Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-06
FIRST EDITION.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


| sentdticeS.
The General Assembly is invested, by the
Constitution, with the whole Legislative power OF
the State and the undivided responsibility of a
proper exercise OF that power is devolyed upon
the two Houses of which you are members.
Neither the Executive nor Judicial Depart
| ments of the State government can interfere
with the high functions with which you are
clothed 1t is made the duty OF the Governor
| to give to the Legislature information relating
| to public affairs, and to recommend such meas
ures as in his Judgment will promote the public
interest, but he can aid in no other way the per-
| formance Of the duty imposed upon YOU. MOI
| can he interpose objections to or interfere, ex-
| cept by the exercise of the pardoning power,
with the operations Of any law which YOU may
| enact. The Constitution does not confer upon
him the veto power, nor is his approval necessa-
| ry to the validity of any law passed by the Leg
islature. The only limitations upon the exercise
| of the power conferred upon the General As-
| sembly are found in the Constitution OF the
State, the Constitution of the United States, and
| the laws Of Congress passed in pursuance there
| Of. Chosen by your fellow citizens Senators
| and Representatives, and intrusted with the re-
sponsible duties pertaining to the positions you
| occupy it will be, doubt not your highest aim
| to promote, by your action, AZ Legislators, the
best interest to the people Of the State.
| Nothing has occurred since the adjournment
of the last session of the Legislature to inter
| fero with the harmony and peace of the State, or
| to obstruct the due execution of the laws. The
authority of those entrusted with the adminis-
tration of justice and the enforcement OF law
has been recognized and respected, and the
good order and peace of society everywhere
maintained. Nowhere can greater security for
| life and property, or d more general observance
| Of the rights OF all persons, be found than in
| our own State. The number of crimes COM
mitted by individuals is comparatively small,
| while we have been entirely exempt from those
disorders Witnessed in other communities, re-
sulting from the combination of large numbers
| for the purpose OF resisting authority or en-
| forcing compliance with their own demands.
| The immunity of this State from these disorder
| ly combinations is attributable to the peaceful
character of our people and their attachment to
| the local government under which they 1--we,
arising, doubtless from conviction that it has
| been rendered as little burdensome and oppres-
sive as possible, and has been administered with
| fairness and mpartiality to all.
| The financial revulrion which occurred more
than year ago, and which 30 seriously affected
| industry and enterprise in many portions of the
country, did not, at the time, prove 30 embar-
RAISING to the people of this State generally as
| to communities more largely engaged in manu-
| featuring and commercial pursuits. The con-
| tnued depression OF business, however, has had
| its effects upon the industries and property OF
the State. The prices of our agricultural pro-
ducts have become, to some extent, unremune-
rative, and lands. as q consequence, rendered
| less valuable. In Wilmington, and some OF our
| larger towns, mechanical labor has not found,
at all times, sufficient employment, owing to the
necessary curtailment of business by employers.
| 1t is to be hoped that whatever Inconvenience
| may have been felt from the depression in
| monetary affairs will prove temporary, and that
| business will resume its wonted channels, and
| industry of every character meet with proper
| reward and encouragement.
There are but few subjects of general mpor-
| tance which deem necessary to recommend to
| your consideration Much greater inconveni-
| euce and injury result from hasty and unneces-
| sary legislation. than from any failure on the
| part of the General Assembly to enact all neces-
| sarv and proper laws.
| The publication of the Revised Statutes, as
| amended since the last session of the Legsla-
| ture, together with such laws of public char
| acter as have been passed since the revision of
| the laws in 1852, should suggest hesitation in
alterations of the laws embodied i'll the present
| Code. Repeated changes i'll the statute law of
| the State ID attended with Inconvenience to the
| people and sometimes with embarrassment to
| the administration of Justice by the courts.
| Laws with which the people familiar are
| much easier observed, and always command a
| higher degree of respect than such al are new
| and to which they are nnaccustoned. | there
| fore respectfully suggest to the Legislature the
| propriety of refraining from amending the ex-
listing laws of the State except where experience
has shown that amendments are necessary and
| proper.
| PREPARATION OF STATUTES.
| In this connection l may be ALLOW to sug-
| gest that too much care cannot be exercised in
| the preparation of the laws which the Legisla-
| lure may see proper 10 enhCl. NUU
| Acts of Assembly are passed which are i'll con-
| tlict with the Constitution of the State, and
which lead TO expensive litigation that might be
avoided by proper care in the preparation of the
| enactment.
| Sometimes Acts of Assembly are couched in
ambiguous language susceptible OF different
| constructions, perplexing even to the legal pro-
fession and requiring the authoritative interpre-
taion OF the courts to settle definitely their true
| import and meaning. The object and intent of
| att Sbnu1 he rendere0 ObyiOuH
| potsible to every intelligent mind, and should be
30 clearly expressed to preclude the possibili-
| ty of mlsinterpretation by public officers and
others whose duty may be regulated thereby
These suggestions are alike applicable to
| amendments which may be made to existing
| laws and to original statutes, and their obser-
ance by the General Assembly at the present
session may avoid errors in legislation which ex-
perience has proved to be neither slight uli-
| frequent
AMENDMENTS OF sTATUTEs
| The mode sometimes adopted of amending ex.
listing lave, by reference to the chapter and Sec
ton proposed to be amended, and striking out
| certain words tberefrom aud inserting other
| words in lieu thereof; s Objectionable, and, in
my opinion, ought to be avoided. Amendments
desired should be effected by repeal OF the sec
| ton intended to be changed and the substitution
| of a new section embodyng the alteration de-
| sired in the law. Proper attention by the Legis-
lature to this subject, which in some of the
| States has been deemed of sufficient Importance
| be provided for bv constitutional provision,
| will render our statute law less confused and
| more easily understood than it has been hereto
| fore.
| STATE DEBT AND FINANCES.
The accompanying report of the State Treas
| urer, made to me in compliance with law, and tc
which beg leave to call attention, contains de-
tailed statement of the indebtedness of the State
| and the purposes for which such Indebtedness
| was created and also statement showing the
| amount and character of the Investments be-
longing to the State and the purposes to which
such Investments are appropriated. BY refer
ence to the statements contained in the report
it will be seen that the indebtedness of the State
created prior to the last session of the Legisla-
ture, was one million four hundred and sixty-twc
Thousand (51, 1852, ,000). OF which amount there
was appropriated to the payment of volunteers
aud the relief of persons drafted into the militia
ty service during the late war; one million one
hundred and ten thousand dollars ($l, ,ll0,0OO)
and the residue, or three hundred and hfty-twe
Thousand dollars (5352, ,O00) was incurred by 9
loan to the Junction and Breakwater Railroad
Company to aid in the construction of theil
road.
The amount of indebtedness created for the
purposes named had been reduced PRIOR to tue
first of January 1878, by the purchase OF bonds
to the amount of one hundred and thirty-seven
Thousand dollars (S137000).
The bonds falling due the first day OF Janua-
ry 1876 have been since taken up and cancelled
| or thar naymeut uroyded for which will make