The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-21

THE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE.
The message delivered to the General
Assembly today by His Excellency,
CHARLES WARREN LIPPrrr, Governor OF
Rhode Island, is a comprehensive docu-
ment covering a, briefly as may be the
conditions as the Governor finds them in
the midele OF his term OF office and max
ing such recon ommendations as the condi-
tions seem 10 suggest.
The Governor finds the State 800, 900 in
debt. The entire income for 1895 has been
expended and in addition a surplus left
from last year, amounting to over s24O, 600,
is also wiped out. These expenditures are
all chargeable to appropriations made by
Assemblies preceding the present one,
some OF them dating back as far as 1898,
and the greater part OF them being for
extraordinary expenses in the line OF
improvement and advancement and not
for the current expense of running the
Government. AS some OF these extraor-
dinary expense accounts. the building OF
the State Normal School for instance, are
to be kept up under existing contracts
through 1896, a largely increased def
cheney is expected at the end OF 1896 and
1t is evident that funds must be supplied
from other than the regular sources OF
State income.
Tho difficulty is serious from the fact
that under the Constitution the General
Assembly cannot borrow more than $50, :
600 without the express consent OF the
people. The GovernJr recommends an is.
sue OF bonds to the amount of $500, 600 to
cover the extraordinary expenses for
the immediate future. and in this con-
nection 1t is pointed out that the
ordinary expenses are taken care of by
regular sources OF income and there is a
normal surplus besides.
The Governor contemplates favorably
the possible ownership OF water front by
the city Of Providence and refers hopefully
to the consummatiou SO devoutIy to
be wished in the way of taking full ad-
vantage OF the possibilities of commerce
in Narragansett Bay. Approval is given
to the open ocean harbor being dug out
OF Block leland. A push is exerted to
separate the insurance department from
the State auditor's Office, as so many
executives have pushed before. The
Governor does not go hal: way in saying
strong word for the support OF the
militis. He approves the town system
OF schools and the examination OF teach
ers under State direction, plan so emf
nently worthy and yet that meets with
disaster as regularly as it is brought up,
and records that the management of
the Rhode Island College OF Agriculture
and Mechsnic Arts urgently presents its
claims for greater facilities TO conduct its
work." coupling this note with the
recommendation that "the work of the
College should be supported and encour-
aged as far a. the resources OF Rhode
Island will permit" An excellent recon-
mendation is that for retaliatory and
protective legislation to regulate the i'm
portation of cattle into Rhode Island.
The Governor, We feel, is to be COM
mended Cor an evident reserve in looking
for trouble and finding lot OF things
to recommend. Indeed his recommended
tions are remarkably few. Those OF prime
Importance are handily grouped at the
conclusion OF the message first that $500,
900 be borrowed; uecond that tho consti.
tutional power OF the Assembly to borrow
money be increased to no more than $780,
600, instead OF $4,000 as now; third, that
the Governor be given the veto power.
We quote with much pleasure the patri-