The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-01-29
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
SYNOPSIS.


You assemble uuder suspicious cir
cum1tanc,s. The ratification by the
people Of the amendment to the Con-
situation Of the State, which was sub.
mi,icd to thCm By an oct Of tue last
Legislature, has bad the effect Of re.
moving the political disabilities Of
large class Of citizaus. This result, so
long desired, has been folloSed BY the
happcst consequence Citizens here
ioisrl excluded from the ballot.box
have periodically come forward 70 take
their legitimate places in the manage
mebt OF public affairs. All citizens
have learned to prize more highly, and
to guard more tenderly, the elective
franchise. The bitterness of the past
has been buried out Of sight, lana heart
burnings have, in a large measure,
given way to fratCrual regard. Good
order and a cheerful obedience 10 the
laws have been marked characteristics
"fsociely during the past year. 1t is
no idle boast to say that nowhere in
"a. Union is there greater protection to
life and property, and larger liberty
81 opinion, than in Yves, Virgins.
Notwithstanding the fact that since tue
las, Legislature assembled three cleo.
ton, have been held, in all Of which
questions touching important changes
N or organic Law were involved, yet
they were all in u remarkable degree
ircc from that acrinony and dis.
cord, not unusual under similar cir
rumstauccs. Elected as you were by
uufettcrcd votes, most cordially wei.
come you 10 the seat VI government, a.
the free choice Of free people.
a CONTENTION
las been called by til, people to alter
or amend the Constitution Of the State
i meets to-day in this city 1t is the
earnest wish Of all good citizens that
ull that is excellen, in the present Con.
stitutiou may DO retained, and that
whatever it contains that is unwise
md not in harmony with our cher.
i'hsa notions Us people, may pass
away.
JEFFERSON ASD BERKELEY.
The suit long pending in the Su.
preme Court Of the United States, be-
tween the Commonwealth Of Virginia
and the State Of West Virginia, in
which Virginia was attempting to as.
tert claim to and jurisdiction over the
counties of Berkeley and Jefferson, las
been decided in favor Of West Vir
giniu; and thus this vexed question
has been brought to satisfactory con-
elusion. The people of the State have
learned with pleasure that these two
beautiful counties remain a part Of our
territory, and the intelligent and pros
porous citizens Of those counties will,
! doubt not, contribute their full sym.
patty and aid to the general welfare Of
the State.
TUE REPORTS oY TuE AUDITOR AND
TREASURER,
which will be communicated 10 you.
make 4 full exhibit of the financial
condition of the State. 1t will appear
That there was balance re.
naming in the Treasury DC.
tober !, 1870, Of S2l3, 40 OF
Amount received during tho
"a a
Total s78i,O08 20
This is accounted for as follows:
Discussed for gen.
eral State pur.
pOses S377, l0l %
pisbursed for Gen.
eral school
Fund 2i7,53l o.
Discussed for
School Fund, o3,697 4s
Total, S65s,ssO 60
Leaving a balance in the Urea.
s4ry' October !, 1871, Of sl!s,o77 20
But the amount due the school
funds, October !, ISL, wasSlSj.l6s 40
Deduct balance il Treasury l2s,G7T 10
Tho amount due the school
funds, October !, 1871 jG,i9O CT
This Indebtedness, or deficiency
seems to have had its practical origin
10 the fiscal year tudjug September 80,
1867 ; it then amOsnted to the sum VI
STo,25g IL; in 1865 it was reduced
to SGU.TO7 81; ard in 1869 it was
furlhor reduced to tho sun Of
S42,070 %; but during this year the
State received the large sum Of
Sl27 .GT9 rs from the United States
Government on account of Military
Claims. II it had not been for this
extraordinary revenue, the deficiency
would necessarily have been much
greater. 10 1870, this deficit again
increased and amounted to $50, 52S "a,
although there had been received
during the year the extraordinary rev.
,uus Of $50, 900 FROM the baltimore &
Ohio Railroad Uu account Of taxes in
nrrear. As you have already seen, it
slightly decreased during the fiscal
year ending September 80, 1871.
This brief history will show that prac.
tically debt has existed since 1867,
md that each Legislature has trans.
ferrei its burden aud responsibility 10
ito successor, Tho Constitution re-
IuirsS that "tho Legislature shall pro.
vide Tor an runual tax sufficient to de.
fray the estimated expenses Of the State
for each year The following is a
statement Of debts existing at tho time
Vt tue passage Of the last appropriation
Gct: