Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-03-16

time, exceed $50, 900, except TO suppress
insurrection, to repel invasion or for the
purposes of war"
This loan Of $4,000 has existed since
1890, and it is certainly desirable that a
payment shall be made on the same, and
the funds appropriated for such purpose
should not be diverted to meet other
liabilities, created by special appropria-
tions hereafter made.
And, in this connection, you will also
permit me to refer to the report of the
state treasurer for the year 1892. 1t will
be observed upon examination page 49l
that in the year 1887 our expenditures ex-
ceeded our receipts $6J63. ~; for the year
1888 the excess of expenditures over our
receipts was $40,0N.62; for the year
1889, 1906, l05; for the year 1890, slo1..
7l224; the report shows that for
the year 1891 our receipts exceeded our ex-
penditures s34,93743. While during the
year 1891 there is an apparent excess of re'
ceipts over expenditures, yet there is in
cluded in such receipts 1851, 1u1 10 re
funded to the state from the United States
government on account of the direct taN
and except for this item Of revenue. ther,
would have been an excess of expenditures
over receipts for the year 1891 of 49,
76461 The year 1S92 shows an excess Of
receipts over expenditures of $lU7. l66 Is
and is the first time during the past six
years that our ordinary income has been
equal to our expenditures
Sound financial and business principles
absolutely require that our expenditures
shall not exceed our receipts, and that the
state should have n surplus ut all times
available in its treasury.
1t is a duty that is imperative upon Us,
in the adm instration Of the affairs OF the
state, to practice frugality, TO carefully
scrutinize all appropriations, and couir.t
them to the narrowest limits consistent
with the welfare of the people, the state
and its institutions, and endeavor to re
duce the rate OF state taxation. While We
are striving to secure new and additional
revenues to the state from various sources
it will be OF little avail in relieving III,
taxpayers OF the state, If it serves only to
encourage appropriations which are not
absolutely necessary.
The legislature determines the amount,
OF appropriations, after Investigation ana
hearing. No other department of the gov
ernment has the right to exercise that au
thority. The discretion and power rest.
where il shoilld with the chosen reprc~.n
tatiyes Of the people and as | have 81.
gested in former communication to til,
honorable senate and house Of represents,
tivcs, the whole subject is within your con
trol. ut concerns every citizen of tn,
state ii is your good Judgment that musi
govern and every measure should he con
sidered upon its own intrinsic merits"
And hefor, the session closes, in the pcl
furmance OF the constitutional duties com
mitted to YOU by the suffragcs Of the peu
pie, you will determine the rate OF taNatiul
for state purposes, for the coming twt
years upon the valuation Of the 4tate ans
that rate must depend upon the good
judgment and wisdom Of the legislator,
in making appropriations from the publ,
treasury.
The supreme court Of the state Of Main,
has held That the power Of taxation 'for
the defense, and brnetit of the people. /,
limited only by the good sense and sound
judgment OF the legislature. Our court
has also held that 1T is not for the juii,iAI
department 10 determine where legitimat.
taxation ends - Ii is the province of III,
Legislature
do not favor illiberalty toward any OF
the interests or institutions of the stat,.
| would deal with them justly, even
literally, rather than penuriously. bui
We should, in considering all Of th,--.
questions, constantly remember that /
j. thr money of all the people We are ~
proPriating. that appropriations OF none,
demand taxation; and that the ht,L
streams of revenue flowing from all 50.
tons of our state into the public trca>ur.
from which these appropriations are MIA.
are the fruits OF industry and toll, .
should be guarded As yigilantly az the "a
Sacious man would protect his private
Oeans
carefully refrain at this time from ex-
pressing any opinion for or against any OF
the proposed appropriations before your
honorable bodies for consideration, but
have deemed it my duty to present to the
legislature the accompanying statements
from the treasury department, with the
foregoing suggestions
The people have imposed great trust
upon the legislature and the executive and
| earnestly urge the utmost conservatism.
Our appropriations should he governed by
she actual needs We should strive to keep
tur expenditures within reasonable limits;
then we shall have conforned to the i'm
perative demands Of the occasion and full
hlled the confident expectations of our con
ktltuents HENRY b. tLEAyES.