, 1873-01-10
tho preceding yonr. A tax Of ono mill on dol
Lar il,n rnnl ual1n af nll tin rrnnnrtu Ii fin

tho preceding yonr. A tax Of ono mill on dol
lar on The real value Of all tho property i,i tho
suranco companies, would givo nil tho rovenuo
necessary to 1ncot tho oxponscB Of tho atato
Government.
Tho State taxes nro not high, and tho b,lrlon-
imposed direotly BY themselves for county,
towi school, road, and othor purposes immo-
diatoly Under their own control.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
THO last Legislature passed joint resolution
for mn amendment to tic Constitution, prol, bit
Ing couhtieH towns, villages, school dlstrictH, or
other municipal corporations from becoming In
dobtcd for any purpose to MI amount exceeding
| ty tllorein. I rccommoud TINT said resolution
bo again passed, TINT the question may bo srl-
m!tol to yoto Of tho people at tho noxt gen-
| oral election.
Tho sooner tho power Of running in dobt be-
| yont tho fair mcana Of paying ia takon away
| from counties, towns, oto., tho 6ottor.
PROPERTY NY DECENT.
III 1903, the lay rotating TO property BY descent
was materially Changed, 40 NJ to give tho ontro
| property Of an intoatato lowing widow without
| chi1dron, to Tile widow.
I consider this as calculated to operate often
tinos yory harahly and unjustly towards tho
I bolovo that thero Is no otlor instance In tho
| United Stasoa whore estates aro disposed OF in
| this manner catnot find that tllore WAS any
| discussion over tlo bill whom 1t was pasaol, or
that my reason was nsggned for it.
The INV, as It stood prior to 1868, was worry
liberal to THO widow giving NIL tho estate Of hor
lusband to ],or during hor natural lifo, and aftor
Irecomnond I TINT tho law be 90 amended al to
givo tic widow m absolute oosimplo title to such
portion OF horlluBband's 3 oatato aH you may deem
Just md equitable, and tho remainder, in tho
abBencc Of childrcn, to tho father Of tllo intos-
tato, or there bolng fathor, to the mothor, or
In the absence Of oithor fntlor or MOTHER to tho
brothors and siasora OF tho doooaaod ID equal
| BlAr6H.
Tho lava OF tho State as applicable to profcs-
eional gamblers arc doubtless MI sufficient, aud
| only require to bo enforced. But somo Inv
goolns to bo required to break up tho schools
wlloro gamblers aro made. These arc oyory-
wlorc.
Even tho Church (unwlttngly, no doubt,) in
sometimes found doing tic work of tho dovil.
times in aid of religious or charitable. objoots,
prize Packages otc., arc afl dovcos to mako
money without valuo received. Nothing is 80
young, as tic acquisition Of money or property
! without labor.
nospeotablo people engaging IN tl,eso chance
| enterprises aud casing thcir conBcionces with
object. 1t 10 not strange TINT tho you'll, Of tho
| State ahould 10 ofton fau into tho habita which
tho oxctemont Of games Of hazard aro almost
certain to ongondor.
1
practices and bring tl1on into dsscrodit. you will
deserve tho thinks Of I'LL good people.
| TEMPERANCE,
Tho lust Legislature passed law to provide
againut tho OWLS resulting from tho sale OF i'll
toxicating liquors." 1t has not boen in opera
ton long enough to onablo tho public to Judge
fairly in regard to itg merits Tho law should
hnye q fair trial, and, il any amonlnont is re-
quiz cd to secure its enforcement, hopo tLat it
will be supplied.
RAILWAY CHARGES.
In my last ANIMAL mossage, Igavo my viows at
length upon tho gonoral subject Of raiironds aud
their management. Those viows aro unchanged,
and I do not deem 1t noceBsary to hero repeat
thom.
But desire this to bo borne in mind, tllnt
unstcr our State Constitution tho people a:e tho
absolute masters of every railway In tho Stnto,
and it Is within tho power Of the Legislature to
altor or ropoal nny charter within tho State. If
railways become oppressive, tho Legislature
will bo in fault if it docs not apply tho proper
correction, and primarily tho people who eloct
tho Legislature.
It ca,l1lot bo dcniol that tho many vast and
oversladowing corporations in tho United Statcf
are justly q aourco Of alarm. THO Logislature
caunot Bcnn too clos2ly oyory moaslro that ahal
como boforo it, Which proposes to giyo ad-
ditional rights md privileges to tho railways oi
tho State. The innnmerable want fortuuos III
the country ranging 4, fron yo to fty million.
Byatonl, nutl represent in great part sunls drawr
from tito masscs OF tho people in e1coss Of
fair dividend OH tho capital employed. Whothol
tho railroads OF this state aro managed fairlJ
will alwaya find mo roaay to corporate with you
in ouch measures rs mny DO necessary for the
protection of tho public; In my first annual
lnosgago, I recommended tho organization Of a
aboard of Railroad Commissioners, with power
to inquire into all complaints and abusos, md to
exercise n general supervision over the >oporat-
ing Of tho soyoral railroads within tho State, aud
to recommend such legislation as may seem to
tho.n expcdont aud report annually to tho
| Governor" That recommendation 1lGre rcpcNk.
| nA1LHOAD rAssEH.
Tho Bystom Of granting pasaes by railroad
companies to State ofilcialh iB QUO Of moro than
doubtful propriotr, yet the practice IL 80 unyer
sal that fow can BAY, " I am holior than thou. "
Passos aro not granted from puro spirit Of
bonovolenco, but bocauao rotnrn Is expected IN
some form. Mono Of lib will admit that our pub
lie action Gun DO influenced by 80 trivial q
consideration au railroal paEG, but to
nyoid even tho suspicion Of being improperly ill.,
1luencod in tho discharge OF public duties, rec
Of stato officials %llo, through thoir public Office,
have powor to col.for or Withhold benefits to c
railroad company, bo prohibited.
[Iho remainder Of tho message refera to tho
National Bank tax; appropriations from tho
General Fund in excess OF tho amount in tho
Treasury State war clains; United StatoB Sen~
ator temperance; tho Centennial Exposition; !;
Stats Historical Society; charitable institutionB
Slate Prison criminal stGtistics education; State
University; Slate Capital; Tarls fenco !; Park
Survey; RailroalH; the st. Croix Land Grant !;
river improvements; Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal j;
1Iarbor Of Superior, and Postal Tolegraph.l
MISSOURI.
| ST. LouIs no., Jan. 8, 1879.
Governor Woodson WINS iuauBurated ut Jetfer-
aon City, to-day, and road i,is 1neasago. Tho