Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-01-14
Governors Address.
GeRtlemes Of the Senate aud House Of Rep
reseHtdfires

rcseRtdtires'
Standing at the threshold of new year
and confronted with grave public respon-
>ibiilirs. il i fitting that We should seek
Divine guidance in the discharge OF the
duties respectively imposed upon MS. For
the abundance of the necessaries and com
Iorts OF lite. the general health. the unin-
teIrupted peace and good order, and the
intellectual and moral Influences with
which We, as a people. have been favored
during the past year, there il occasion foI
deVout gratitude aud thankfulness.
In iayin. before you the information re-
quIred by the Constitution. it affords me
Qualification Ia be able to present SO iav-
ofabic n report at the financial. education
al and other Important interests of the
State. 80 tar a. | am aware, every de-
partment has been conducted with fidelity.
Integrity aud prudence. and with the sin
Sie pufpusc oi promoting the public well
fare. uced not rrmind YOU. upon whom
! drv"lves the responsibility of authorizing
aud directln. public expenditures. that,
IN the present depression of business. there
l. special and urgent necessity that every
Z appropriation should receive the most rig
ld scrutiny. So lar as nv limited author
i,y may reach. | shall most earnestly en-
d' aVOr 10 apply the same economy. n,iel-
dy and SCRUTINY to public expenditures
That "A prudef business man would apply
- his oM n afiiit>.
THE STATE FINANCES.
Considering the gigantic burdens impos-
ed upon the people OF Maine. as We'll A. OF
every other lulal State. by the war for the
preSery alton OF national exist nee. the d
naLcIal condition OF this State is more Ia
vorable than could have been reasonably y
>.
State Treasurer that the aggregate receipts
oi The treasury during The rast year. in
Guiding cash on hand at the beginning of
The year. were sl.S53.9O4. IS, aud the dis
Iur>emenis durl"g the same period 81 -.
+ 'iS.Ji. leaving a balance ni S332. .lsJ.>& IN
the treasury Jan. H.. 1870.
OF The r. ceIpts. 81 1863 So was from the
Stale lax OF live mills ou the dollar. S67 =.
696 from public lands. sl43. 25s from the
lax "n savings banks, (about s7l 900 OF
This lax bcin. still unpHid). sl3 s5s from
the tax CA railroads. 81 ss9 from Interest
"n deposits. S2.3i0 from duties on commits
sj"n>. sl.1i9 from licenses To peddlers,
and Sl.422 from Insurance deuarfment.
Oi thc disbursement. Sj.leO we're on ar
count oi rents OF shores brlungins to the
Prn"bscot Indians, and S OGj on account
"i taxes assessed ou Wild lands for the ben
cit "i c"uutie>,- sums which simply pass
ed through tnc irra>ury-iravins the actu-
al disbursements 81 "a 49,. OF this amount
81 JuO were paid on account of special
and exceptional appropriate for rebuild
iH- the carriage shop in the state prison.
tc-aIrau.lnS and repairing the reform
-ciooi building. finishing ,hc chapel build
~ connected With the insane hospital,
VeHii.a H. he state house. buildin. roads
and bflH-~> mainly In Aroostook county.
aud ln All OF the College oi Agriculture
a Mechanic Arts. Maine General Ho>pi-
Ia! and Industrial School for Girls.
Thus. after drductiug these special APP
preparations, the expenditures OF the pa>;
year appear 10 have been SLAP 597. Oi
tAis amount, S7li.496 was on account oi
war drOt. pensions to soldiers aud aid 10
soldiers orphans. and Si0..i7. on account
OF public and free high and normal school.
with Il considerable sum still due on &C.
count OF educational purposes. Tie ordi
nary expenditures. therefore. duIiuS the
past Year. have been $500 Ca. or little
!ess tnan one aud halt mi.l- ON the dollar
OF the STATE valuation. While this state
ment Indicates that the expenditures OF the
state are cont Oiled ty cJE-idrratious o
economy to an extent rarely observed IL
public affairs. yet in my judgment thcr,
are some directions ia which the expendi
lures authorized by law may be soiuewha
reduced without injury to the public inter
e>Js. On this subject | shall commuuicat,
with the Legislature at an early day.
TIE STATE DEBT.
On the first of January. 1875. the Stat,
lebt. after deducting the sinking fund.
was s5-56l O7G-a reduction of $50 81,
During The past year. The nominal publ,
debt, however. as represented hy uncan
Celled State bonds, WAS S. .Ooo. .4O0-a re
duciiou OF $4,000 during the same period
by the payment and cancellation OF th'
loan to thu, amount which matured Marct
1t. 1874. The balance. OF the amount st.
, apart for the reduction of he public deb
(s2Il.51jl. has been paid TO the sinking
luHd>, which amount TO 81 l.551 .32i. Tn
aggregate payments from the treasury. OF
account oi Tie State debt, during the pas
year. aere SG79 5js. of " hich e352 959 va
Tor Interest. 1921 ,5aj for maturing deb
aud sinking funds. aud s. .02i for premium
, on bonds purchased aud expenses; al
though under The sinking-fund system
NlAr@er proportion than this is assigned {.
the interest account. As existing laws re
quire a similar payment every year. on &C
couLt ui Tie public debt, an annual as -es $
, heut OF three mills on every dollar of th
state valuation is rendered necessary TO
tins purpose. At the close OF he presen
year. Ahen the tax se>sed Tor 1874 shal
D have been applied 10 the objects for whicI
II was contemplated, the State debt will b
, reduced TO about So 220,0U0.
Thus in ten years nearly seven millio
dollars have becu paid by the people q
Maine on account ot the State drbt-uearl
three millions being for reduction o. prin
cipal aud four millions on account OF 10
tcrest. Should the present rate of taxatio
, be continued, the balance of this immens
}, war debt would be eXtingushed in four
teen years from this date. Thus the sam
generation that met the personal responsi
Dilltles OF the terrible contest to preserv
the national existence, would also be call
ed upon 10 bear all the financial burden
which II imposed upon the State. amour,
. lhg In the aggregate to more than twenf
millions OF dollars, exclusive OF burden
n borne in contributions 10 the national treas
uTy. Surely others, who are 10 share th
iIuus OF a Struggle which has scarcely
parallel Ia history. though they cannot par
tclplte Ia the terrible sacrifice of blood
!. will esteem it a privilege. rs well rs
4 duty. 10 aid in d!,charging tie pecuniar
liabilities which il entailed on the country
SO long H. business Was conducted o
the speculative basis which il assume
during and Immediately after the wal
Il and pronts were supposed to be unusuall
| large. 1t was wise to take advantage of th
opportunity TO rapidly reduce the publ
debt. But in the present financial coDd
tion OF the country, and indeed in the nea
| future when business shall have resume
its normal state. SO large an annual asses
ment as is required by existing laws. ca
but be severely felt. Should the iegislatur
/ consider it advisable 10 reduce the asses.
ment on account of the public debt to tw
/ mills. the proceeds would meet the intere,
on the outstanding debt and extinguis
the municipal war loan Of 1865. which N;
/ lures Oct l.lSS9. aud which cannot be n
J newed without an amendment of the cor
stltutional provision Uy which il was NJ
:, thoriZed.
y The remainder of the outstanding loan.
constituting about one-half of the publ
debt. mature mainly in 1880. 1888. an
June. 1889. and a, they are subject 10 n
constitutional limits as 10 time OF paymeu
= they may be renewed by the Legislature
p Should it be deemed expedient TO autho
n ize such renewal. / suggest that the me-