The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-03-04
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

Questions Of finance and revenue
necessarily require mucl! Nf your AT
rrntiOn no each biennial session. Tie
report OF the comptroller for tie two
wears ending Dee. Is, 1880, Is already
before you. From the statements con-
aimed therein you will learn that the
AMOUNT OF revenue from all sources
paid into the treasury of the State dur
ing that period was 81 LA ,39G.S2, being
sSjG, 4SS 81 less than the receipts for the
Two preceding years. Various causes
have combined to produce this decrease
Turing the latter period, the principal
unc Of which was the reduction In the
ratc of taxation IRON forty cents To ten
reHtS ON the ore hundrcdl0lSlrs' worth
If taxable property.
4 further examination of reports
rom the cOmptrollcr's Office will show
hat there has been 4 steadily progress
i've reduction in the aggregate value of
.IOTerty assessed for taxes for 4 period
# years from 1873 down to the present
imc. While this reduction may in
art be explained by q shrinking Of
alucS since 1873, it is apparent this
ausc fails 10 fully account for this fall
IL Oh IN assessed values. IL appears
hat during this period flSI3, TO 1870
Icrc was II decrease in the value Of real
state ASSESSED tor taxation amounting
. - per cent. OftiIe Catirc valgc, while
ne decrease in the assessed value Of
rrSonaiity during the same period
mounted 10 60 per cent.
1t rannGt be believed lhgtin point of
lct there could be such disparity imthc
n~rinkagc of values between these diff
rent classes Of property. IL is tut
,asUnable to believe that an increase
b the value of personal property would
r among the first evidences of return
- prosperity. That such an increase
rs occurred in the last few years is
pnlidcutlv believed. If this belief be
ell founded it necessarily follows that
,hGr some defect in our assessment
Ms, or a failure in their proper cNccu-
ON, whereby especially the owners Of
rrSoEality who dcSiIc 10 cvade the
atymcnt of taxes, are enabled to escape
Icir just proportion of the burdens of
ovcrumcut. In either ease the subject
rmands your rigid scrutiny.
The burdens Of taxation should be
Itdc to bear alike upon all classes Of
ropcrty. A Slipshod system Of assess-
Z property, which allows the design
= owners of large property in person.
tiles to escape taxation, throws an
equal burden upon real estate TO the
lnifest injury Of the agricultural in
rest Of the country.
1t is hoped that in your wisdom YOU
ny devise such change in our existing
rs as will tend to make the burdens
taxation fall equally upon all classes
property and upon all Il citizens.
dis connection ! will suggest that
lcr sources Of revenue than those
W made available may be found, and
made to aid in equalizing the bur
~ of government.
CURRENT EXPENSES.
As the constitution provides that
10 mOncy shall be drawn from the
.oasury but in consequence of appro-
iatiOns made by law" it will be your
Ity to provide, by suitable a%pprOpria-
ms, fol the current expenses Of the
Nvernmemt for the ensuing two years.
In the performance of this important
TT Of your Legislative duty, | recon-
nd to YOU the practice Of Il Severe
onomy" as not inconsistent with 4
isc libcrality,"
STATE PROSECUTIONS.
in the interest of economy, | would
| your attention to the enormous
penditurcS arising from prosecutions
the State for Otienses against our
.minal laws.
BY reference to the comptrollcr's re-
rus for the past ten years, yoll Will
"d that directly and indirectly this
IN forms II very large proportion,
he than one third, of the entire cX-
mixtures for the current expenses OF
Estate. In my opinion this expense
Y lie largely reduced by such enact
nts as will secure prompt and speedy
al of persons charged with crimes,
Is Obyiating the necessity for pro-
ctcd confinement in our jails, and
. attendance Of witnesses from
m to term Of our courts.
Practically. it isknOwn that a very
sc proportion Of this expenditure
.DwS out of prosecutions for crimes OF
nor grade. The persons charged
Ii these crimes are usually unable to
e bail for their appearance in court,
lseQuently they are confined in Jail,
lcre they remain fer months, and
netimcs years, while at each success
term of the court a cloud Of witness
many of them wholly immaterial,
.' required to be in attendance, the
,ct OF which is to unnecessarily swell
bill of costs, finally to be paid by
., State. 1.-THE grade of such Oticnscs
re reduced, and the offenders pun
ed by justices of the pence, the re-
t would be IN immense saving to
ir State.
With reference to crimes Of higher
lde, the Judges of our courts eNcr-
ing criminal jurisdiction might be
thori2cd, upon being notified by the
riff Of any county that nm alleged
miual was in custody, promptly to
0lvene his court to try the cause; ana
justice required, he might adjourn
ON time to time, so as to secure Il fair
ial at the earliest day practicable.
sides saving Il heavy expense to the
ate incident to the u~nfavorablc delay
Ider our present system, the practice
suggest wouiG, by giving to the pub
@ assurance of speedy trials of persons
arged with ollenses resulting cer-
ltnly in the acquital of the innoce1t
ii the punishment of the guilty, eff
,tually remove the temptation to mob
olencc, which, too often provoked by
e claws delay" breaks forth with
governable fury, to the shame of our
iilization.
rENlrENTIATY.
The condition of our State prison Is
%rnestly pressed upon your attention.
nat institution, as it now exists, Is no
edit to our State. 1t Is Oycr-crowded
secure, and in every way inadequate
rthe purpose for which it is designed.
is situated In the heart OLA populous
", and from its defective construc-