Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-01-17
a SPECIAL MESSAGE.
EXECUTIVE OFFfoE,
January Il, 1879

that I have approved council bill
No. 6, amending chapters % and
n, laws Of 1891, relative to poll
tax.
That I have fled council joint
resolution creating officers of the
legislature and fixing their com
peusation, and house joint Ie5oTu-
ton No. 8, providing 6r the pay
ment of Legislative employees, in
The office Of the secretary Of the
Territory, unapproyed.
The first of these resolutions
provides for tho employment Of
tweuty-seven officers and en-
ployees in the house and twenty
five in the council, at salaries
which amount to sl38 each day
for the house, and S13O for the
council, being S263 in all. This
is in addition to the seven officers
of each house provided by u. s..
law and paid by the National gov
eminent. The council has there
fore thirty-two officers and en-
ployoes for its twelve members
and the house of representatives
thirty-four for its twenty-four
members.
Should this extraordinary num-
Der of officials be continued
throughout the session at the sala-
ries named, the total expense to
the Territory would be about Sl6,-
900. L believe that every one
agrees hat both the numbered en-
ployees is very excessive and that
the salaries paid in most cases are
unnecessarily large. Arizona,
with a legislature exactly similar
to that of New Mexico, has been
content with three Territorial
clerks in each house at an aggre-
gage salary for the entire session
of 1856; and in Kansas, where the
senate consists of forty and the
house of l25 members, the senate
has twelve officers and three pages
and the house fifteen officers and
six pages, the officers receiving So
per day and the pages 80, making
a total expense of less than 500
per day; while no good would re-
suit from the veto of a resolution
of this character, as to which al
most every member of both houses
is absolutely committed, and in
which political and personal
friends of nearly all are interested
yet the governor can not be ex.
pected formally to approve tina
which in reality he disapproves
and 1 have therefore filed it a.
above stated. Under the organic
act it will become operative at the
expiration of January 10.
The chief objection to the house
! Joint resolution No. 3, appropria.
ting money to pay the employees
of the legislature, is the form and
effect of the appropriation. We
have just been able to get ouI
financial matters into a somewhat
systematic shape, by keeping the
fiscal year separate aud the differ.
ent funds entirely distinct. Blu.
this resolution aims a blow at al
such system. The expenses of thii
legislature belong to the 43d isca
year, but by the appropriation
clause in this resolution the treas
urer is ordered to pay these war
rants "out of the appropriation 70.
pay Of Governors rewards and OK
penses Of serving requisions in th,
miscellaneous fund of the ADD ifs
cal year, or out of any other funds
in the discretion Of the treasure
in which there may be money q
the time Of the presentation Of tn
warrants"
The available amount in ia
reward fund is about Sl,30O, an
the requisition fund about $500
so that the remainder must com
from elsewhere. To take it fror
some fund pledged for another oil
Iject is only to shift an indebted
ness, besides violating a prior OF
legation. To take it from th
money paid in for use in the mex
fiscal year is simply TO invit
trouble then. If the taxes receiV
ed for the 44th year are 10 be use
for other objects before that yea
begins it should be with the pei
feet knowledge of the legislator
and by an explicit law 60 that e.
feet. In order that there may /
no misunderstanding about tn
financial situation, l submit tn