The Grenada sentinel., 1910-01-07
GOVERNORS MESSAGE

: thorized the issuance of $5OO,OOO il
bonds Tor current expenditures, tie Dor
rowing OF several hundred thousand dol
lars to meet temporary debts, and tn,
retirement of $50O,OoO of six per cent
bonds from the proceeds of sales of $500
ooo OF 31a per cent. bonds, the 3}a pei
cent. series being intended to be slbsti
tuted for the 9 per cent. Of the $1.253.
o29.o7 OF our states payable indebted
ness, 81 100000 was thus incurred. IOnl,
$136,500 of the 31a per cent bonds were
sold, for want of demand, or other
causes; and the remainder of the Del
cent. series of bonds were retired by cur.
rent funds, leaving in the treasury un.
sold, where they now are, 1868, 500 of the
31a per cent. bonds. As no appropria.
tlons was made for their interest, and
the proceeds are limited to retiring pur.
poses, these bonds are not, and have
not been, available for any use during
my administration.
According to the published report of
the State Treasurer, the fiscal year be-
ginning October l, 1907, opened with
only $2,319.72 in cash on hand, and with
uneXpended appropriations aggregating
$976,377.O1, constituting, if the appropri-
ations were expended, a deficit of $685.
057.29. The Auditors report shows So
65O.07 to be outstanding in war
rants. AS the terms of tax collectors
were closing, they pushed their collec-
tions so that on January 81, 1908, the
treasury contained $1,15O,63747.
On October 1, 1908, the beginning of
the last fiscal year, practically identical
conditions prevailed, slightly improved,
S4,560.60 in cash being then on hand, the
outstanding warrants and unexpended
appropriations being about the same as
October /, 1907.
Financial Outlook, 1910 and 1911.
Appropriations for the next two years
should be made to come within the
states expected revenues, and the times
of payment so regulated as to avoid,
hereafter, any requistion on the treas
ury when funds are not probably avail
able. At my request, the Auditor pre-
pared an estimate of the probable finan-
cial condition of Mississippi, receipts and
expenditures, during the years 1910 and
1911, based upon appropriations and ex-
penditures of the past two years.
According to this estimate the reve-
nues for the current calendar year will
be $3,552, ,31393, with expenditures, on
the present basis, $3,3S9, ,3O7.91 leaving
ch ho1o 0f -
airy 1, 1911; and the collections for the
year 1911 will be $3,6S5, ,9767O, with ex-
penditures aggregating $3,345, ,163.77,
with a balance then in the treasury on
January /, 1912, of $34O, O,S1293.
Enforcement of Criminal Laws.
Protection of life, liberty and property
and the safeguarding the enjoyment of
a fair opportunity to earn livelihood,
are among the highest duties of every /
government. During the past two years,
taking the state as a whole, our laws |
have been better enforced than at any |
previous time since the civil war. Offi- |
cials have been more vigilant, and grand |
and petit juries, while not at all places
doing their duty, have become more eff
cient To this, in some counties and
there are notable excep-
lions which can be, and ought to be,
remedied. The number of convictions
from felonies and msdemeanors is con-
;tantly on the increase, the increase be-
ng marked in some sections where there
las been an equally marked decrease of
rhine, due to the better enforcement of
he law. During the last two years the
of the law has been proved by
he conviction and punishment of some
offenders backed by large wealth and in
luence.
While we have reason to congratulate
ourselves on the advance made, numer-
us defeats of Justice, on account of
elays and techncalities, have prevented
he courts and government from having
hat full confidence IN the laws of en-
tiled. 1t has been said Laws are
lade to restrain the bad and protect the
ood." Even a casual review of the hun
reds of criminal convictions in this
tate reversed, for technicalties, abso-
ltely foreign to the question of guilt or i
1nocense, creates in many the belief
hat claws are made to protect the bad, c
nd to restrain the good" l shall here
fter deal more fully with this question t
nd the remedies. p
Increase Of Judges and Redistricting. I
Our supreme court, consisting, as when q
ur state was organized, of only three
ldges, with our business and population
lcreased more than tenfold, has more n
usiness than it's members can efficient
perform. Not only does 1t constantly q
ass on questions involving lives, liberty, T
nd all the property of citizens, but their 7
ecision both settles, finally, the law in
lat case, and also establishes prece- :
mt for similar litigation for all time i,
lch vital and far-reaching results !,
lght not to be hurriedly and imperfect Il
attained. Of necessity, when the
oper labor involved exceeds the avail l.
lie time of judges, nothing is left to ii
EN-, but such quick, though imperfect, 81
tion as will clear the dockets. Even o,
thout that investigation might lead ~
&c This