The Portland daily press., 1877-01-05
GOVERNORS ADDRESS.


make and establish all reasonable laws and
regulations for the defence and benefit of the
| people OF this state" The duty which you
have been delegated to perform, ranks among
the most important and responsible of the SER
| vices which men can render to their fellows
| and requires the exercise of their best faculties
requirements, and qualities, for its worthy full
hlnent. Custom and nearness are apt to cause
| too light an esteem for the blessings which at
tend our daily life Our instant admiration is
reserved for the remote, the mysterious and
the rare Ii is by reflection alone that we are
brought to perceive aud own the wonderful
dess, the vastness, and the worth of the pos
sessions which we as human beings, and as
| people enjoy. The uncounted millions who
| bava preceded US upon the earth have wrought
no diminution of Natures bounty. Her mex
| haustlbe stores and tireless energies are for us
| no less than for the eldest born of our race
Rather, we are the favored ones, endowed by
| hrthright with the tran smtted wealth of
| hums experience through the long stretch of
| bygoue generatOns.-'the garnered wisdom
of thousand years" We are the rich heirs
| OF all the ages of mans thought and work.
| The achievements, the discoveries, and the
errors of our predecessors, remain to enrich, to
| guide and to warn us. In no other regard is
| our Indebtedness to them more apparent than
in the laws which define the reciprocal rights
| and duties of citizens and the civil state, of
| the iHdivdualsand the community.
Regarded in themselves alone, the statutes
upon our books commend themselves for their
| luUrlDS1C WOrCu 10 tn0 calm approval OF good
| Judgment as the products OF sound intelli-
| gence, right reasoning and humane sentiments.
| But when it is sought to trace them to their
| origin and follow them through the process of
| development they become invested with an
| immeasureably higher character and a more
| impressive sanction.
The principles upon which they rest had their
| rise in other lands, in the morning twilight
| beyond our ancestral annals. The history of
| the growth of those principles is a recoro of
nnh 10 ltunC nf urGf had md
misery, of the exercise of all virtues, and the
| experience of all forms of vicisstude that move
| to admiration or pity. Whatever great minds
| have done in unfolding and adapting them, the
| good and brave have dared and endured in their
defence, and unfortunate generations have
suffered from their msapplication, and thus
led to truth by costly proof of efror.-the story
of all is inscribed in ineffaceable characters
| upon the palimpsest whereOn are written tie
laws which constitute the mnniments of our
freedom, the safeguards of life, reputation and
property.
When therefore laws so descended are ap.
preached for the purpose Of adding to or sub
tracing from them, or Qualifying them in any
way, the veneratiOn due them should not be
forgotten, and every step should be cautious
and deliberate. If the legislator of to-day
hopes that his own careful work may be pre-
served in the future from hasty and reckless
hands, let him we'll weigh his action in dealing
with the labors of those who have been before
him. "The mschiefS resulting to the public
from inconsiderate legislation, which he is
called upon to remedy, warn him to give a
searching forecast to the consequences of every
proposed change or enactment which comes
before him.
The traditions of these halls, and your char
acter as representatives of the sentiments as
we'll as the authority of the people, are assur-
ances that conservative spirit, yet not un-
friendly to progress, will direct your delibera-
tions and manifest itself in your acts.
The past year has not been distinguished by
any extraordinary events or unexpected condi-
tions specially affecting the Interests of the
people of the state or the conduct of its gov
eminent aud institutions. Maine, in common
with the whole country, and indeed with other
countries also. has suffered from the continued
inactivity in business which has discouraged
enterprise and compelled capital and labor in
many instances to utter idleDess, or profitless
exercise. Still, the chief resource of the state
her hillsdes, fields, and fertile intervals-has
kept faith with the sower of the seed and
yielded rich harvest; some manufacturing in-
dustres and branches of business have been
exempt from the prevailing dullness and there
remains to all the hope and promise of the
near dawn of prosperous days.
The laws have been well enforced throughout
the state and every department of the govern
ment and all public institutions have been eff
GENTLY and economically managed,
THE FINANCES.
