Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-02-07
Vol. LVI, No. 6.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


nected with the late rebellion, in which
| Pennsylvania took such an active share
in sappressing, the facts of which how
ever are famiI ar to our readers This
portion we omit for want of ROOM
The remainder Of the message is as
| follows:
Amount Of the public debt of Penn.
| sEIvana, as it stood on the lst day of
| December, 1861, S30, $40 ,6U3 "a.
Amount redeemed at the State treas
ury during the fiscal year ending with
| November 30, 1865. 81 ,s03.245 So.
Public debt, December |, 1865, $37,-
476,25S U6
Assets in the treasury. consisting Of
bonds aud cash, amounted TO $i3 ,623,-
| 56S IL
BY the report of the State Treasurer,
| 1t will be observed that the extraordi-
nary expenditures growing ont of the
war, not refunded by the general gov
crnment, have been S4U28,627 2l.-
This includes the direct tax paid to
the United States by the State, which
Is not reimhurs; bic Ia the balance is
| Included the S67l476 43 paid to the
militia, which, with good portion of
the remaining expenditure. is clearly
inc the State from the general govern.
ment
The necessity for extraordinary ex-
pendItures having ceased with the
suppression OF the late rebellion, meas.
nres should be taken to examine our
resources, and relieve, as far az posi-
hle, the heavy burdens to which our
people are subjected.
1t has been the habit of late wears
to appropriate freely, annual sums for
;hc support of localities; and such ap-
preparations are almost every year in
crrasiHg in number and amount
Houses OF Refuge, Institutions for
The Beat and Dnmb and for the
Blind aud LunAtiC Asyiums. 80. these
appear to me to be proper objects of
State bounty, because Il few OF them
are sufficient for the whole State. and
to leave them to be provided for by the
local authorities would, in fact, be 10
deprive of protection the unfortunate
classes tor whose benefit they are de-
signed, But mere local charities, how
ever meritorious and effective, should,
| think, be left TO the support of the
benevolent parties who establish them.
1t Is unjust that the people OF the
Commonwealth should be cocrced 10
pay axes in order that part of the
money 50 raised may be given t. the
support of local charities conducted
D. private associations, especially v hen
ii Is remembered that hitherto but Il
1mall proportion of the private chari.
Ties in the State have asked for such
appropriation.
/ recommend, therefore, that no ap-
:'ropriatiou be- made for charities be-
yOnd the institutions which | have
above specified
The taxes at present laid on corpo-
ratlons are unequal, and to ii certain
extent thereby unjust. | recommend
the subject to the attention cf the
Legislature, with view to revision
of the system
Within few years acts have been
repeatedly y passed directing the exren
diture OF as much money as may be
necessary TO effect named purposes,
sometimes without clearly designating
by whom the money is To be expended
or how the accounts are to be exam
med. This custom is very recent, and
has already led to abuses
| recommend thar Tie practice be
corrected. and that no appropriation
be made without having the exact sum
appropriated, the specific purpose TO
which it Is TO be appiied, ami desigua
ting the officer by whom it Is TO be ex-
pended, and pr viding that the ac.
counts shall be settled in the Auditor
Generals office in the usual manner
Notwithstanding the large expendi-
tures by the State tor military purposes
since the breaking out of the rebellion,
the condition OF the treasury is now
S2,555,579 IL better than it was then,
and am proud to be able to state fur
ther that on the first day of December,
1865, the State debt was s492. 938 IS
less than it was on the first of January,
1861 These are truly gratifying facts.
Under these circumSt stances, it may
be possible, with entire safety to our
finances, to reduce or even repeal the
ordinary State tax of Two and halt
mills on real estate The tax of one
halt mill laid By the act of May l6,
1861, was by that act expressly pledged
for the repayment Of the loan OF So ,O00,-
600, thereby authorized, and of course
cannot be repealed or reduced until
that repayment shall have been made.
| recommend this subject to the care
tul and deliberate consideration and
Judgment of the Legislature, and if it
should be found that the tax can he
repealed, | recommend that all such
laW2 ami hOrizin1r L., l.,.-.. =. LII