Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-02-08

o sary to put our military systom nto suecessf
II operation.
The report of tho State Comptroller, area'
o laid before tho Legislature, shows that we ha
j. very little to congratulate ourselves upon, on u
y count Of the condition of the Treasury. The
remained in the Treasury, ut the expiration
the last fiscal year, ending on August 3lst, lSj
u the sum of Slll ,402 GO, In United Sates bont
: and specie, The S2,000,0O0 set apart for Il
v school fund, yet remains but the balance OF tl
). So 900 900 received from the sale of our Sant
: Fe lands to the U. s. is exhausted save the SlO'
972,26, set apart for the University FUND.- an
the balance mentioned of the Sal ,402. 60 b
, longing to the general fund Notwithstandu
! n continual revenue arising from taxation an
the interest upun our United States bonds hp
, flowed In continual stream into the Treasury
the money has gone out in n ceaseloss strcan
until instead Of seeking, as has frequently hcc
the case, for modes of emptying the public Treas
ury, we have to seek the modes of repenishin
it. Added to the revenue Of the fiscal year, I'll
balance in the Treasury on the lst of August
/ lS59, will but little more than meet the ordnnr
expenses of Government and to make il do this
economy is necessary. We have force in Il,
field upon the Rio Grande, and the frontier is +
be protected from the Indians. We cannot cx
pect on: citizens to wait the delay to be expert
enced, in our endeavors to obtain the recognition
OF our State forces by the United States The,
must be provisioned and paid. Common Jus
tice demands that the State shall recompCnsC
them, ard not force them to wait until the Fed
eLal Government shall make the necessary appro
priations, 10 meet these extraordinary eXpen-
ditures by the most prudent mode, is an object
which especially enjoin upon your attention. -
Every avenue OF extravaganza should be closed
every proper means of retrenchment should be
adopted. The keys of the Treasury should be
held with an honest grasp, and no appropriation
be made which is not strictly necessary and in
accoI dance with law. Every disbursing officer oil
the government should be held to strictAccounta'
bility, and no stretch of authority he permitted
in the exercise of the trust confded IN him.
What economy will not accomplish, can. in my
opinion, be best supplied by taxation. Texas has
learned some experience from going in debt, that
she will do well to remember and trust she
will guard against its evil consequences in the
future. @
The various. departments of the Government
should, in my opinion. be made, as far as posi-
BILE, from their nature to make them so, aelf
sustaining and where it is impossible, q rigid
exaction of duty at the hands of all those who
are in the employ Of the Government should be
required. No free government can afford to es-
tablish sinecurcs, or to support idleness. The
money which comes from the pockets of the peo
pie should be economical for their good, and all
who are the recipients of it should render fair
recompcnse of time and labor. These subjects
are within the province of the Legislature. The
Executive is powerless and if reform is needed
in any ofthese resrects, it falls upon the Leglsln
ture to enquire into abuses, If there be any, aod
provide immediate remedy.
The deficit in the revenue OF the Loud Office,
added to the fact that the business Of that De-
partmeqt does not keep pace with the demfs'5s
il, furnish subjects for your consideration.
The interests Of The State demand that it should
be selt-supporting, and lht interests OF the peo-
pie demand that its business should be brought
up at the earliest possible period. A large force
is already employed in that Department, but
the Issuance OF patents has been delayed, and it
remains for the Legislature to determine wheth-
er this is to be attributed to the amount of labor
performed by the employees of the Government,
1r the fact that the force is inadequate to the de-
nands of business. If the latter, it is a false
economy to allow further accumulation OF busl-
ness, and thus cause still greater delay. The
holders of our land certificates are entitled to
their patents and if an additional force is nee
,ssary, it should at once be provided. The de-
icit in the operations of that Department, estl-
mated for the present fiscal year, ending August
,lst, 1860, at S24 600, shows the necessity of
prompt legislation to bring its affairs up to a
proper standard. If the fees paid by those hay
ng business with that Department, do not meet
ts expenses, they should be increased If, on
he other hand, the deficit arises from the fact
hat q portion of the time of that Department. is
occupied by business for which no fees are pro-
dcd by Inv, those who consume the time Of the
mployees in the transaction of their business.
hould be compelled to pay for the same. In my
pnion, the affairs Of that Office can best be
rought to self supporting standard, by provid-
ng an entire system Of fees, covering the entire
round of its operations, and providing at the
anne time for the payment Of its employees,
whenever the same is practicable, in proportion
o the labor performed.
l cannot press too earnestly upon the Legisa-
ure the subject of Common School education.-
he success of the system already in operation is
established beyond doubt Its application is
eneral and its defects are as few as any system
'hich could be applied to population as scat
cred as ours. The nucleus of a complete system
already provided, and we have in our public
omain the means of strengthening it, until its
npacity will equal the demands made upon it as
lade of the proceeds of the sale of the alternate
,ctions of land, reserved to the State, from any
,use, than to apply the same to this fund
l would also recommend to your consideration
lie importance of extending reasonable aid to
of learning now in operation in our
tate, supported by private enterprise, and to
by general law, the establishment
Others Our citizens have already displayed :
uch zeal and enterprise in rearing up in our
idst, institutions which are accomplishing !
'eat good To sustain these is difficult, and as :
e benefits arising from them is to be felt in the i
neral prosperity of the State and the intelli-
.nce of its entire people, proper encourage :
ent at the hands of the Legislature should be 4,
;tended. Surrounded by proper guards, a
easure of this character would be productive
great good.
The establishment of University is, in my !
Union, matter alone for the future. At this q
me, it is neither expedient, nor is it good policy
provide for the sale of the lands set apart for e
Q University fund. If, at some future period, I
should be deemed expedient, or in keeping r
th more enlarged policy. to devote our entire I
ergies to more general diffusion of knowledge I
an University would afford, or even if the
Al O.. L. 4 4 H." Ill. n