Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-01-22

/ against any fraudulent canvass of votes. The re-
strictions now imposed upon canvassing boards
| by confining them rigidly to the discharge of a
simple ministerial duty cannot be too strongly
1 commended Most assuredly no judicial discrim-
ination should be permitted on the part of polti-
| cal officers far removed from the source of
information and likely to be consciously
or unconsciously governed by partisan in
terest. But the power of revision and judicial de-
termination should somewhere exist, to the end
| simply that the popular will may never be de-
| feated through the error, incompetence. crimi-
nal purpose of any subordinate officer of the law.
| / furthermore recommend such an amendment of
| existing statutes on this subject as will remove
| from any canvassing officer now designated by
law both the opportunity and the temptation for
! erroneOusly canvasslng votes cast for or against
| himself.
INDEPENDENT MILITARY COMPANIES.
The expediency of encouraging the organiza-
| ton of independent military companies is ap-
proved by continuous legislation from the
| foundation of the State Government until the
| present time. Under exigences not unlikely TO
| occur under our form of government these Or
| ganzatons frequently furnish indispensable aid
| in the preservation Of order and the administra-
| ton of law. The public spirit which inspires
their formation, often at large personal sacrifice
on the part of both officers and men, deserves the
| highest commendatiOn, and earnestly hope that
you will deem it wise for the State to contribute
| more literally to the support of these organiza-
/ tions hereafter than heretofore, for the reason
that an efficient organization of the militia can
| not be maintained for the mere pittance now de-
| voted to that purpose.
/ 4 FISH CULTURE.
I By an act of the Legislature in 1878 there was
appropriated the sum of $500, to be expended
under the direction of the United States Commls-
sioner of Fisheries, in promoting the artificial
propagation and introduction into this State Of
the better kinds of fish. That money has been
expended as required by law. By an act of 1874
the sum of $3.50 was appropriated to be expended
| for like purpose, under the direction of three
Commissioners to be appointed by the Governor.
Such Commissioners were duly appointed,
and I herewith transmit their report and recon-
mendations in respect to future operations.
1 En1 G4nkAr
| appropriates considerable sums of money in pro-
curing spawns of fish, which gratuitously do
mated to States provided with similar Commits
sioners. Thirteen States are so provided, and
their respective reports exhibit the most crafty
ing success in preserving and increasing the sup
ply of this most wholesome food The extent of
waters adapted to fisheries in this State is i'm
mense and, with trifiing expenditure, the guam
tity and value of this product can be very largely
increased. accordingly recommend suitable
appropriation to enable the Commissioners to
successfully carry out the plans presented in their
| report.
| PROTECTION OF RAILWAY employees.
l call your attention to the propriety of passing
some proper statute which shall enable employees
| of railway companies to recover from their en-
ployers damages for injuries sustained in the line
employees and for which the parties injured are
not in fault. Such statute would tend to secure
the employment of more cautious and reliable
cling public And for liabilities thus increased
the companies should receive increased compen-
| sation.
| WISCONSIN CENTRAL LAND GRANT.
| Early last year application made to me by
| the Wisconsin Central Railway Company for an
official certifcation that certain sections of road
! in the manner prescribed by the act of Congress
granting aid for the construction of this 1mpOr-
tant line. 1 believed my duty in this case simply
ministerial, and to call for no action except as to
| facts, which facts were not disputed. In this
view was supported by the Attorney General and
multiplicity of other able counsel: I therefore
G n q
| disposition of the lands by officially deciding
questions of law clearly belonging to Cabinet
officer of the United States. After proper inves-
tigation certificates were accordingly issued de-
caring the completion of the sections of road re-
ferred. to, but accompanied by further state
ment from me for the information of the Secre-
tary of the Interior to the effect that part of the
line from Portage to Stevens Point had been con-
structed
| No reasonable doubt is entertained but that
this imp ortant portion of the Central Road will
be built at an early day. provided the company is
| permitted those notifications of its chartered
line between Portage City and Stevens Point
which seem to be required by the common inter-
ests of the public and the company. am as
sured and believe that favorable legislation in the
| respect suggested would also enable the company
to sooner complete its line from Stevens Point to
Ashland, only about fifty miles of which now re-
main unbuilt, and thus render Immediately
including more than 400 miles Of new
road. The interest of the public In this
result should not be underestimate.