The State Treasurer will lay before you very
gratifying exhibit of the condition of his de-
partment. The receipts of the treasury for the
year amount to 81 310,6O5.49; oalauce in the
treasury January LIST, 1876 $377, ,093 "a; ex-
penditures for the year 1876 81, 1893 277 06;
amount in treasury Dec 81, 1876, $394, ,4222..
tits unnecessary to enter here upon the de-
tails of the ordinary business of the treasury.
They require no comment and are so cleary and
fully set forth, and so well arranged in the
Treasurer's report that any desired information
concerning them may be obtained at glance.
The public debt has been reduced the past
year by the payment of $29 900 for bonds ma
tured, and by the addition of $114 681 to the
sinking fund, and now, after deducting the
amount of the sinking fund, $791, ,293 81,
amounts to S., ,129, ,107 A portion of the public
debt, S46500 in amount, falls due on the 1st of
February next, and will te paid from funds in
the treasury. On the first of March, 1873,
$25,000 of the debt natures. The law of Feb
ruary "a, 1875, provides for the renewing and
extending the bonds next thereafter becoming
due 1907 900 in 1880; S3S5.OO0 in 1888, and
$2,33O,00O June 1st, 1889 1t is desirable, in
my opinion, that no action be taken at the
present session of the Legislature to carry into
effect the provisions Of that law in respect to
the issue OF the new bonds to be substituted for
the DID, Since there is no reason for believing
that the new bonds can be exchanged more
protitably now than year or two hence, it is
well to permit the question whether the bonds
due in 1880 shall be redeemed at maturity, or
renewed aud extended, to remain open for con-
SideratiOn as long rs it can be done consistently
with prudence. The remainder of the public
debt So, ,S26, 900, due October 1st, 1889, is pro-
vided for by the sinking fund The Treasurer
estimates that if no unusual appropriations be
made. and other revenues are maintained. a
| tax Of three and one-fourth mills on the dollar
of the present valuation, a reduction of one
half a mill from the rate of the assessment of
| 1866, will yield sufficient sum to satisfy the
| requirements of the state for the current year.
ATTORNEY GENERALS DEPARTMENT
| The Maine Central, and certain other rail-
| road companies, have refused to pay the state
I tax assessed against them, on account of a
| clause in their charters which, it is alleged,
| exempts them from taxation. A stockhoider
of the Maine Central Company procured
| temporary Injunction against the State Treas
urer from the United States Circuit Court, and
| hearing in regard to a permanent injunction
was to be had in that court in April last 1t
| was deemed for the interest, and for the honor
of the state we'll, that the validity of the tax
should be first tested before the state court and
accordingly the Attorney General succeeded,
owing to the spirit OF frankneSs and courtesy
! in which he was met by the counsel for the
| company, in causing suspension of the hear
| ing before the Circuit Court aud in bringing the
case upon its merits before the Supreme Judi
| cial Court of the state. where it was argued at
| the law term in July last.
| 1t is expected that the decision of the court
| will soon be rendered. If it shall be favorable
| to the state there is reason to believe that
| the case will not be farther contested and that
l the delinquent companies Will accept the result
of this, which is substantially test case appli-
cable to them all, and pay the taxes due, which
| amount to over S147, 900.
The Attorney General reports that he has not
| been informed of any Inducements found in any
courts during the year for any capital offence,
or offence hitherto called capital. He adds
that it is probable an Indictment will be found
against Edward NJ. Smith for the murder of
three persons at Bucksport, in October
1t would be obviously unjust to draw from
the experience of less than a single year, a
sweeping and conclusive inference as to the
comparative efficacy of the law passed by the
last Legislature aboshing death as punish
ment for crime, and the law it displaced. am
| glad, however, to remark the evident fact that
the substitution of Imprisonment for life for
the death penalty has not been followed by an
increase of the crime which it is the object of
! the law under consideration to punish, or any
instance of crime encouraged by the mitigation
| of the penalty.
am persuaded that the prevailing sentiment
| among the friends Of the new law is not one of
| tenderness towards the criminal but of regard
| for the safety of society.
The much-mooted question, whether the char
| acter of the punishment enters at all into the
considerations which prompt to the perpetraton
of the greatest offences, has failed to obtain
any answer meeting with general acceptance.
l pqrtaiplv hat tkr