The weekly Butte record., 1862-01-18
The Governors Message.

The last annual message of Gov. Downey
was transmitted TO the assembled wisdom ol
our State on the 9th inst II is a very long
document, but. in a great measure, necessarily
so, on account of the various topics upon which
the people expect an executive to treat, at the
assembling OF each Legislature. 1t is expected
that the message viii contain, in a concise
form, the condition of the State in all OF its
executive departments, and these wise and
salutary recommendations of change or i'm
proyement found necessary from the workings
Of the various Offices Of the State, and in it are
to be found all of these things, with enough OF
the many reports Of bis subordinate officers as
will give a correct idea of the condition of the
State Government for the year 1861.
The finance department is elaborate, and
gives clear statement of our pecuniary condi-
tion, and, this being the great lubricating
power of our system, presents the following
facts The total revenue from all sources, for
the year 1861, amounts to the sum of 81 095.-
020 add to this sum, the amount on hand at
the last annual report aud it makes the total
sum of 81, 1885 The whole amount dis
bursed during the year 1851 was 81 ,24S, ,513,
leaving in the Treasury at the meeting of the
present Legislature, credited to the several
funds, S499.765. The ordinary expenses of
administering the government for the past
year, the Governor estimates at S463 SOC one
half Of which sum was for Legislative expenses,
which, the Governor and, doubtless, the peo-
pie also, consider an enormous amount to pay
for such legislation as we have had heretofore
for several years, and which, bids fair not to
improve any in the hands of the present re-
trenchers and reformers. The total assessed
value of property 10 the State, for the year
1861, was SLASH ,617 decrease of nearly
100000 from that of the preceding year
The Governor thinks the expenses OF collecting
the revenue are too great, and recommends a
reduction of the same The other subjects of
the message are Of equal interest, and. take the
message as a whole, except Federal rela-
tions,' it is fair State paper and will compare
favorably with past documents of his predeces-
sors, although some points of it have met with
serious criticisms from many Of the newspapers
From close inspection into some of the subjects
he treats upon, we have serious doubts but it
will be found he was nearly right in his re-
marks, although the law should make it the
other way. His treatise on Federal relations
is very various" 1t will do for either side,
and like til Good Book, it contains things
from which both parties can find authority for
claiming the Governor for its man. But, most
certainly, on this topic the Executive has ig-
nored the history of the present rebellion from
its incipiency. His theory of preventing the
catastrophe of civil war, in the cant phrase of
the day was played out" by the rebels them
selves, before the patriotic Crittenden conceiv-
ed his Compromise Resolutions; for the rebels
themselves had declared upon the floor of
Congress that secession on their part, was a
matured plan of twenty years standing and
growth, and that no efforts could stop the
surging of the billows they had called up in
their misguided ambition. The die was cast
the plunge was made, and the wild whirlpool of
THAR own creation, is gradually, but surely
drawing them to its destructive vortex.