Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-16


the generally sound condition of our State banks
ana tnc Juucious usually shown In their man
agement which ne ascrbes less to any legal regua-
nons under existing crude provisions OF law than to
Wnoisome practices self-mposed under the dictates
OF enlightened policy. The various suggestions Of
| tne examiner made after due investigation OF the
many OBJECTS or his inquiry, can hardly fail to COM
mend themselves to your favorable attention. II he
had done nothing but reveal the exposed condition
OF the public funds resulting from the neglect Of
county officers to deposit adequate official bonds as
required by law, it would have fully established the
importance of the office and more than justified its
| cost. Upon investigation it was found that only
fyseven Of the lao bonds of county treasurers and
auditors required to be deposited IN the Office of
the secretary OF state had been filed there according
to law AS result Of the persistent efforts Of the
examiner these delinquent bonds were finally fur
nished, but only thirty-two of the entire number
proved to be legally and technically correct. The
others were found to be defective in varions degrees
from condition of informality to that Of utter
worthlessness. Those from twenty-five counties
named penal sums less IN amount than the balances
held on the LIST OF June by the officers giving them
respectively.
The correction of these evils by requiring the SUBJ
stitutlon OF improved and increased bonds, being
beyond the power of the examiner, the remedy must
De supplied by prompt and adequate provision Of
law. The aggregate amount of money passing
through the hands of county reasurers now approx
mates the sum of Sc OO OOO annually, and in view of
the lax precautions for the safety Of these funds and
| the crude methods by which accounts are kept in
most OF the countless it is complimentary to the gen.
eral character of county officials mat there has been
so little malfeasance in office. Nor is the creation of
the office of public examiner anecessary imputation
| upon the motives of these officers. Conduct which
leads to embezz' and defalcation In the major
y of cases begins in ignorance rather than in In
| tentiOnaI criminality.
| Whether therefor the protection Of the public, the
good OF the erring official the avoidance of public
scandal be considered the importance of that careful
supervision which ensures correct basis and honest
beginning of official hfe becomes alike obvious. The
danger lies especially in the first msstep which, ig-
norantly taken and thoughtlessly repeated, imper-
cepta6ly grows into such startling temptation as to
defy the power of successful resistance 1t scarce
y too much to say that the information impaired and
the correctives applied by the public examiner have
already been the means of strangling q number of
ncipent embezzlements while the more matured
| abuses exhibited by the conduct of displaced
i county auditor and by the recent examination of
the accounts of the hospital for the insane, whether
| resulting from unconscious or intentional miscon-
duct illustrates the wisdom of the legislature in the
timely creation of this Office. In view of the work
already accomplished and the enlarged usefulness
to be expected from the further operation of law
cannot doubt that you will support it with such adj
diona provisions as may be needed to subserve its
highest purposes. In consequence of the late hour
at which the act became law no appropriation was
made for its practical enforcement, an commission to
rectify which your early action is solicited. The re-
port of the Senate special committee for the invest
CATION OF the management OF the insane hospital
was duly submitted to me and will be transmitted.
RRAINERD BRANCH LANDS.
| BY the act OF March LIST, 1871 providing for the
completion of the so-caed extension lines of the st.
Paul Pacific railroad, various duties were imposed
upon the executive respecting the adjustment Of
certain claims incurred for railroad construction,
and also of claims of settlers who had made prior
| filings and improvements in good faith upon the
! lands pertaining to such roads. The commission
provided for the examination of the claims of rail-
road creditors, consisting of the Governor attorney
general and railroad commissioner, after repeated
hearings and full consideration, filed their statement
required in the State auditors Office on the 9th
OF February last showi2g claimants to the number
For the payment of the CLAIM ascertaned ana ID
accordance with said act caused sale by auction
| 20 be made OF such selections as had been made
| from the lands which had already been certified to
the Slale Prior to the published day of sale, writ
OF injunction was served upon for its prevention
upon the complaint of the Western Railroad COM
pany, tho constructor OF the railroad from Watab to
| Brainerd, upon certain alleged grounds. Without
ware not matter for my consideration, deemed it
my duty, in pursuance of well established executive
authority and upon the advice of the attorney gem
eral, to disregard the Injunction and proceed with
the sale.
