The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-03
Governor Cautions Legislators Against
ExtraVagant Appropriations.
A MESSAGE OF KINDLY ADVICE
AND ADMONITION.
The Legislature Hears Again From Coy.
Cleaves-His Admonition Reinforced
by Figures From the State Treasurer.
Especial to the Pressl.

1890
Especial to the Press1.
AUGUSTA, March 2.-The legislature
has already heard from the Governor on
the manner in which bills granting
special charters to railroad and other cor
porations are often passed, receiving little
of the attention which should be bestow-
ed upon measures granting such sweep
ing powers. The veto message was every
where admitted to have been wise and it's
good effects were seen at once. Today
the Governor in message called atten-
ton to another matter in communica-
ton dealing with the general subject of
the appropriations. The Governor, in
his message, gives a clear and concise
statement of the conditions of the treas
ury. He says that the power of making
appropriations is with the legislature
that it concerns every citizen in the state;
that the rate of taKation must depend
upon the good Judgment of the legisla-
ture, in making appropriations from the
treasury. He adds that while we should
treat all of our institutions literally, we
money of all the people we are appropri-
ating. We should strive to keep our ex-
penditures within the reasonable limits,
and by SO doing, we shall conform to the
demands of the occasion, and fulfill the
expectations of our constituents. The
message follows:
STATE OF MAINE,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
March 2, 1898.
To the Honorable Senate and House of
Representatives.
In compliance with the constitutional
requirement applicable to the Executive,
you will permit me to submit for your
consideration, some suggestions relating
to the financial condition of the state;
and I also submit herewith a communi-
cation from the state treasurer, state
ment of appropriations already made at
this session, amounting to the sum of
81, 1874, ,514.S0; also an estimate from the
state treasurer of the additional regular
expenditures required for the year 1898,
amounting to the sum of $40, ,020.74;
also a statement of proposed appropria-
tions for 1898, reported by committees
and now pending before the legislature,
amounting to the sum of $169, ,425. SO;
and also statement of the estimated
now pending before committees, that
have not been finally adjudicated upon.
amounting to the sum of SS6, 800, MAX
ing an aggregate of 81 $50, ,461.40.
I also have the honor to submit here
with an estimate from the state treas
urer of the receipts for the year 1898. 1t
is based on general laws as they existed
on the first day of January last.
An additional revenue of some thirty
five or forty Thousand dollars will be
received from the railroads, by reason of
increased taxation upon these corpora
tiens; but sixty per cent of the
additional revenue received from
the Maine Central railroad must be
refunded to the various cities and towns,
and also quite per cent of the addi-
tional revenue received from the Boston
& Maine railroad, and a very large por-
ton of this increased revenue comes
from these two corporations.
One-half of whatever additional
amount of revenue may be received from
the savings banks will be distributed to
various towns for school purposes.
These two items constitute the principal
portion of the additional revenue So
therefore, be observed that while all of
pAiAo 1A1SA ScbSCh 1OFOAtG3 IL OiiO LII 81 LII
stance, is paid into the state treasury,
it is not entirely available to meet appro-
priations made by the legislature, for
existing laws provide that large por
ton of the same shall be used for other
specific purposes.
The appropriations for the year 1891,
amounted to the sum of 81, ,657, ,936.47.
Two hundred thousand dollars, on ac-
count of the temporary loan, was includ-
ed in such appropriations.
The first appropriation bill passed at
this session of the legislature also includ-
ed 100000 on account of such Temporal
ry loan, but if excessive appropriations
are to follow, the treasurer will be re-
quired to renew this entire loan, and use
the money appropriated for this specific
object for other purposes.
Our existing temporary loan of $780,
900 reaches the constitutional limit We
are precEuded By the Constitution from
creating ''any debt or debts, liability or
liabilities, on behalf of the state, which
shall, singly or in the aggregate, with
previous debts or liabilities hereafter in
CURED at any one time, exceed $500, 900,
except to suppress insurrechon, to repel
invasion, or for the purposes of war;
This loan of three hundred thousand
dollars has existed since 1890, and it is
oartaip1x dacira hlo +hat q ,,oy,D,opr cbo11