Montgomery County sentinel., 1882-01-13
The Governors Message.

abuses and detects in the Legislation ana
administration of the State, with sugges-
tions as to how they should be remedied,
The first portion of the message Is natur-
ally devoted to a consideration Of the State
finances, and the Governor goes over good
deal Of the ground which has been the sub
ject of recent and animated controversy be-
tween him and Comptroller Keating The
Governor disclaims any spirit of criticism
or "intent 10 reflect upon the past" yet the
argumentative tone of this part Of the mes
sage indicates that the heat of controversy
at least has not entirely passed from his
mind. According to the eComptroller's state
ment the total of receipts of the State
treasury during the fiscal year ended Sept.
30, 1881, 81 ,996641 08, which, added to the
balance OF $513,026 36 in the treasury Sept.
30, 1890, gives an aggregate of $2,509, ,667 A.
Deducting disbursements, 81, ,757, ,469 10, the
balance, Sept. 30, 1881, was $752,19S 20.
This balance, the Governor argues, is merely
nominal, and sin fac" he says, "there should
not be one cent there. IL does not belong
TO the treasury proper, but 10 the loan credi-
tors, and should have been carried to their
account by investments for the sinking
fund" The Governor complains that not
only this balance, but large sums besides,
the proceeds of takes levied and collected
for sundry specified loans, have for series
of years been diverted to other purposes,
and that there is actually due to-day by the
treasury to these loans the sum Of 81 ,465.-
1876 13, including the balance referred TO OF
$752,1 20. All this forms part, as stated,
OF the controversy between the Governor
and the treasury officials, with which the
public during the last legislative canvass
| became familiar
The Governor claims that the actual sur
plus Of ordinary or usual receipts for the
past year over ordinary expenditures and
after payment OF balance of interest upon
the public debt not otherwise provided for
is only $2,090 56, and that if the school
fund received all that was collected for it,
instead of surplus there would be deficit
of 1891 ,269 IA. This being the case in an
"off-ycar," when there was no legislative
session, the Governor urges that if the eX-
penses for the present Legislature remain
the same as for the last session, the def
cheney for the current year will be $780, :
$50 SO. Hence he urges the especial neces-
sity Of economy and n general reduction
of expenses Those of the Legislature, he
holds, should not exceed $125,000. The
Governor recommends certain notifications
in the act of 1880, chapter 232, providing
for new $3,000,000 loan for the payment
of the bounty defense loan, which natures
July !, 1888, and also the repeal Of the act
Of 1879, chapter 1865, for the issue Of u 6 per
cent. currency loan IN exchange for the D
per cent. sterling loan. The Governor eX-
plains at length the operation and value OF
the sinking funds, and urges that sound
policy, AZ well rs good faith, requires that
| uhn lao c,,H 40 Ia, 4
or become impaired, but should bo sedu-
lously kept up and scrupulously applied.
Eghty-iour tax collectors for the State
are considered 10 be too many for the SER
vice, and the reduction of this number 10
twenty-four, or one for each county and the
city of Baltimore, is recommended. More
stringent measures against delinquent col
lectors are also recommended, and the ap.
pointment OF an unpaid commission for the
whole tax and collection system of the State
to report to the next Legislature. Instead
of two fish commissioners the Governor
thinks one quite sufficient, and has doubts
whether the outlay for the service has any
adequate results. The salary paid the sec.
retary of the Senate as superintendent o
vital statistics is declared TO be for no ser.
vice at all, and the act allowing it should
be repealed. A similar recommendation is
made in regard TO the office of superin
tendent of the House of Correction tee
graph. The offices of State Tax Commits
sioner and Insurance Commissioner the
Governor thinks are useless and should be
abolished, and the duties of both offices re-
mitted to the Comptroller TO whose depart
ment in the Governors opinion, they prop
erly belong The office OF land commits
sioper is held to be useless and the Office
itself an unnecessary burden upon tht
treasury, and should be abolished. 1rht
offices of weighers of grain and hay he
also thinks are useless to the State.
The subject oflegislative expenses is gone
into at length, and suggestions made to
their future regulation, as well as reduction
In the department of public printing anC
the item of publication of the laws thu
Governor is of opinion that "tbere can be
judicious saving Of at least $70,000." Tht
system adopted by the State of Virgini;
is explained and contrasted in point o
economy. The Governor recommends tina
the public printing, binding, &C., be let t
the lowest responsible bidder, the execu
ton of the work 10 be under the supervis
ion of q superintendent, and that the publ
cation Of the laws in the newspapers be con
fined to such laws as the Governor and At
torney General may designate as necessary
| W Dc DuDllSiltu nC OONtTIOT
o complete reorganization of the State fishery
force, or "oyster navy" with view both Z
its greater efficiency and economy; the turn
ing over Of the police sloops 10 the COUNTIES
for the protection of their local revenues
from licenses for longing, &c, and the estab
lishment of dredging districts to be dredget
in different years, the expense of the Stat,
oyster police to be borne by a tax on tn,
sale of oysters by the gallon and bushel
the tax TO he paid through stamps and per
mits,
The abolition of compulsory tobacco in
spection is recommended, changes in tn,
mode of administration of the House o
Correction are suggested; reduction il
the number of managers, the institution itsel
10 be put as far as possible on the footing o
the peEjtaDtiary. In regard TO the taxation
of mortgages. tue Governor recommends al
equitable distribution or division of the tag
between the mortgage debt and the real es
tate covered by it, as being most conforma
bic TO the requirement of the bill of rights
that every man should contribute to tn,
support Of government according TO his ac
tual worth.
The Governor urges new registration o
voters, TO be repeated biennially in the city
and at longer intervals in the counties alsC
further and more stringent legislation to in
sure the purity of elections and the fairness
OF the canvass and return made Of the votes
also that primary elections should be brought
within the regulation and sanction of III,
election laws. The necessity of additiona
and more pointed legislation upon the sub
ject of bribery and corruption at elections
and for the suppression Of legislative lobby
ing Is also insisted upon. The appointment
Of officers by the Legislature is condemned
as contrary 10 the true theory of govern
ment, and also the system of dual or tripar
tite appointments made by the board o
public works or other chief officers the State
In regard to the appointing power of tn,
Judiciary of the State the Governor uses tn
following language; "lo the judiciary
confded the administration of justice, ant
Of late years has not been constituted al
appointing power, except the single in
stance OF that of county school commits
siopers The legal power of the judiciary
to do this has been questioned by some, ant
the policy of II doubted by others, and thC
subject has boon one Of contention. As cor
rect general principle, the Judiciary should