The daily gazette., 1877-01-02

by them in the discharge OF their du>
ties TO the State and ite people, should
be paid by the State, and / cordially
recommend their claims for your fa-
vorable consideration, ~ ''',i =. IS. ~
I -teu SCHOOL FUND. q .f rsr ue
1t will be observed that the State
Treasurer, in his Report, makes allu>
sion to the sums formerly loaned to tho
New Castle and Wilmington Railroad
Company, and the Philadelphia. WIis
Imington and Baltimore Railroad Com
[pany, for the benefit of the Free Schools
of the State. and that he awaits the
further authority and direction OF the
Legislature in reference to the dispo-
sitionl thereof. L beg leave to invite
your carly attention to the subject and
| TO recommend that SUCH action may he
taken as shall meet the requirements
of the case. la' fli'fuQ0h 61Eiaig'
Il .. DAILRoADs. .i,s,
I The Treasurer's Report also announ-
ces that all the railroad companies
within the State are now prompt in the
payment of their taxes excepting the
Wilmington aud Western and, the
Breakwater and Frankford Compan-
ies., 1t Is also necessary TO inform you
that interest to the amount of SS, $50
is due The State from the Breakwater
and Frankford Railroad Company. on
| its mortgage given to secure the pay
ment OF the bonds loaned by the State.
| OH INSURANCE SUPERVISION ff 81
The increase of late years in the
nnmbero of Insurance Companies either
organized or having agencies establish.
ed within this State, renders it neces~
sary that some adequate provision
shall be made by law for their careful
supervision. 1t is of primary impor-
tance that both those who seek to be-
come policy holders and those who
rerutably conduct the business of in
surance shall be protected against the
| fraudulent devices of spurious and in
solvent companies. A well devised
plan of supervision would furnish
such protection and strengthen the
confidence of the people of other
States. as we'll as Of our own, in the
stability and trustworthiness of our
Delaware companies, and, while pre-
venting unscrupulous persons from
making Delaware a theatre for dis
honest insurance transactions, would
encourage useful capital and capable
management to engage in reputable
and remuneratIye business enterprise
i within our State. .-t.. .... .....c %
Il After careful consideration Of the sub
!, ject, am satisfied that g law should be
enacted creating or designating q specia
| IS tha fas n a af,ltra q finn
whenever he may deem it expedient, into
the affairs of any company doing bust
ness in the State, and when found to bt
insolvent to take such proceedings Il
compel discontinuance of the business
; as by law may be provided in that be
. half. Similar provision has been made
e in all our neighboring States, and gener
r ally throughout the Union, with result
, which have been eminently satisfactory
A Commissioner OF Insurance for tins
State might be specially created withou
any additional draft on the Treasury fOl
his compensation, or the duties might be
deyolyed upon one of the existing officer
of the State. In other States he is com
= pensated for his services by fees whicl
: the companies are required by law to pay
, and which not only afford ample remu
/ neration to the Commissioner, but also
, in many instances, a considerable reve
: nue. in excess thereof to the State.
l In effecting the notifications 1 hav
1 suggested it may be found expedient {
s revise the entire body of our insuranc
) cnaetments and reduce them to a com
prehensive and concise code OF insuranc
law. A revision of this character, i
l carefully made, could not fail to be Q
: great public benefit.
Fl STATISTICS.
FREQUENT applications are made to tn
Executive Department by State and Fed
: : eral authorities, for information concern
l ing Crimes, Paupers, Deaf, Dumb. BLIND
I Insane, Assessment and Valuation }
: Property, Taxation, Insurance and Rail
a road Companies, Agriculture and KIN
9 dred topics connected with the details o
I government. Such applications canno
+ be properly answ cred because of an ut
4 ter lack of provision under our laws TO
: the collection and preservation of an,
statistics from which such information
T NAV be derived. For the same reason i
+ is also difficult for the Executive to OBJ
!, tain, for transmission to the Legislature
n much information which Is needed t.
= give an Ineligible view of the various
q operations of our State government
There is no source OF knowledge so usefu
and necessary to the law maker as th
|
y accomplished by the practical operatiol
! of laws under similar conditions in gov
! ernmental affairs.
j I, therefore, earnestly commend tn
u SUBJECT to your consideration, merel.
suggesting, as one method of accomplish
= ing something in this direction, that
n might be made by law the duty of eel
4 tain officers to prepare annually and fiji
! in the cfice of the Secretary of State
= for public use, certain statistics of tn
matters pertaining to their respectiv
offices. ..
TRAMPs.
q Within recent period our State ha
9 been infested at stated seasons with
: class OF vagrants commonly known q
. tramps, who rove in gangs from place
.slplace, especially throughout the rurs
e districts, committing depredations upo
Q farmers, .exacting money and supple
d from defenceless women in the absenc
f of their male protectors, and In some in
d stances perpetraling very serious crimes
i The mischievous propensities Of thes
!, vagabonds have made them an intolera
hle nuisance and their yicious characte