The Portland daily press., 1869-01-09

Saturday Morning, January 8, 1869.
GOVERNORS ADDRESS.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of rep
| resentdtiUeS:
With devout gratitude to the Merciful Dis
| poser of all destinies, and invoking His bless
ing on our humble endeavors, we meet to
dedicate ourselves with the New Year to the
service of the State. 1t is not merely to re-
pair the wastes of war, but to provide for g
new career OF prosperity that she now de.
| mands our care. With astonishing courage
she is doing in these doubtful and difficult
times the works from which she shrank in
the days of her improvident ease. Though
late, she now perceives her true policy, and
enters upon the field where her proudest tri-
umphs shall be won. 1t is for us to join and
| guide as best we can in this awakening. The
| heaviest burdens we cannot remove. We sui
fer with the country. Our prosperity is so in
volved in hers that the measures which most
seriously affect our interests, are determined
by the national legislature and not by our
own. But there. too, we may expect relief.
The agitations which have perplexed or par
| alyzed our industries, must by the necessity
| OF things give place to the healthful rivalries
| of commerce, and the culture and nobler de-
| velopment of lite may again be deemed
| worthy OF our highest aim.
| In the recent decision OF the people at the
critical hour when the great issues which
| have distracted the country were to be finally
| determined, they have shown that they are
not willing to give the government over to
| the hands of cur adyersaries as .rebuke for
| our errors and weaknesses; and that neither
| the renewal of violence nor OF treachery shall
cause them to lose sight of the high mission
| laid ON them for the entranchisement of man.
| The firm hand raised up by Providence to
| quell the violence OF Rebellion, is chosen
| once more to guide in the victories of Peace
| The task is not indeed light to restore finan-
cial confidence and industrial prosperity but
| we may now pursue it under more favorable
auspices. The different branches of the gov
ernment will no longer have occasion to bend
their energies to battle each other. The
States of the South will see thai our quarrel
is not with them, but with the implacable
| spirit OF secession and slavery, and it is to
| be hoped will acquiesce in the manifest will
| OF the people. Diversity OF interest and
multiplicity of plan will be harmonized to
| one great end. We shall have peace. Con-
ciliation, magnanimity and traternal regard
| may safely resume their benienant sway. Our
| Stare which bore so honorable a part in the
strife OF arms, may congratulate herself on
the important share she is to take in the
| greater and more difficult acts OF reconcilia-
| ton.
shall not cucumber this communication
with the details which properly appear in
| the reports of the several departments, but
| shall present such matters as pertain to my
| immediate relations with you, and those
| which might not otherwise be brought so
| distinctly to your attention.
1t will become your duty on the second
Tuesday OF the session t. proceed to the
choice of United States Senator for the
next six years.
FINANCE.
The report of the Treasurer will exhibit to
| you the very satisfactory condition OF our
| finances. Our receipts for the last year were
| $1,35S, ,533 81; expenditures, S1,142, ,s07 IA
| The public debt has been reduced S37, ,0OO
| The whole new outstanding is S5,O53,5OO
| Of this, SS00OO0 falls due in 1871. To meet
| this we have the accumulating sinking fund
| which with the sums paid in ON our claim
| against the general government, already
amounts to SS46,000. On this war claim we
have received the last year S134 ,203 80, AT
my entrance upon office in 1867, the amount
| of our claim was S702, $40 so. Since that
| time we have been allowed and paid S7Ol,-
| 04S OF. OF this S357, ,702 10 were paii to the
United States to cancel the direct tax laid on
the State in 1851, and s9,516 so paid to settle
| private claims under resolve OF 1868 The
balance, S34S, ,lS4 p, has been paid into the
Treasury and applied to extinguish the war
| loan of 1861. 1t will be seen that The bal
ance now remaining is very small. The items
| OF this are OF such a nature that il is doubt
| ful whether any more can be allowed without
| iuIther legislation by Congress.
The commission authorized by the act for
| equalization and reimbursement Of municipal
war debts, under the recent amendment to
| the Constitution, haze entered ON their du-
ties. This is an important tribunal. The
act declares that their adjudication is to be
final, and without appeal; and that the State
| shall be relieved from all iurtner claims on ac-
count OF municipal war debts. A loan OF
S3,500OO0, bearing interest from April /,
1869, is authorized to meet this reimburse
ment. 1t will devolve on you in pursuance
OF this act to provide for the first semi annual
| payment OF the interest of such portion of
| this sum as the commission may find due to
the several municipalities within the year,
with the ratable portion OF the sinking iund
| provided TO extinguish the debt at maturity.
1t must be expected that this will require
our rate per cent. OF taxation TO be somewhat
increased from last year, probably by t,vo
mills on the dollar. This win be the better
borne when it is considered that it is 10 be
more than reimbursed TO the poorer towns,
and to contribute to equalize, SO tar as possi,
| BILE, the burdens OF tne State.
The Examiner OF Banks and Insurance
Companies has been at much pains to mves-
,igate the facts ly ing within his field OF duty
and will lay before you the result in docu-
ment OF exceeding interest and value. l COM
bend his suggestions as worthy OF your espe-
| cial attention.
| MILITARY.
/ Tbo CoId;are, Tas+;x,o~:.I.
| the last Legislature, have been much sought
for and priced. Ten thousand five hundred
have already been issued, and twice that
number will probably be applied Tor this
year. The act authorizing them did not in
clude in its provisions those who entered the
naval service. Feeling that it was not the
intention OF the Legislature to exclude these
l endeavored so to frame the language of the
certificate, that it could be granted to seamen
as well as soldiers, and would respectfully
suggest that the benefit of this act be so ex.
tended. An appropriation of $2,50O will be
needed to pay for the testimonials to be de-
| liveTed this year.
rhe administration of the State pension
law devolves on the Governor and Council
important and laborious Lutes. The whole
number OF applications for 1868 is 1897. OF
these there were granted 725: rejected
400. and suspended tol further proof r. The
whole amount authorized to be paid. iuclud
ing estimates on cases yet to be presented, is
$4,000 This brings the expenditure for
1868 within the appropriation. Owing to the
omission to assess one OF the appropriations
che arrearages for 1865 and 1867 absorbed
nearly the whole of the appropriation for
1868, and the Council were Obliged t. give
their personal guaranty to the Treasurer in
order to meet the just claims of towns and
not dishonor the promises of the State. The
Council should be relieved of this liability by
suitable legislation. 1t is estimated that $50,
600 will be needed to cover this deficiency
and provide for the year 1869. You will
without doubt, continue this relief, which al
the best is but slight return for the sacri-
ces of those who have lost their support
their health, their all, in the country's cause
Another sad relic of the war is the orphans
of soldiers and sailors. We have tried to
reach those who are destitute and render
them such aid or care as we could. One
thousand nine hundred and thirty-one have
been reported. We have aided 1,0lS. Four.
teen have been taken into the kindly care o
the Bath Orphans Home, and eight into the
Bangor Asylum. The destitution among
most OF these orphans is very great, and re.
quires some special provision. Ii the present
manner of providing for them is approved by
you, the appropriation of $4,000 will be re.
quiz ed for distribution this year.
1t is hardly safe or wise for the State to bt
without small military force at its com.
mand, and l cannot but repeat my former
suggestions as to the importance OF providing
a complete equipment for a few volunteer
companies. The Governor is already author
lied to organize any portion OF the militia
But the pay which by law attaches to militia
ry service amounts to so much that hay,
| NOT felt il ht tO add tn our hurdonc in +lo