Year: 1871

One Of the Family, who /, Governor of Della
ware, Sends "a Message TO The LeRisiaturo of
the Diamond state-Some Choice Extracts
TberefrOm.


We have been favored by Governor Cove
Salisbury with a neatly printed copy OF his
biennial message to the Legislature of Delaware
and append such extracts as are of general in
terest:-


The aggregate State debt now amounts to
81 632, 600, and the debt less the investments of
the State $685., $50 decrease of $4o 600 during
the last two years. 1t appears that there has
been paid to the Treasurer, under the opera
tion OF the acts of the Legislature to provide
revenue for the State, passed at the session of
1869, the sum of $12O, Sits, of which amount
$25, '25 have been received under the opera
tion the law of 1864, from the Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore, and from the juno
tion and Breakwater Railroad Companies. The
Governor discusses the disagreements with the
railroad companies at length, calls Tor legisla-
tion on the oyster bed and fishing questions, re-
commends some modification of the law for fix
ing the boundary line between Pennsylvania
and Delaware, and recommends the establish
ment of penitentiary, the revision of the sta
tutes, and some legislation in regard to the COM
mon school system.


On the subject of the recent election, he says:
Il have learned through the public prints,
and also from the representation of reliable
citizens, that there were on the day of the last
general election in this State persons at or near
the polls in Appoquinimink Hundred, aud





claiming to act as marshals under authority
from the Federal Government, and assuming
the right to interfere with the lawfully chosen
election officers in the discharge of their duties
/ recommend the passage of a law making such
an offense n felony, punishable with the for
feiture of the right of suffrage, with such other
penalties as the Legislature may deem eXpedi-
ent and proper, and the application of its pro-
visions to all who may secure, solicit, or ca
courage the perpetration of such ottense."


SALISBURY on NATIONAL AFFAIRS.


Under the head of Federal Affairs" we find
the following choice commentary


''The people of this State are deeply inter
ested in the management of Federal affairs and
have the right to insist upon wise and just
administration of the Federal Government
under and within the limitations of the Consti-
tuition, and to demand that neither intimidation
nor coercion be resorted to to defeat or nullify
the wish of the people OF any State or any num-
Der of States having the right to speak in refer
ence to any question where the interests of the
whole are concerned.


SIN disregard of constitutional obligations,
Congress and the Federal Executive have
sought, by revolutionary means, to centralize
and consolidate all political power in their own
States. Without the power by direct act to
amend the Constitution or alter its proyi-
sions, and unable to secure the volun-
taTy consent of the number of States requisite
for that purpose they have forced some of
the Southern States to consent to proposed
amendments ofthe Constitution as condition to
representation in Congress, and have thereby
nulliied the legally expressed will of other
States whose consent could not be secured, and
whose proper and legal relations with the Fede-
raj Government have never been interrupted.
Such action is fraud upon the non-consentlng
States and upon the people of the whole coun-
try. 1t is asubject of congratulation, however,
that the people in the late elections rebuked
these acts of usurpation and tyranny, aud we
may well indulge the hope that the spirit oi
true patriotism will assert its superiority ovel
party suhserviency, and remove from power
the representatives of a political organization
which has failed, during period of five year
of profound peace, to bring the country back K
the healthy condition in which it found it at th
time of its advent to power in 1860"


SALISBURY ON SUFFRAGE.


On the suffrage question the Governor says


'The question of suffrage has received s.
much attention for the past few years. and wa
so fully discussed in the late political canvas
in this State, that deem it unnecessary to d
more than allade to the subject. Until recent.
no political party in the country has ventures
to claim for the Federal Government any autho
rity to determine the qualification of electors i
the State, or to interfere with the just rights G
the people of every State to determin
all matters connected with their ow
local elections. The fifteenth amendment
adopted by fraud and coercion, and in oppos
tion to the will of the white people of the couI
try, has been condemned by the popular voic
in almost every State of the Union, and in non
more sgnaly than our own. Its effects upo
both races must prove injurious, ami it is to b
hoped that its condemnation by the people
the country will, at no distant day, lead to il
repeal as part of the Federal Constitution"