Year: 1877

He GRAPPLES WITH PIE PROBLEM
or FRE'DEENING'I,AES STATE


Why he convened the Legislature The


State debit --Taxation--fhe Charitable


Institutions and the Freq Schools.


Governor Hampton ,sent-his first
message to the Legislature on tho
Goth inst. 1t is a comprehensive
and able papettand fully sets forth
tho policy of the adminis-
tration on all the principal questions
of the day.


He gives as reason for conven~
ing the Legislature at this time, his
belief that the critical condition of
public affairs and the welfare of the
State demanded such a course and
he returns thanks to fhe mombers
for patriotically laying aside private
business and devoting ,their atten-
ton to public affairs. He trusts
that d broad spirit of patriotism will
porvade all their councils.


Owing to, tho anamolous condition
of affairs for the past two months,
Governor Hampton is unable to lay
before tho Legislature such full and
accurate information on all subjects
as is advisable. Circumstances havo
prevented him from obtaining access
to tho public records and he cannot
speak outhoritatively of the exact
financial condition of tho State, nor
mako such particular suggestions as,
under the ordinary condition of
public matters, it would have been
his pleasure, no less than his duty,
to have done. He therefore can
call attention in general terms only
to few subjects which require i'm.
mediate attention.


The most important subject to
which attention is directed is tho


FINANCIAL. CONDITION OF THE STATE
which is at present deploreble. On
this point the governor says:


GAIL efforts to bring about IL bet
ter state of affairs will prove I'M
availing until the finances are put
in a healthy condition and the credit
Of the State is established on the
sound and honorable footing they
once occupied. But in the mean
time there is an imperative necessity
that the Immediate needs of the
State should be provided for and
in doing Dhis the burden of taxation
should be made rs light as poss bic,
for the resources of our people are
well nigh exhausted, and the season
Of the year at which the taxes will
be called for is most unfortunate.
There sloald bo no qu; st on or
doubt as to our determination to
meet overy honest obligation Of the
State fairly and faithfully but it is
equally our duty to ascertain what
are honest liabilities. There should
be a condition precedent to the pay
mcnt of interest on any Of the out
standing obligations of the State,
whether i'll the shape OF bonds or
otherwise, and also to tho further
funding Of any of the State indebted
ness into the consolidated bonds
authorized to be issued under the
act of 1874, to reduce tho volume of
the public debt.


In order to effect this object in
mode satisfactory and equitable,
alike to the State and to the public
credit, / respectfully suggest tho
appointment Of q commission, to
consist Of one member from each
House of the Legislature, tho
Comptroller General and the Treas
urer of the State, and three citizens
of financial ability, to whom the
whole question of the financial con-
dition of the State shall DO referred,
and under whose directions
thorough and complete investigation
of the funded and floating in,
dcbtedness of the State shall be
made and who shall be empowered
to require II registration before them
OF before suchIofficers as maybe desig-
mated, of the consolidation bonds of
tho State. Obligations, the validity
Of which shall be thus ascertainod,
shall be certified in such form ns the
commission or tho Legislature may