The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-11-15

ard eighty dollars and thiity-tbree ee1ts SO,
036,es0 30
The Auditor Of State bss furnished me a state
ment IN which be estimates that there will be in
she 10 the IreAsery. On account OF the State
Debt Sinking Fsnd. on the frst day Of Nav
neit. me SUN VI one miliiOn dollars 81 .0O0,-
U00).
Tie Board Of Commissioner of the Old Sink
Jog Fund ill probably have OF hand, ia cash
on the J., das January, 1866. the sum Of six
hundred thou and dollars $500 OOO)
here j. due also TO the Old Sinking Fund A.
bout nine huudfed thousand dollars 1900 .O00l
On loans secured oy mortgages on real estate
which. hosever. could lot be made available
TOT several year. owing 70 the extension Of time
made by the State 70 the morfgagors. unless nv
the issue of like amount of bonds bearing 81
per cent interest, which l. cue Der cent les than
that which the ; ate receives on the mortgages
the BONDS to be paid oai Of tie proceeds OF the
mortgages vhen collected fhese bonds dis
posed Of to our creditors or others, at par value
and the moneys referred to, ii promptly invested
in our stocks. would procure some tao millions
SIX hundred and City thousand dollars 40 $50.
600 OF our stocks, and thus reduce the amount
in the hands oil our creditors 10 three millions
three hundred and eighty-six thousani and e Il hty
dollars and thitty-threc CeLts ({3, $50 OSO .}3l
The cash on hand in the Old Sinking Fund
draws no interest and has not for many mouths.
and without regard TO the CONCLUSION YOU NAV
come 10 as 10 the tine or mode of paving the
public debt. | earnestly recommend that all the
cash and other Assets belonging to the Old Sink
iDg Fund be as speedily as possible invested in
our State stocks. and the somewhat formidable
and costly machinery 10y which that fund has
been managed abolished. The fund thus con
yerled into our stocks can be easily managed by
Il. Auas If IL
to our common schools, and at a saving of no
small expense. o. course il will be understood
that such stocks as now belong to the Old Sink
ing Fund, or az may be purchased by its assets.
must in some form be kept alive for the benefit
Of the School Fund, so that that fund, which il
made inviolable by the Constitution NAV not
suffer by the conversion.
The financial system Of Indiana is compli.
Gated, expensive and anomalous The State is
debtor, owing large sums of money. upon
which che pays interest semi annually. and in
all the expenses thereto necessarily incident
such as the keeping of an agency in New York
the purchase of exchange, and other items OF
cost too numerous to mention She is at the
same time lender OF money, and maintains an
expensive machinery TO carry 90 that operation
and is subject, OF course, TO occasional losses in.
cident to all money lenders.
II, therefore, the trus, funds of the Site
could be invested in her own stocks il would
greatly cheaper and simplify her financial sys
TEN, and restore 10 its administration that pub
lie confidence, the absence of which has lone
been felt.
Should the assets Of the Sinking Funds bs
converted into our public debt. as | have sug
gested. the whole debt of the State left out
standing in the hands of her creditors to be pro
vided for might be thus stated
Two and half aud five per cent
stock. s., $50, 0s0 3:
War Loan Bonds, 1873 900 Oh
Vincennes University Bonds, 66,6s5 OC
Floating debt. estimated at 100. 900 OF
Total debt, 1890, 765 3:
The conversion suggested can be made within
the nett six months, and there is no propriety il
\ the State appearing to the world as being in
debted in the sum of seven or eight millions o
dollars when she has the means in her owl
hands of reducing il to less than four millions
ENUMERATION AND APPoRrIoSMENr.
1t is not creditable to the State that any pro
vision OF its Constitution, mandatory in IL
character and not in conflict with the Nationa
Constitution, should remain a dead letter be
cause OF the non action of the legislative depart
ment. Ii lawmakers would have their enact
~
example of obedience by a prompt and faithful
performance of those duties enjoined upon then
by the higher Law contained in the Constitution
itself. III lore than fourteen years have elapses
since the adoption of the present Constitution o
the State, and TO this day there are two subject
on which its language is that of positive com
mand where there has been no correspoudip,
obedience-one OF these subjects being almos
vital to the existence of the Legislature itself
The first of these is the periodical enumeration
OF the white male inhabitants above twenty ON
years of age, and the periodical apportionmen
of Senators and Representatives based upon
this enumeration. The other is the providing O
Houses of Correction and Reformation fo
juvenile offenders.
Allow me earnestly to call your attention &
both of these Constitutional mandates in tn
order above stated. The Constitution of les
provides that the first aud second elections O
| members of the General Assembly after il
taking effect shall be according to the appor
tionment last made by the General Assemble
before the adoption of said Constitution Thi
provision gave ample time for making the emu
merat.on and apportionment required by th
organic law OF the State. The Constitution
says that the General Assembly shall, at it
second session after the adoption of this Consti
tuition. and every six years thereafter. cause al
|
inhabitants over the age of twenty one wears
Ii further says that, "the number Of Senator
and Representatives shall, at the session mex
following each period of making such enumera
ton. be fixed by law and apportioned among tn
several counties according to the number O
white male inhabitants above twenty one year
of age 10 each" The General Assembly o
1858 designed to carry out the fret of these pro
visions by passing au act, approved Februar
2llh, 1853, entitled, 4" An act to provide for IN
enumeration of all the white male inhabitant
over the age OF twenty-0ne years, in the Stat
OF Indiana, in the year 1853 and pay the officer
for taking the same" ln consequence o
defects in this law, as | understand tn
matter, the enumeration contemplated b,
it was never completed, and published
and although more than twelve years hay
since elapsed, no other act providing 70
an enumeration has been passed. In 1857 tn,
General Assembly passed an act entitled CAR
act TO apportion Senators and Representative
for the next four years F" The act was not base
upon an enumeration OF the white male inhab
itsnts of the State over the age of twenty on,
years for no such enumeration had been com
pleted, and although it has long since expire,
by its own limitation, no other apportionmen
has been enacted in its place, and by common
consent, and from the necessity of the case
members OF both houses oil the General Assem-
bly, are still elected under the provisions of thi
law which has ceased to exist, and which if in
existence has become grossly unjust and une
quail by the change in the population of the sew
| eral counties of the State since 1851. A litera
compliance with the Constitution as TO enumer
alton and apporiionment ia now impossible. bu
the nearest practicable approach TO it should
be promptly made. To this end recommend
the passage of an act providing for an enumera
ton such as is contemplated by the Consttu
ton, to be made in 1866, and another in th,
year 1871, and another every sixth yea
after the year 1871. These periodical
enumeratiOns should be provided for by
permanent enactment that would requir,
no renewal at the expiration of each period o
six years. and to secure its enforcement thsrt
should be adequate penalties for any failure o
duty on the part of the officers charged will
making the enumeration. To NEE. the present
emergency, further recommend the passage o
a law temporary in its character. making a new
apportionment OF Senators and Representative
on the basis of the votes cast at the Presiden
tial election in 1864. such apportonment to con
tinue until a new Que can be made based upor
the euumeratios required by the Constitution.
HOUSES OF REFORM FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS
The other particular before alluded to. il
which 8 positive requirement of the Constitu