| am informed upon Intelligent authority that one
| of the immediate results would be to establish
regular lines of communication, by steamers, with
| Silver Isle Isle Royale, and other valuable mining
| districts in and about Lake SUPERIOR thus insur-
ing valuable and increasing contributions to our
| general trade and commerce. The completion of
| the proposed line from Stevens Point to Portage
City would especially tend to promote the pros
perity of portions of the State now most IN want
of more adequate facilities for mutual exchange
| of natural products. 1t would open new and
valuable market for the agricultural productions
of the ecentral and southern counties of the State,
and also furnish new and better market for the
| hard and soft lumber of our northern forests.
| The timber lands belonging to the Central Com
| pany would thus be largely enhanced IN value
| both TO the company and to actual settlers; the
/ development of the vast mineral wealth of the
| north would be encouraged and more amply re-
| warded, and impulse be given to the pros
| perty of the prairie districts of Wisconsin,
whose progress in both manufacturing and agri-
cultural industry is now largely impeded for the
| want of cheaper building and manufacturing
| materials, cheaper fuel and diminished cost of
transporting its surplus products to distant mar
| kets.
THE DEMAND FOR CHEAPER FUEL
| The natural and probable extension of the Cen
| tral Road southwark from Madison would also
| afford the central and southern portions of our
State the advantages of direct connection with the
| extensive coal beds of Illinois. The rapid ad-
| vancement of our manufacturing interests during
the past few years, the preference manifested for
[ the use of steam as a motive-power and the in
creasing demand for cheaper fuel, particularly in
the sparsely- -timbered portions of the State rem
| this respect a question OF great prac-
tical consequence to large proportion, of
our most at p9pnaqWRi Mat mhe
by rail the past year, as shown by the reports OF
railroad companies, nearly equaled one-third the
weight of all our merchandise by rail, and repre-
sented productive force beyond the possibility
| of even an appropriate estimate. Any legitimate
action on your part to cheaper this valuable prod
uct and encourage the further development of
| our manufacturing industry cannot fail to COM
mand the general appreciation OF the people
| Roads that will add so much to the convenience,
| the comfort, and to the material prosperity of
/ our State are entitled to great encouragement at
your hands,
i ADJUDICATION OF EXECUTIVE DUTIES.
! In the administration of the Executive Depart
ment of the Government legal questions of grave
| Character frequently arise demanding prompt and
! final decision The issuance of certificates to
/ the Wisconsin Central Railway Company last
| year and recent demand for patents of land by
| the North Wisconsin Company strongly contest
ed by other parties, are examples OF the legal
problems which the Executive is often called
upon to determine under circumstances which in
vest an erroneous or dilatory conclusion with
grave consequences to all the interests involved.
| submit to You the proprlety OF pro
shall be necessary to permit the direct reference
of intricate legal and clearly exceptional ques-
| tions of this character to the Supreme Court for
immediate and final adjudication. While the
proceeding suggested would apparently coufiict
in no respect with the interests of the public, it
would be likely to prove an important safeguard
against error or partiality the part of the
Executive, and this practice is sanctioned by the
example of several other States.
FOREIGN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LEGISLATION.
1t remains with you to determine whether fur
ther legislation is now required for the encour-
agement of immigration to this State from for
eign countries and the protection of immigrants
on their arrival at our lake ports. Avery large
proportion of our most prosperous and intelli-
81 gent population came here from foreign lands
under the encouragement afforded by our liberal
Constitution and laws, and our policy in this re-
/! gard has contributed in very marked degree to
:. the general welfare. The continuance of this
= liberal policy in future legislation, both with
reference to immigration and the social inter
Of