In the execution of the difficult task dsyolved upon
me for the protection of the bona tide settlers upon
the line of the road, found it advisable avail my
self of the legal knowledge Of the attorney general
and OF the assistance of Samuel h. Nichols, ESQ.,,
whose former service in government land office
rendered him familiar with the laws and rulings gov
ernfng the disposition of the public lands. For the
convenience OF the settlers frequent meetings were
held in close proximity to their homes for the hear
ing of their claims and ample time and opportunity
were afforded fora full presentation of facts by both
claimants and contestants. thorough investigation
was illus mdu6 OF each Lduu ClalnS anu upon Que
consideration 1853 of them allowed in whole or
In part, covering 19,046.47 acres descriptions of
which, together with the names of the persons re-
spectvely entitled to acquire the same, were en-
braced in the deed of REIMBURSEMENT to the United
States In order to perfect the titles Of the actual resi-
dents upon these lands as contemplated by the act
referred to.
The legislature at its last session made provision
for supply of seed grain to the several counties
which had suffered from grasshopper ravages during
the preceding year. The of $15OO00 was ap-
propriated for this urpose and prompt action was
law within the brief period between the passage of
the act and seeding time of early spring. Thirty
four counties avaed themselves of the opportunity
afforded furnishing an aggregate of 6,026 applicants
desiring various kinds of grain sufficient to seed
tai of 223727 acres. The distribution afforded an
average of something less than 80 per cent. Of the
several amounts applied for The practical operation
of the law proved universally satisfactory, and there
is to doubt that great and deserved assist
ance was rendered to destitute sections which had
been repeatedly subjected to the insect scourge
to be disabled from helping themselves, while the
general good resulting from the measure is shown
the fact that the most of the counties receiving
aid those which largely escal ed the destructive
blight of the past season and produced the best
in point of quality aud quantity; the benefits to in
dividuals thus speedily contributed to the common
prosperity by the increase and improvement of the
total product. Complaints having been received that
the grain raised from seed furnished by the State
in instances being levied upon and forcibly
moved by creditors, suggest that the existing law
relative to attachment and replevin be amended for
the better protection of the interests of the State.
CAPITOL EXTENSION.
At the last session of the legislature an appropra
ton of $4,000 was made for the purpose of erecting
an addition to the western wing of the State capitol
| and rearranging the apartments therein. The COM
| modious chamber in which you assembled and
the convenient committee rooms adjacent, well as
the increased accommodations beneath bear witness
| that the objects for which the appropriation was
| made have been accomplished. The enlargement
needed in of the departments; and it is gratfy-
ing to state that these purposes have been attained
by an expenditure strictly within the limits Of the
moderate sum set apart therefor.
BIENNIAL ELECTIONS
The constitutional amendment providing for bien.
NAL in lieu of annual sessions of the legislature will
necessiate much adjustment of administrative ma
chnery to correspond herewith In effecting this
great care will be required to include practical de-
tails OF an essential nature pertaining to the several
branches of the government. The changes re-
CURED and the examination necessarily given to the
subject, would seem to afford suitable opportunity
for the consideration of another question of i'm
portance. The extraordinary frequency of elections
has long been deemed by rejecting men one OF the
most 81 rious evils pertaining to form of govern
ment. The differing duration of our State offices,
requiring elections to fill some of them annually, and
the different seasons in which township and munich
pal elections are held, leave intervals short that
the public finds little repose from the distractions of
political warfare. The deleterious effect Of these
constant disturbances is manifest. They are unfav-
orabe to public order, to the pursuit of private bust
ness, and to the dispassonae discussion of questions
concerning the common welfare They increase the
aversion to political duty entertained by orderly aud
busy men through whose default bad men are elect
ed to office; while the expenses attending such fire.
quent elections entail heavy annual burden upon
the people. In view of these evils suggest the In
quiry whether obvious public interest would not
be subserved by providing for such amendments to
the laws and constitution wonld require biennial
elections only For this purpose it would be neces-
sary to cause State elections to take place the
same year as that in which members of Congress are
elected, which would conform to that in which men,