The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-03

The Governors Address,

Lie UOHeTuOTS AuurcSS.
Gentlemen of the zen 4te and House of Rep.
reSentatiUes:
Having again been called to the discharge
of the executive duties of the State. appear
before you, the representatives of the people,
to take and subscribe the oaths of office TO
return my profound thanks to those who
have, for three years, honored me with th,ir
confidence and suffrages to renew the pledge |
of my most earnest efforts to promote the |
great interests of the State, and to guard with |
watchful care the rights and welfare of the |
people; and, in obedience to the constitution, |
to give information of the condition of the |
deemed expedient.
In this spirit and with these purposes, I
greet you, and welcome you to these halls.
and to the high duties and responsibilities
with which you are charged. Mindful of the
obligations resting upon us, acknowledging
our dependence on the Divine Ruler and in
voking that wisdom that is from above, let us
consecrate our best energies to the service of
theState.
NATIONAL CONDITION..
1t is proper that we should pause for
moment on the threshold of our duties, and
recall some of the leading facts that charac-
terize the present highly prosperous condition
of the county. In the two questions between
Alabama claims and the San Juan boundary,
decisions have been made confirming fully in
one case, and upon the most important points
in the other, the claims of the United States
The amicable settlement of these questions is
a triumph of the principles of peace over
those of war in the adjustment of internation-
al differences.
The year 1873 opens with degree of pros
perity IN all our national interests seldom if
ever equaled in our history. Unusual activity
characterizes all our industrial pursuits. Our
railways, the arteries of civilization and COM
merce, are being rapidly extended into every
part of the country where there are resources
to be developed. They are opening up chan
nels of business before unknown, and bring
ing to the great marts of trade the wealth
heretofore too remote to be utilized, and vital
zing our entire industrial system. The loco
motive stops not at the base of the Rocky
Mountains, nor the confines of civilization.
Intent upon its great mission, it scales the
mountains, traverses vast pIairies, plunges
into dense forests, spreads farms, towns cities,
schoo OILS, factories and the newspaper press on
its way, and opens up new highways for the
commerce of the world.
Our agricultural, manufacturing, mining
and commercial interests were never more
prosperous. All the means of water trans
portation at command are not sufficient to
carry our surplus agricultural products to the
markets of the old world. The single State of
Pennsylvania is producing more iron at the
present time than England and the continent
of Europe. 1t is reported that iron has re-
Gently been shipped to Europe with advan-
tage; and it is confidently predicted that
within few years, instead of importing iron
from England, we shall export large quanti-
ties to that country.
Our internal taxation, made necessary by
the war, has been reduced nearly two hundred
and fifty millions per annum and still we
have been paying the public debt at the rate
of one hundred millions per annum. The
duties on imports have been entirely removed
from large portion of the necessaries of life,
and otherwise greatly reduced. Soon a
reasonable duty upon articles of luxury
which will be chiefly paid by the wealthy,
with such modification as the protection of
own laborers demand, and the tax on
spirits and tobacco, will be sufficient for reve-
nue., and generally satisfactory to the people.
Our credit has been strengthened and the
payment of our debt made absolutely certain, |
so that to-day our securities are eagerly |
sought for by capitalists for permanent invest
ment in this and other countries. 1t is now
understood that the balance of our debt may |
be funded at four and a half to five per cent. |
interest. All this tends to appreciate our
currency and hasten the time when a specie
basis can be reached. Onr present banking
system secures a currency which, unlike the
bills of the old Stat banks, is equally good
III all parts of the country while the bill
holders secured from the possibility of loss
by the Encouragement or failure of the banks. |
By striking the shackles from the slave, we
have removed the badge of dishonor which |
slavery attached to labor, and lifted up and |
di2nifed human industry.
The events and results of the recent Presi- |
dental campaign indicate greater unanimity |
upon the leading questions of public policy |
than has existed since the country was divided |
into political parties. The constitutional
amendments abolishing slavery, and guaran-
teeing the rights of citizenship to all persons
born or naturalized in the United States
including the right to vote; pedging the
faith of the country to pay the debt incurred
in the suppression Of the rebellion, and
pens'""" % disabled soldiers, and the depend
ents OF such died in the service; declar-
ing illegal and void all debts and obliga-
lions created in aid of the rebellion and
giving Congress power to enforce these
amendments by appropriate legislation, have
all been accepted by their former opponents
and approved by the platforms of both politi-
cal parties. Assuming that these platforms
express the sentiments of the men who made
them, no party now desires the revival of
|
citizenship, the ballot or the privileges of ed
ucation from those recently in servitude, and
no one questions the propriety of providing
that our debt shall be paid, and that no part
of the debt created in aid of the rebellion
shall be assumed by any state or the general
government. All are in favor of such changes
and reforms in the civil service and other de-
partments of the government as experience
shall dictate and the good of the country re-
quire. Indeed, it is said that in the recent
Presidential canvass. many voters heretofore
Republicans, were seriously puzzled to deter
mine whether the Democratic party had not |
become as it claimed in some instances, more
and truly Republican than the Re-
publican party itself; while others were SO
positive that such the fact that they
deemed it their duty to vote the Democratic
ticket in order to sustain Republican prin-
ciples.
The principal questions that have divided
the two great political parties being substan-
TALLY settled, we shall have time to devote
more of our thoughts and energies to the de-
of our material and intellectual re-
sources, and the achievement of the grand re-
ults which in the possibilities of the future
wait our efforts.
FINANCES.
The financial condition of the State as ap-
ears by the report of the State Treasurer, is
ighly satisfactory.
NE receipts for the past year have been 81 3s4 s599s
Msbnr ants l,l47,5I4 A.
Dew Ian I Ip53 7,iS7 900, 90
AhNy Fund in the Treasury, lU2O2F W !
Cash in eirraoseting Sinking Fund. 6,l67633.oo g
Debt ptii ay, $780, 10000 !
SIM IT, treasury, - $685., 1858 90
ruho, Jan, 1870 T9S 2g5 90 /
Increase oee,.. 1873 1,02O.247.o0 | {
Trust fnn ~ SINKING Fund in 1872 22l, 9j2 90 s
oi sinking Fund, INCLUSIVE 7sa07s.O o
debt Jan 1~l oeo is the statement of the public
ISL $50 COO
GO 1871 $1,000
A" 1910 10000
1877 $4,000
1871 51,0oO II
800 - 5000 h
q g.. (Bounty Loan) $4,000 :, !,
a ,oSooo, eva Loau) 525 900 .
ooo, 2,8R600 \
Whole anoS municipal War DEBIT 30St400