Litchfield enquirer., 1875-05-13

| ana VIII only add that such OfncIal eXpe- rience as have had in my present posi-
 ton has strongly confirmed my opinion
 that every department of the state govern
 ment created by the Constitution requires,
 for it's proper efficiency, thorough recon structi0n, and sEhat we shall greatly err if the present period of comparative poIiti-
 cal calm is allowed to pass without i'm
 proving 1t for the accomplishment of
 work fraught with so many advantages to
 the people of Connecticut.
 REVISION OF sTATUTEs-TERAIs OF COURT. l The Revised Statutes of the state went 1 into effect on the first day of January last.
 The work of revision and publication is
 highly creditable to the commission hay l ing It Tn charge, but, in work of such
 magnitude, the utmost care cannot avoid,
 and indeed may lead to, errors which are
 only disclosed when the law comes to be
 be applied. There are several important
 instances of this character in the Revision
 wh ch need 3 legislative remedy. It s 1 not necessary to particularize them here,
 but would suggest the appointment of a
 committee of your body, to whom, in con- 1 Juctlon with the revisors, the subject
 should be referred.
 1 would call your attention to the expe- dlency of revising the times for holding | the terms of court in the several counties,
 which have been so varied by independent
 acts of the legislature as,to destroy that systematic arrangement which is essential
 to the proper economization of the judi 1 claf force.
 | LABOR AND OTHER STATISTICS.
 | The Bureau of Labor Statistics will
 furnish you with interesting information.
 There IS no problem of social science, at | the present day, more interesting or so important as the true adjustment of the rewards of labor among the various par ties engaged in production, and the chief sible facts bearing upon the solution of this problem, is praisworthy and wise But, in 8 small state like ours, these facts l cannot vary much from year to year, al-
 though the data afforded by compari- ! son of one period, or series of years, with
 another, become of much importance. It | therefore seems to me that the present work of this bureau does not justify its | annual expense. Its field of inquiry could,
 however, be enlarged with advantage to
 the state, and, indeed, with special advan-
 tage to the object of it's original design. Statistical evidence of the condition of a community, in all its aspects, Is exceed ingly valuable, not only as giving informa- 1 tlon of its resources or other attractions l to those outside it's borders, but as afford | ing the only reliable basis for much of its l own legislation; and the necessity for it
 IS noticeably engaging the attention of | all civilized governments at the present day: For example, the importance of re-
 liable vital statistics to state and to all I classes of it's community can hardly be over estimated, and they require constant observation and, for their efficient collec-
 tion, the agency of the state and the pow
 or of the law. A commission appointed
 by me, under resolution of the last Gen.
 eral Assembly, with special reference to
 this latter subject, will make a report to
 the present session which you will find to
 be very valuable in it's facts and sugges
 tions. If single bureau could be charged
 with the collection of all the statistical l information required by the state, and i perhaps census of its inhabitants, when
 needed, l think it's service would we'll re- pay its expenses.
 l ~ CATTLE DISEASE.
 During the last autumn an alarming
 malady broke out among the cattle in the ] western part of the state. I deemed 1t 1 important that measures should be taken ! through the State Board of Agriculture to
 ascertain it's nature and prevent it's exten-
 sion. These measures were successful,
 and will be detailed in the report of that
 Board and it's accompanying documents. NEW STATE HOUSE.
 1 The work on the new State House has 1 progressed as rapidly, in the judgment l of the commissioners, as the large dimen- 1 sions of the building and the enduring
 manner of its construction would admit.
 Most of the iron roof will be placed in position by the close of the present year. l The legislative halls will not be ready for l use before May, 1877. and the dome can-
 not be finished until a later day.
 1 The total expenditures to date, on the
 new State House account, amount to sev-
 en hundred and five thousand, four hun
 dred and forty,fye dollars and eighty
 cents, CS705, ,445.80) of which four hundred
 and seventy thousand, five hundred dol lars ($470, ,5001 have been drawn from the
 state treasury, and two hundred and twen- l ty-nlne thousand, five hundred dollars | (229, ,500) from the city of Hartford. Four hundred aud thirty-four thousand three hundred and thirty-one dollars and fifty six cents (S434, ,331. 56) have been expend-
 ed during the past year.
 SURVEY OF THE STATE.
 1 was empowered by vote of the last General Assembly to take steps towards a 1 typographical survey of the state in con- 1 junction with the officers of the United States Coast Survey, provided the ex- penses of such survey on the part of the state should not exceed ten thousand dol lars. Under the acts of Congress the U. $. Coast Survey Board is directed to per- form some part of the required work, when requested by the state, and this the Board has Indicated it's readiness to do. The cost, however, of complete typographical l survey of the state, based upon triangula- tion, and excluding the work done by the coast survey, would so largely exceed the sum appropriated for the purpose by the resolution of the General Assembly, that I have not felt authorized to initiate the
 work under that authority. Snch sur vey of our state IS certainly very desirable,
 but 1t ought not to be commenced with out defnate plan of action and estimate of probable expense The state of Rhode
 Island has appointed special committee
 to report plan for the survey of that
 state with view of cooperating in the object with the adjacent states. A similar
 action would seem to be very appropriate
 on our part.
 G NEW YORK BOUNDARY LINES.
 The western boundary line of the state,
 between it and the state of New York, is still in dispute. In 1856, and again in
 1859, commissioners were appointed by both states to ascertain and run the line. They failed to agree, and thereupon, in l 1860, the Assembly of New York adopted,
 as the boundary, line reported to them
 by the Commissioners of New York, but
 without the concurrence of the Commis-
 sioners of Connecticut This state has
 not assented to such action, and It's au-
 thorities have refused to recognize the
 line thus adopted by New York. Pursu-
 ant to the vote of the last General Assem- hlV | have hrnnohk the snhiaot to fha ai