Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-02-14

sts control Of the State il should be placed.
To this end ] would recommend the passagc
Of an act 70 secure il, return 10 the ! ate
treasury and its subsequent investment 10
registered bonds OF thia State, bearing inter
est At the rate of ten PER cent. Thus sssab,
fishing IL safesNmDn basis - certain Is
the credit Of Iowa.
The inndequacy Of our present insurance
Law 70 secure the essential conditions Of safe
" and protection 70 the insured has become
Q subject Of merited discussion. The State
10 bound 10 frame its legislation for the con-
troll Of these corporations in such Q way Is
TO exclude from our midst, AZ far as possi-
bic, every company which has not the capi.
tai and the honest, efficient management
emitting them 70 the confidence and patron>
age Of the public. The apprehension that
such companies do exist form sufficient
grounds for legislative action upon the ques.
ton. While our law demands satisfactory
guarantees from foreign corporations doing
business in the State it contains very made.
quate provisions for securing the solvency
aud reliability Of domestic companies. The
inevitable consequence Of this is . distrnst
of such companies and . diversion Of capi>
tai from our State, ~ estimated by the au>
otter, 70 the amount Of half million of dol
lars, which might snd ought to be retained
at bome and made to contribute 10 the up.
building Of our commonwealth.
That We have reliable companies whose
insurance afford security 10 the property Of
the people, is the result Of individual hon
esty rather than the wisdom Of the laws
but even these fail to receive . patronage
propostionate TO their merits, because the
public has no means Of assuring itself Of
their reliability. Subject TO suspicion by the
known incompetency Of other companies do
ing business BY their side, which are clothed
With equal authority from the State, they are
totally unable to compete with the corpora.
tions Of other States, which are allowed 70
do business within our limits only upon com
pliance with stringent conditions.
would therefore recommend the snact>
meat Of lAw requiring that every osgan>
ised company in the State shall possess .
certain bona fde capital ct least one quarter
Of which shall be invested in Stale or Gov.
eminent Bonds and deposited with the State
Treasurer.
A. still further guarantee Of their relia>
bility, would recommend that il be provi>
ded that insurance commissioners be sp-
pointed OF elected ct each session Of the
Assembly. Who shall be required TO make
On annual examination Of the financial con-
dition Of every company in the State, and
report the result Of their examination. In
like manner "a banks under our general
Law, and insurance companies in many Of
the States, they should be required to pub>
lish periodical exhibit Of their transactions.
Provisions should also be made for the
abatement BY summary process, Of any com.
pany failing to comply with the requirements
Of the Law. In my opinion, . statute, em>
bodyiue substantially these features, would
not only tend 10 retain within the State large
sums, which 60 70 swell the sccumulations
of fossign corporations, but would create
homo institutions worthy Of confidence, and
promote ths interests both Of insurers and
insured.
CLAIMS OF IOWA soLDIEas.
Il 10 we'll known that there 10 much COM
plaint Of the delays in the departments at
Washington, in the settlement Of claims for
amounts due to our soldiers. Our people
should remember, however, that delays are
insvitable, when We consiner not only the
s0st amount Of claims. but the necessity Of
the examination of . lage mass Of papers,
which had accumulated daring the var. II
in your opipion, after an examination Of the
subject, there should be any necessity for
the appointment Of IN agent, resident ct
washingson. l shall Be happy 70 approve
your sctien.
-. ~,cu~. a. 49, ..>w ~osv .w~.,c. - c,~.
izgss.
The rights Of American citizens Of foreign
birth, aes awakening the deep inserss.s Of
Congress aud the country. 1t is unforun.
ate, that International Law has never conclu.
sively settled the question Of expAsriatiou
and placed it within the Jurisdiction Of es-
tablished rules. The policy Of our Govern
ment, however, has been uniform in recog>
nizing the right Of the citizen to transfer his
allegiance. The logical consequence Of this
theory is the protection of every man, whs
has sought home among u, and been in>
vested with the prerogativss Of American
citizenship.
Our population has . large element Of
foreign nationality. Among our best and
worthiest citizens are TO be classed those
whose presence has been secured to rs BY
the oppression Of the old world and the free.
dom Of the ne,c. Becoming demesticated
among ~, after brief period Of probation !;
sharing in all our political rights aud privi>
leges, We know no distinction arising from
the accident of birth in another land. Nor
do they share in our privileges alone, for the
responsibilities which the Republic imposes
upon her sons rest with equal weight upon
afl citizens, and those responsibilities, in the
darkest hours Of our history, have been sus-
tanned BY mono more gallantly and devoted>
y than BY our adopted fellow citizens. Com.
mon justice would seem TO insist that the
protsction Of the Government should be
equal over all its people. Aud while the
strong arm of the nation would be raised TO
resent With armed force, II need Be, any re-
straint Of liberty suffered by an American
born, It 10 . shameful Inconsistency which
allows indignities and dishonor to be impo>
sed with impunity upon citizens Of foreign
birth. desire, therefore, to call your At
tsntion to the lsxity with which the General
Government has hitherto regarded infrac>
tions upon the rights of this class of our peo-
pie. Accordingly, would sugges. the rro-
psiety Uf momoeislising Congress . take
speedy and definite action for their prosec>
Gon.
The very able and exhaustive message of
nv predecessor be- left little necessity for :
further consideration Of the work before you.
I cannot forbeaF. however, 70 urge the i'm
portance oflegislative action upon the SUBJ
jeets Of Reform School and the erection Of
: new State House. And whstever provis>
ions may be made 10 the latter case, let the
work b guarded y thoroughly against the
danger Of fraud and misapplica.ion of the
public funds - not only to protect the State,
but also The individuals who may have work
in hand, from groundless suspicious.
have the honor TO submit herewith an
appendix 70 the report Of the Register Of the
Land Ofiee.
SAnrIL MsRsilL.
A One location for 3 choice fruit
tree or . grapevine may be found