The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-01-19
BY sCHOFF, VINEGAR & co.
KENOsHA WISCONSIN, THURSDAY JAN. 49, 1865

aid IN the construction of the Milwaukee
and Rock River Canal. Congress at its
last session, passed resolution referring the
whole question to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior for adjustment The amount due the
State having reached several numbered
thousand dollars, and it being important to
the interests Of the State that this money
Ishould be obtained asasoon as possible in
Horder that the interest thereon might be
| saved to the fund toiNllich it belongs, i di
rected the Attorney General to prepare a
full statement Of the case on the part Of the
State, and proceeded to Washington i'm
mediatoly and lay it before the said Score
taly, and if possible procure final adjust
inent OF thesquestion. am happy to in5
form you tllalsfrem information received,
there IS Ratr4iig probability that. 4 shall
be abitssto 0Ilsa.lil and pay over tosthe State
| treasury The Eve per cent dne the State for
sales Of Government land within; its limits
before the close Of the presel NJ seasg,l il.
Several years since. Genera .G ovefninent
by'act of Congress, granted TO the State Of
Wisconsin a large quantity of land, Z known
as swamp and overlooked landss Suisse
quent to the grant, considerablesportio
the land thus granted was sold by the Gen
eral Government. The money arising there
from has not been paid over to tue State
have not the date at hand to ascertain the
amount due the State from this source: but
treW the examination have been able to
give the subject, ann satisfied that it will
not fall short of fifty thousand dollars
have presented the claim Of the State to the
Commissioner Of the General Land Office,
and hope soon to be able to place the amount
justly, due the State from this source. also
in the hands of the State Treasurer
The able report Of our worthy Bank
Comptroller, herewith committed, contains
many valuable and important suggestions
and recommendations concerning the bank
lug Interests Of the State, to all of which
invite your attention.
- The whole number Of banks, doing bust
ness under the State Banking System at
the close OF the last fiscal year, was sixty
four.
The whole amount of outstanding circuIa-
ton OF the State Banks at the close of the
fiscal year was, $780, 673, 900.
The public printer having refused to per
form the work under his contract, and it he.
ing important to the interests of the State
that another printer should be employed to
do this work at an early day, would recon-
mend the contract between the State and
the present public printer be annulled, the
Commissioner Of Public Printing be author
lied to advertise for proposals and let the
contract for the unexpired term without
advertising for six week, as now provided
by law; and that the Secretary of State be
directed to procure all printing he may
deem for haf T.
to be done from day to day, until new
contract shall be made for the unexpired
term.
The duty of disposing of several impor-
tant grants OF land made by the General
government to aid the construction of rail
roads, will devolve upon this Legislature
Many important questions viii present
themselves IN connection with this subject,
but the limits of this paper will only admit
Of my abiding to a few Of them.
Lands heretofore granted for like pur
poses, have IN some instances, remained in
the hands OF the companies to which they
were given for great length of time with
out being brought into market, or have
been held at so high a price that no one
would buy them, thus depriving the State
OF taxes which would otherwise be paid mp
on them, making it difficult for inhabitants
living near them to support schools and
preventing the development of the coun-
try, instead Of aiding 1t as they were inted-
ed to do. In other instances, the roads in
tended to be benefited by the grants, h we
never been built and people who purchased
land with the expectation and promise of a
road have never enjoyed its benefits, nor the
State received the revenues to which it
should be entitled therefrom Proper linn
It's should be prescribed, and guarantees Ia
Ken to prevent these abuses in the future.
On the 9th day Of May last, pursuant to
chapter $40 of the general laws of 1864,
contract for continuing the work Oh the
state Capitol, was entered into by the Bull
ding Commissioners with William Goodnow
who is now engaged in the performance of
the work under his contract Section four
OF the fact above referred to, provides, that
the entire cost of said work, whether includ-
ed IN the specifications of the architect or
not, shall not exceed the sum of sixty thou
sand dollars, and appropriates sum sufi-
Gent to defray the cost of the work author
lzed and provided for i'll the first section of
the act Section nine of the same act pro-
vides that the Commissioners shall not let
the contract for larger sum than thirty.
five thousand dollars. The Commissioners
IN their action have necessarily been gov
erned by the last named section and con
sequently no contracts have been made
which call for the payment Of sum Of mon
ey larger than that last named. If the Leg
stature desire the Building Commissioners
to continue their work further, as seems to
be contemplated by said section four, it will
be necessary to so amend the act as to take
OFT the restriction contained in said section
nine. -e
The attention of the Legislature has fire.
quently been called to the militia laws of
the State. To ensure faithful execution of
the laws an efficient military force should
oe organized and placed at the disposal of
me Executive. The amendments of the
last two years have greatly improved our
militia system; yet it is still imperfect. and
needs further amendment to make it effect
aye. OWlng to the imperfections of the sys
TEN, want of1nterest among the people, as
well as to the frequent calls of the general
government Tor men, who must necessarily
De drawn to great extent from the State
militia, the organized militia consisting.
normally OF four regiments Of infantry, and
two batteries of artillery, is at present in
very inefficient state. The enrolled militia,
consisting Of all persons subject to military
duty, not included in the organized militia,
numbers 30, 981 men.
! The State has, at the present time, Ord
nance Arms, Ammunition and Military
Stores, as follows:
Six FOUNDER s B. Bronze Field
(Iunc ,trytb
Twelve FOUNDER Mountain How
itzer,with carriage and anmu-
Caissons for six, FOUNDER guns 6
Muskets, RiAed Muskets. and Rifles
with acooutrements and appen-
dages ................ $3.50
Pistols and Holsters ...... SO
Swords and Sabres. with scabards
and accoutrements. ... 444
Mnskets, Rifled Muskcts and Ri