The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-19
SOVEREIGN coMmoNWEALTRs.

The Condition, Financially and other
wise OF a Dozen or So OF Them Csuber-
material Messages and their Recon-
mendatiOns.
The present is q busy season in the
aw-making line. There are now in
session more State Legislatures than
were probably ever convened at one
and the same in the history of the coun-
| try. OF course all the Governors have
observed the time immemorial custom
OF communicating to these bodies their
views and recommendations regarding
such legislation as they think the
exlgencies of the times demand. We
append very brief resume of the more
important contents of such of these
| documents as have come under our eve ::
INDIANA.
Gov. Hendricks, in his message to
the Indiana Legislature, states that the
assessed value of the taxable property
of the State in 1874 was 1864. .857, Ats.
which was an increase of more than
three hundred million dollars since
1872. There are 265, 600 persons in
| the State who are subject to a personal
or poll tax of fifty cents each. The as
sessment of property, and the personal
| or poll tax, constitute the important
sources of revenue. The total receipts
for State purposes during the year were
$892, OILS 81. At the close of the year
ending Oct. 81, 1874, there was in the
treasury $244, ,203. 78. The total State
debt amounts to SLIP, ,755 IL. The
permanent school fund is So, I'll ,319. 60.
There was received and disbursed
during the year, for the support of
schools, So, 211, 1928. 13. The enumera-
tion of 1874 of children between the
a of md fry-n ch0
the number of 654, 364 the number
enrolled in the schools is 4s9, ,O44,. and
the average attendance upon the schools
has been 311 ,272. Twelve thousand six
hundred and ffty-fve teachers have
been employed. The State charitable,
educational and reformatory institu-
tions are represented to be in pros
porous condition.
Gov. Dingley's message furnishes a
gratifying exhibit of the financial con-
dition of the Pine Tree State. The
war lett her with debt of about $S, 5OO,-
600. This debt the people of Maine.
with steady determination, early took
measures to reduce. In this they have
succeeded SO well that they have al
ready been able to pay off So. 600, 900 of
the principal, besides meeting 81, ,O00,-
| 600 of interest. At the present rate the
entire debt would be extinguished in
about fourteen years more.
NEW YORK.
Themessage of Gov. Tilden to the New
York Legislature places the receipts
of the year at $26, ,465, $40; payments.
S19. .636, ,309, leaving balance of nearly
81, 900, 900; the funded debt is $50, ,000,-
600. The reduction of the debt last
year was Sc, ,00O,0 He discusses at
great length the transportation prob
lem, and says the State must protect
the Erie canal. While not seeking to
make money from it, he urges the
per rfecting of the canal by enlarging its
capacity, so that it shall practically
cheaper and facilitate the exchange of
commodities between the East and
West. He advocates the deepening of
the canal to seven feet, believing that
to be the best means of facilitating
navigation by boats, whether steam or
not.
PENNSYLVANIA.
Gov. Hartranft states that during the
past year the State debt of Pennsyl-
vania was reduced ST. ,23O, 1856. The re-
ceipts were 81, ,697, 119, the expenditures
are Sc, ,602, ,568, leaving in the Treasury
81 ,094, ,551. The total State debt is
| $24, 56S, 1856, from which should be de-
! Quoted SO, 600, 900 of bonds in the sink
| ing fund. The revenues of the State
have been decreased $12, 900, 600 by the
| repeal of the tax on the gross receipts
of railroads, the net earnings of cor-
porations, and on cattle, and farmers
| implements. The Governor calls atten-
tion to the want of skilled labor, and
recommends the establishment of
schools where boys can be instructed in
trades, and approves of compulsory
education.
Gov. Davis states that the total re-
ceipts of the State Treasury during the
past fiscal year were 81, ,331, ,210; the
disbursements, 81, ,14S, ,O59. The recog-
nized bonded indebtedness of the State
is $3.50, 600.
The Governor regards the Railroad
law of last session as practical suc-
cess. Under the rates prescribed by
the Railroad Commissioners, the reduc-
ton en- passenger fares and freights
and lumber passing over the railroads
in the State Will amounv, to about
$500, ,0O0. He regards it as practically
settled that the State has the rights to
regulate railway freight and passenger
charges.
Gov. Furnas' message states that the
population of the State has doubled in
the last two years. The estimated pop
ulation is now 800, ,0OO Total debt of
the State, $4O2, ,954. Delinquent taxes
due the State, over half million dol
lars. Total valuation for taxable pur-
poses $50, 600, 900 while the value of
property exempted from taxation ia
estimated at $500, 900, 600. Number of
prisoners incarcerated in the State
Prison, 81 expenses for the last two
years, $5S, 100. 43, an average of $538 for
each prisoner total amount of convict
labor, at AZ cents day, 81. 343.64, or
nearly $40 per prisoner per year. On
the 1st day of January, 1876, there we're
1, 1O7.6 SO miles completed railroads in
the State. The Governor states that
the total donations for the benefit of
the grasshopper sufferers amount to
sos, $50. There are ], ,345 school houses
in the State, valued at ST. 800, 900 and
~, ,991 pupils. There was about $47O,-
600 school money apportioned in the
last two years. and there are 2, ,2O0guali-
fed teachers In the State. All the in
stitutions, educational and charitable.
are represented to be in prosperous
condition.
MISSOURI.