Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-12-15
NO. %.


the passage Of a usury law, ,conriyed ID the.
best possible way 10 oyertrn the present
system and practice Of exIraragani and
ruinous rates of interest
Itmay be said that such law vii drive
ell capital away fro a The Terfnosy.-
If the law can be made eIfeclual AM tf.
feciive, it may drive ell devouring rapi-
tai from amongst Us. God grani ihat i
may be so, but fair and honest crfalal.
which seeks only Just and reascnablsre-
turns, will remain and increase.
/ invite your attention, also, TO tke law
regulating the compensation Of publie of-
ficers. The existing .taria of fees clear
ly requires careful revision and amend.
ment. In some cases, it it probable, the
compensation is no mere than Just and
far, but In a great many i is plain that
material and large reductions are neces-
sary and right. Every officer is entitled
to a reasonable recompense for his re-
sponsibility and labor, and feel sure thar
your efforts VIII be TO do no more or less
than equal and exact justice 70 al.
The annual reports Of ihe Terrilorial
Auditor and Treasurer have been re-.
ceived and are herewith submitted. The
balance in the Treasury is necessarily
small, owing 10 the fact that the revenae
from the diHeren! counties this year is
not payable until January next. AccoTd-
ing TO the Auditors report, the present
liabilities of the Territory are S3l ,065.
On the 20th of September, 1853, they
amounted in Warrants to S15,774 95.--
Between the Goth Of September, 1858,
and November lst, 1850 In accordance
with various laws, Warrants were issued
for Sl6,459 95, making the current ex-
penses for that year appear to be the
whole Of that sum- But fully one-balf Of
tbe amount Of those Warrants was for
liabilities incurred during the year 1857.
So, making the actual current expense.
for this year to be in fac. only about S..
coo. The revenue for taxes due Janua-
ry !, 1859, as reported by he dif'ereh,
counties, ( Pawnee County excepted J
amounts 10 Sl9,3S7 81, so that the whole
debt of the Territory may be set down al
S1l $50 66 more than tie ea,imatedEe-
sources of the year ending December 81,
1859. Hence we are able 10 see hattie
entire Territorial deLt can very conye-
nienily, and without any increase. Of tax
alton, be exlinguished in less than TWO
years. Indeed, with retrenchmant and
conscientious economy, 10th of which
! cannot too earnestly recommend, the ex-
isting burdens of taxation can be ma.eri-
rally lessened, and still, in a short l.ne,
the Territorial debt be paid.
l submit, also, the report Of the Terri
torial Librarian, with aeompleiec catalogue
Of the books in the Library. Within
the past year a great maay volumes, that
had been improperly taken from The Ii
brary, have been gathered in by the d.
ligence Of the present Librarian. Large
additions Of Miscellaneous and Law books
have been received from different Staies
and Territories, in return for volumes cf
Laws and Legislative Journals transmits
ted TO them. Besides these, 237 vol.
umes of law books have been added 70
the Library, which purchased with the
portion Of the original appropriation ty
Congress, and which found unexpended
when / entered upon the duties Of my
present Office.
The policy Of the Territory should be
to protect as far as possible, and in a just
way, all improved real estate, and encou-
rage the improvement Of that which is va
cant and unimproved. l request your
consideration to the subject Of an exten-
sion law for real estate levied upon by ex-
ecution. For the purpose Of convenience
and brevity, submit my views in the
shape of an abstract Of such a law, as
think would be Just 10 all parties and ben
ehcial In Its operation. A provision re-.
curing .he sheriff Of every county 10
summons jury Of inquest prior 10 each
general return day, TO which jury all wrils
with liens on real estate shall be submit
ted, their duty being to inquire whether
the property is vacant or improved. If
improved, TO ascertain whether the annu-
al rents, issues and profits, at a fair esti.
mate, would pay The judgment debts and
other Liens, with costs and interests, in a
certain time, say seven years. Il being
asCertained that the annual rel.ts would
pay the debts IN that time, then 10 mark
the properly extended, fixing the amount
Of the rent and the manner Of It's paw
meni. Such law wosld he humane to-
wards debtors, who have improved theIE
real estate, whatever it may be, and
would be both fair and just to creditors,
all Of whom would be secured 70 llhe
amount Of their liens, each lien being
paid off according to its age or priority. i
Is almost superAuous TO say that by a for
ced sale of improved real estate (Which
by an extension might be sufficient 10 pay
all demands against ii) majority Of the
creditors are usually sacrificed at the
same time with The unfortunate debtor.
The administration Of the criminal law
isrendered Intellectual, for lack Of means
TO punish felons and other convicted Of
tenders. We have no penitentiary or
other public prison for their confnement
and the law does not sufficiently provide
for their custody. If an arrangement
could be made By which feloas z .uld be
sent to some adjoining State for confne-
ment IN the penitentiary, particularly
where they are made to support them
selves by labor, it would evidently be a
most excellent scheme, and save coasid-
cradle expense TO the Territory.
A large and enterprizing population in