The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-02
Meeting of the Ohio Legis-
lature.
Practical and Business1ike
Message Of Gov. Allen. y
The Interests Of Labor.
-i-- - : --.'---- -------- - --------
Great Meeting in Cooper
Union, New York. =
Communists Repudiated.
Improving Prospects in the
Eastern Mills.
The Reason Col. Mcclure
Didn't get Eorney's Press.
Murders, Etc.

of the General Assembly convened at l
O. o'clock this forenoon, pursuant to adjourn
ment last April. In the House II of th
los members answered to the oll-call.
Bills were introduced making appropria
tions for all state expenses for the las
quarter ofls74, and for 1875 amounting, i
the aggregate, to 81 ,274,546.
A bill was introduced providing for th
appointment of three persons as commls
sion to assist in disposing of the busines
now on the Supreme Court dockets.
In the Senate twenty eight members ans
wered to the roll-call.
The annual message Of Governor Allel
was then read in each house. The Cover
nor suggests that, among other wise an(
salutary provisions of the State Constitu
tion, he deems as specially important a
this time the provision that makes it not dis
cretionary but imperative upon the Gener
al Assembly to establish sinking func
for the gradual but certain ultimate pay
ment of the state debt. On this point the
Governor says:
The convention which adopted tn.
Constitution fully realized the necessity ol
providing forever against the creation of q
public debt of indefinite duration so far as
the payment of the principal of such debt
is concerned. 1t is for this reason that
desire to call your attention to the condi-
ton of the sinking fund, Section of arti-
Gle II Of the Constitution provides that no
tax shall be leyied except in pursuance of
law, and every law imposing a tax shall
state distinctly the object of the same, to
which only it shall be applied. In contra
of this Of tho fanstit,,
ton the General Assembly, at its session
of 1872 and 1873, passed acts authorizing
the temporary transfer of money from one
fund to another, and in pursuace of these
laws large sums were transferred from the
sinking and common school fund to the
revenue and asylum funds. There still
remain of these transferred funds, which
have not been returned, the sum of $780,
900 due the sinking fund, and the sum of
$2l 900 due the common school fund. L.
Last winter the Attorney General, in re
sponse to resolution Of the House Of rep
sentatives, gave his elaborate opinion re
specting the matter of these transfers,
and declared the laws authorizing them to
be unconstitutional. Since then, the pub
lie funds have been held sacred for the
purposes for which they were collected.
The unconstitutional acts are still
upon the statute book, and should be
immediately repealed. 1t will be neces-
sary for the General Assembly, at its
present session, to make provision for
the returning of the transferred funds to
the sinking fund, and to make further pro
vision for the payment of the interest and
principal of our state debt, which will fall
due in January and July, 1875, and in
January 1875. On the lst of January,
1876, there will be due on the principal OF
our debt, payable at the pleasure OF the
state the sum of 81 ,494,S There will
be due interest upon the debt, including
interest on the irreducible debt, in Janu-
ary and July, 1875, and in January, 1876,
about 81 100000. making total OF 81
694, ,S65 of the principal and interest. To
meet this, there is present surplus in
the treasury of $3.50, 0,569.S2. The collec-
tons for 1875, which will be applied to the
sinking fund, as estimates on the present
levy, will be about $l,262,000, making a
total of 81, ,7l2, 1863 80, which will leave a
deficiency to be provided for of $9S2, ,296.
The principal falling due is paid at the
pleasure of the state, and it is for you to
determine whether it shall be met when
due, or paid as accumulations in the sink
ing fund shall warrant. But | would sug-
gest that the credit of great state, like
that of an individual is better preserved
by being ready to pay its debts promptly
at maturity"
The Governor says:
From a personal inspection of the be-
nevolent institutions he is satisfied that in
the main they are well managed and that
much good has arisen from the reorganiz-
ing acts of last year."
7 The Governor merely refers to the trou-
bles iu the mining districts last summer
10 few words, stating that a. the critical
moment prompt interposition OF the moral
authority of the state was found sufficient
to restore harmony without resort to the
material power of the state
On the subject Of Railroads. the Cover
nor says
Railroads are not only of great utility,
but have become a necessity to the country.
They should not be bampered by vindic-
tive and ycxatious legislation, but as the
servants of the people, enjoying peculiar
franchises, they should be held strictly
amenable to such judicious legislation as
will prevent them from becoming the mas
ters of the people. Their rights should
be protected against such encroachments
as tend to make them the victims of mo-
ncpoly,"
The governor cOmmends the Agricul-
tural College and the militia to the foster
ing care of the General Assembly; urges
such additional legislation as is necessary
for the proper protection of the lives and
health of the coal miners; renews his sug-
gestions of last year as to economy IN pub
lie affairs, and closes with the following
words:
1T is question for your serious coDsid-
Grafton whether the compensation OF our
county officers is not disproportionate to
the salaries of other public officers and OF
persons in private lite. Public servants
should be reasonably compensated, but
salaries and fees should not be So high as
to make the getting OF ofice a profession
and 10 enable candidates and applicants to
buy their way to public places.
In the House this afternoon a resolution
was adopted for the appointment of joint
committee to prepare an amendment to the
constitution. A resolution was offered TO