 Executive veto has been rarely, if ever, int
e. posed where a measure has passed both branel
le es of the Legislature by a majority SO decide
as that received by the present bill, the for
- going facts alone would justify me in a consc
- eatious discharge Of my duty, in withholdir
my sanction hom a measure so suicidal to e
NJ cry substantial interest of the Territory. 4
l. though it had received the vote of every men
berof the Legislative Assembly.
But there are other aud more weightv re
ed sons which influence me in refusing to sanctit
ty this bill. The 18th section Of the Organic A
~ comforting the power upon the Governor al
g Legislature to locate the seat of governmel
ed provides "that the Legislative assembly sh:
at hold its frst session at such a time and place
ed the Governor thereof shall appoint and dire
e- and at said FIRST session or as soon thereafter
they shall deem expedient, the Governor al
Legislative Assembly shall proceed to loca
Us and establish the seat of government of sa
Nv Territory at such place as they may deem pro
re or. which place, however, shall thereafter
no subject to be changed by said Governor a
IT, Legislative Assembly" And the act of Co
to gress making an appropriation to be appli
he under the direction of the Governor, to 4
III erection of suitable public buildings for the II
nd ritory, provides that mo part of said appropri
Id ton shall be expended until the Legislature
said Territority shall have fixed the seat
government permanently by law"
no Taking the provision Of the 0rganic a