Year: 1872

FIRST MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR


MOSES TO THE LEGISLATURE.


An Explanatory Letter from the New


State Treasurer.


Gentlemen of the Senate and House Of


Representatives


From official conference with the
Chairmen of the committee of ways
and means of the House of Represen-
tatives, and of the committee on
finance of the Senate, respectively, l
have learned that the General Assem-
bly, is about to enter upon that de-
partment of legislation, which is spe-
cially connected with the levy and
collection of taxes in order to raise
the moneys which may be deemed
necessary to meet the expenses of the
present fiscal year, and to provide for
such DEFICIENCIES as now arc, or may
hereafter be, demanding early settle
ment.


Believing it my duty, as the Exec
utive of the State, to place before
your honorable bodies, and through
them before the people, all the infor-
nation in my possession which may
have q bearing on this important
subject, hasten, at the earliest prac-
ticablc moment, to transmit such Off
cial data as have been able to collect
during the short period which has
elapsed since my Inauguration into
Office, to the end that the people of
the State may understand the nature
of the necessities which will govern
us in the collection and disbursement
of the taxes which they will be called
upon to pay into the treasury. Let
us in the beginning understand each
other, and let not the attempt be
made to cover up from their view any
Of the financial difficulties which are
pressing upon us as their representa-
tives. Our dealing between ourselves
and those whom we represent should
be of that candid and manly charac-
ter that will carry conviction home
to the minds of our constituents, and
persuade them that for the future we
can safely trust one another. Each
and every taxpayer Of our State has
the undoubted right to know the true
condition Of the treasury, and to un-
derstand the nature of all the claims
against it, and the manner in which
it is proposed that those claims shall
be met. Nowhere else can they bet
ter receive this knowledge and under
standing than in the frank and open
conduct of the Legislature. In our
present situation, prompt and firm
action is, above all things, necessary,
and we should waste no time in un-
availing regrets for the past, and vain
expectations for the future, but at
once proceed to an earnest guardian
ship Of the public interests, bnt have
care that that guardianship shall be
at once so vigilant and so tender that
the chains which you may rivet
around the treasury of this State may
not enter into the hearts of the peo-
pie. There is no money in the treas
ury with which to meet either the
current exp nses of the State govern
ment or it's large and outstanding
liabilities. The necessities of the
several charitable, educational and
penal institutions which have been 80
extremely urgent for many months
past, still remain unsatisfed, while
the collection of taxes which were re-
lied upon as the whole source of relief
have been suspended by judicial pro-
cedure. The collection Of all taxes
levied, or to be levied, under authority
of the Joint resolution Of March 13,
1871, was temporarily enjoined on the
18th ultimo, by his honor, the Judge
of the Fifth Circuit, on the applica-
tion of the present State treasurer,
the treasurer elect That injunction
was made absolute on the 23d ult., his
honor holding that the joint resolution
in question is in violation of section 3,
article 9 of the State Constitution,
which provides that


"The General Assembly shall pro-
vide for an annual tax sufficient to
defray the estimated expenses Of the
State for each year; and whenever it
shall happen that such ordinary ex-
penses Of the State for any year shall
exceed the, income of the State for
such year, the General Assembly shall
provide for levying tax for the en-
suing year sufficient, with other
sources of income, to pay the defcien-
cy of the preceding year, together
with the estimated expenses of the
ensuing year"
; The said injunction also rests upon
other grounds which will the more
fully appear in the special report Of
the State treasurer, which report
have requested for your information
in the premises, and herewith
transmit. In compliance with my
request have also received from the
State treasurer an official report en-
bracing a statement of the defcien-
: cies and claims that exist against the
State, and which will require to be
paid out Of the tax about 10 be levied