The Nevada Democrat., 1859-01-12
The Governor,s Message.

IL IL quite u uOCuHShts "uO A1 oShOhSO
almost exclusively to State affairs.
The message opens with the statement that
our finances are now in q much more prosper
GUS condition than at any former period since
the organization of the State government. The
interest on the public debt is being rapidly paid
and the ratification by the people of the uncon-
stitutional debt, has done much to inspire con-
fidenee in our integrity as people, and our
bonds rank as high in the market as those of
our sister States. The Indebtedness of the
State is thus stated:
Bonds ISSUED under the Act of April 25th
1851 ratified by the people. So 600, 900 90
Bonds and Controllers Warrants outstand-
ing. for the payment Of which no proYis-
ion has yet been made. 143, ,4S5 63
Making in the aggregate. ........... 4043, 1876 So
The annual interest upon the debt ratified by the peo
1t is quite probable that there are other demands of
just and equitable character against the state which viii
swell the amount of actual indebtedness to 81 15O 600
This will leave debt of 100000 for which pro-
vision has been made That portion OF the debt which
prior to the first day of January 1851 under the
view which take of the question: will require vote of
the people before it be paid. In this statement the
bonds issued on account of Indian hosttes are not in
cuded because they show upon their face that they to
be charge the State Treasury. hoped, howey
err that the Legislature will urge upon our Senator's and
II
possible at the present session. the payment of these just
demands Of citizens, amounting in the aggregate, to
$245,3H
The facts connected with the fraud practiced
upon the treasury, to the amount of $22, ,25l,
are stated at length by the Governor. During
the time that Mr.. McMeans was Treasurer, war
rants to the amount of $35 874 TO- had been
paid, which the Treasurer had neglected to can
eel according to law. On the I'd of February,
1856, joint committee was appointed by the
two houses of the Legislature. to examine and
report upon the transactions of the treasury de-
partment during the term of Office of Mr.. Nc
Means. This committee found and exa mined
the uncanceled warrants, and although invest
ed with the power, they also neglected to can
eel them, and still left them in the office. The
warrants were subsequently stolen-it is sup
posed before the late Treasurer Bates left the
office. It was afterwards ascertained that q
portion of these warrants, amounting to 22,251
had been presented to the Treasurer, for which
State bonds were issued. This was done before
it was known that any warrants had been sto-
len. There is q balance Of ,623 20 in stolen
warrants, which have been paid, still outstand-
ing. AS soon as the facts were known, steps
we're taken to secure the State, if possible,
against loss. The Treasurer has refused to pay
the interest on the bonds issued in lieu of the
stolen warrants, and the case is now pending
before the Courts. Until judically decided,
the bonds will not be recognized as legal de-
mand against the State.
The total value of taxable property in the
State, for the year 1858. is stated, in round
numbers to be one hundred and twenty-four
millions of dollars-being two millions less
than in 1857, and sixteen millions less than the
estimate made last year by Gov. johnson. 1t
was upor this estimate Of the late Governor,
that the last Legislature reduced the State tax
from seventy TO sixty cents on the hundred dol.
lars. In view Of these facts Gov. Weller says:
Whilst am not disposed to increase the rate of taxa
ton the safety of the public credit in my opinion de-
mands that the Act of April IT, 1858, giving the ninth
and tenth classes OF licences, and the liquor licences to
the counties should be repealed.
II Is proper to remark that this Act was approved bv
with very great reluctance. Indeed it only after
considerable hesitation and delay that yielded to the
judgment of your predecessors did not feel disposed
set up my own against the expressed will of the
sentatiyes of the people especially had just in
to office and unacquainted with the revenue system OF
to three millions of dollars, and 1t desirable to
relieve them from embarrassment if it could be done
will be een however, that whilst the Act has
ed the State it has proved of very little benefit to the
counties The receipts from these licenses have fallen off
during the months preceding the fifteenth ult., as
compared with the corresponding term of the 1857
forty thousand four hundred and twelve dollars and
cents 1t is safe to assume that at the end
of the year, the loss will amount in round numbers to
eighty thousand dollars thus leaving to the counties the
meagor sum OF say thirty thousand dollars. Now it
to that bare statement Of these facts should
be sufficient to secure the repeal of the law
The interest due upon our bonds the first instant
amounting to hundred and fortysev thousand
hundred and thirty eight dollars and fifteen cents could
not have been paid if authority had not been given
draw on the General Fund in of a deficiency. The
amount in the Interest Fund proper was only
thousand five hundred and fifty dollars and twenty 1.-TWO
cents instead of surplus, anticipated by the late
Executive. We have the alternative to restore the
derived from these licenses future the State
Treasury devise plan by which poll taxes be
collected. The delinquent list in almost every county
unusually heavy this year.
The poll tax is collected very unequally in
the different counties of the State This is three
dollars per capita, the States share being sixty
per cent, and while we have voting popula-
tion of some 10000, only $4s,l35 was receiv-
ed by the State, from this source during the
past year, and of this amount, twe-thirds was
paid by the eight counties of El Dorado, Sacra-
mento, Calaveras, Nevada, Placer, Siskiyou,
Sierra and Tuolumne. If the law was strictly
enforced throughout the State, enough would
be collected from this source to pay the inter
est on the public debt. The Governor recon-
mends that the duty of collecting the poll tax
be devOlved on the Collector, instead of the AS
SCISSOR, as the revenue would thereby certainly
be increased.
The Auditors of only twenty-five counties,
have reported the assessment of property to the
Controller according to law, and the Governor
recommends that measures be adopted to COM
pei these officers to attend to their duty in this
respect in future.
The State printing during the past year has
not cost over $4,000, which is $4,000 less