The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-03-29
OPPOSED TO REDUCTION.
Marriage Licenses no Lower-Gov. McLane
FOrbids the Reduction.

Marriage Licenses no Lower-Go,. McLane
Forbids the Reduction.
Governor Nc Lane on Wednesday morn
ing vetoed the bill reducing marriage
licenses from 81 80 to 60 cents. The
Governor sent a message to the Senate
giving his reasons for the veto, which
accompanied the bill returned without
his approval. The pressure on the Gov
ernor from both sides was very strong.
He told all the friends of the reform that
he would cheerfully have signed the bill
if they had provided any other source Of
revenue. He thought it rather hasty to
pass the bill before some other provision
had been made for raising revenue to
supply its place. In the veto message
returning the bill without his approval
the Governor gives his reasons as follows.
He says:
''In the present condition Of the treas
ury | think it my duty to withhold my
signature from any bill which reduces
taxation unless an equivalent resource is
provided for the current expenditure.
Under date Of January 80, 1884, ! COM
municated to the General Assembly
statement of the financial condition of
the State treasury, which brought TO their
attention the fact that if all the proceeds
of the direct tax of g, cents were apprO-
priateG to the sinking funds for which
| they were expressly levied, and if the
sinking fund created by the act of 1872
was maintained, there would be a large
| deficit in the treasury. Only one of these
| sinking funds. to wit, that for the ex-
| tinguishment of the treasury relief loan,
has been maintained as required by the
constitution and the laws. The current
revenue being insufficient to provide for
current expenditures, if all the proceeds
of the direct tax were taken from the
general treasury, if these sinking funds
| are made good and maintained in the
| future, the debts for the extinguishment
of which were created will be paid at
maturity. and no direct tax will be there
| after levied beyond the special school tax
of 10 cents. This desirable result can be
accomplished if the General Assembly
will maintain an equilibrium between
the receipts and expenditures. The en-
| tire responsibility for the financial con
dition of the State is with the lawmak-
| ing power, and therefore, while | defer
| to the better Judgment of the General
| Assembly i'll all matters of general legis-
| latiou, my duty under section of arti-
Gle 3 of the constitution leaves me no
discretion in reference to this bill. Alter
this statement of the financial condition
of the State, and fully sympathizing with
| those who desire the passage of this bill
in the interest of the poorer classes of the
| community, and under the further infiu-
ences of moral considerations involved in
the policy OF abstairing from all taxation
of marriage contracts, j have to observe
that if any one contemplating matrimony
| found the price of the present marriage
! license too great, he could very readily
gain exemption from the payment of any
license tax at all by utilizing the provi-
| sions Of the existing law relating to the
| publication of the banns of matrimony.
When the veto message was read in the
measure, said he did not propose to enter
into a discussion of the matter at length.
The argument which met him i'll 1882
was the same as that which the Execu-
tive used-that of revenue. lie would
only ask if the Senate would put revenue
! above virtue.
The vote was then taken as to whether
the bill should pass notwithstanding the
Governors veto. The vote resulted, yeas
49, nays 1. Sixteen votes, or three-tifths
of the Senate, are necessary to pass a bill
over the Governors veto; SD the friends
of cheap licenses We're three votes short,
and the Governors veto was sustained.