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Redeemed During The Last Year, And Without Further Action O...

Redeemed During The Last Year, And Without Further Action O... image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
January
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

redeemed during the last year, and without fur'.her ncüon of the Legislature, the remainder will soon be absorbed. lts issue lor nny otlicr purpose than that now authorizedby law should not bo flllort'eti. Beyond question of doubt, it is precisely that species of currency which, by the Constitution of the United States, the States ure prohibited trom issuing. and I should deem it my duty to withhold my npproval from any blll authorizing the issue of furt'.icr sunis or the re-issuo ol the present scrip beyond ilio requirements of law by which it was crented. Bcsidos the objections of a constitutional clnractcr, the impolicy of resorting to paper issues lor leinporary relief has been so clearly ilemon.ítrated, by lessons of the pas!, that such mensures should npver reCcive your sanction, Tiic pioposiiion to fund the scrip now outstandiug. howcver desirable such i incaQiire ruight be, is not believed to be feasiblc as sufficient inducenicnts can not be ollcied for its surrender.The collaternl ppcuriiies taken in 1840 fiom tlic MorrisCanal and Banking Coinany, fihovild bp surrendered on the adjusftncnt ut' the five niillion loan as contemplated n ilie net of the February 17:h, 1H 12. and any sums tlia , in the ïneantimo. man bc rcalizcd fïom them should bc accounted lor to the porties n interest. The nominnl amouiu of these securilies wns $621,000, nnd at the time they were obtaincd vvere csiiniated by the hte Trensurcr, who precured them nt half a inillion of dollars. Frorii iriform'ation, however. more recenily obn'ncd, it is believed (hét are of but litile vnluc. anri thnr. willi the exception of the judgir.ent ol' $40.000 upon the fixtures of the Long Islnrnl Rflilroad Conipnny, whatever else is realizoJ must be obtaine l by expensive proceedings at law. The late State Treasurer, as nppears by his repur', deposltcd these securitics for snfe keeping in the linnds of an attorney in New York, to whom, For his as8istance in obtaining them, lie bod paid a thouoand dollars. For their snfe keeping ei gh teen inoiiths. that being tlie li ;ie thcy remained iti his possession, thts attorney chtfrged ihe Staie at the rate of a thousind dollars a year wiih lees in addiiton for all services actunlly per.'ormed; and though during that period heclaimeá, in his ac- oounts precented, to have been a special agent of : the State in attending to its interests a;ul making negotiations in relation to claims assigned, yct hel neglected to make invesügation into the state ol the secundes, or to give any satisfactory ment respenting them for the icason principally, fi3 appearsby his letter on file in the office of the State Treastiry, tliat' he had no funda to meet the expense. They haye sincel)eenleposited in the hands of Messrs. Lee, Daler, and Müler, a rosponsible mercantile house in New York. with no other expense to the St.itc than reasonal)le compensation for services rendered. The ilirec-l tion of the Leglslature is i ei]uested in regard to the course to be pnrsued with these assets.From the assets of tlie Michigan State Dank - the trustees have collecied in stair:seeuriiies.1s1Lt.541 71. and have ohtained lands in setilernent with sume the debtors estimated tb 6e worth $12.()?5 50. A largo amount of these nssets befare rheir nssignment to the State, had, for tlie purrose of collcction. been put into the hands ol iwo gentlemen, partners in the profession of law, v!io noV lindar pretext ihat injusticc has leen done that instiiution by enaetmen's of tlie Lesislature at its last session. ref'use to acconnt to the trustees or to pay over nny moneys by thcni coüectcd. l'roceediniis havehceti instiluted nd are now pending in thè court pfehanbery (y. vvhich thé lègjility o! their relu.s.il wil! he tes:e:J. These a'setsamounted nomimlly. at tin; time of the scttlemeni with slie bank. to nbvé LG3).0fK). but it is believed, that, with the lust possible management, tno arnount to be realized vvill be compara t i vely smal I. The report of the trustees is hcrewiih transniitted, Thcre is now duo ilie Snre Trcasury from the several cunties $1)2.409 81, of which $58,295 07 is fbr a.ssessment of 1342. There is now renininins due n the Auüitor GencraTa offioe Lr nnpiid toxea the snm of $133.225 87. - Tlie amount duc the primary school interest fulid remains in ihe Treisury on deposite. The nbove together with the lands o!rcady meiitionc'. aiul the revenue of the Central and Southern Rail roa ]?, constitnte all the resources of the State from which income can be expected the ensuinir year. Tne entire expenses of the state ijovernfnent, during the year einlinr November 30, exceptinf expenses or the Sfi'o prison, a-j mounted to the .nin of $4."-,r; ÍC 7P I herewith transm'.t ihe tirst ntisial 'report of the board of Auditors oppointed undrr the net of the I4th Febniary, IC 12 and which tains a statement in detail of iheir proceedingsi durinjr the past vejr.1 invite yoLir nttenlion to a Ihorongh examinador; of the siluation oí our finalices. A state can nevcr be trtily prosperous wliile its finances remain ín an uncertain and embarras - s-ed condition. Expences shoiild be incurred for nccessary objccts alone and thestriotest investigation made info juslness of a!l claims that are prosented. for your allow.'ince. As :i great part oftiie expcnditures fcr tlie support of the state governrnent are made in payment of the members of the Legisla' u re or for printing and other objects incident to its prssion, yon will, I doubt not, so direct your lübors that whileyou will not act with precipitation or pass enactmenls crude anti undigest.ed, you will at the same time, with a view to diminish the bnrdens upon the people, brin" yo-,ir sesfion to a close at as early a dny as is consistent with the public good and a proper (L-spulcl) of nnhlin hnsinps.In conncction with the subject of our finances, I (leem it my duty to cali your attent on to the unsea'ed nnd unpntented latida .within the limits of the state. The quanli'y and valuo of this domuiii, and a due regard to the rights of Michigan os un independent state, seem to demand at least an inquiry into the riijht of jffl fre, exompt from tffxation, as claimed by the general govemment. The states, under the compact of the federal constitución, are mure properly confedera - ted soveieignties than integral parties ofa central Government, The present confeder.ation diffür?! little from that Ibrmed before UieJ adoption of the conslitution, except in tlie ; nanieration of power?, and the cerli:ude witlij which they ore delega ted. The states ihen are sovereign, and one of the most essenlial attribuíes oí" sovereignty in. a state, is its right to posses3 all waste a.id onpatented lunda within its limis, and to ! pose of the samo at will. Tliiá right is nntj only claimed and cxercised in regard to wild. and unoccupied lands, bnt in regard to those occupied and improved, when the proprietor dips without heir rccognized by law, or when, from any cause, no cltimant can establiah a legal titíc.The sovereignty of the origrnal slates conferred the litle by which tliey hclil the public .fonds within their limits, and why shoiild not lile same efficiënt cause produce a like effect in the new states? The independence of the one class is, in all respects, us pctfect as that of the otlier. Congress mny admit new etates, but it eau superadd no conditions. The constitution makes no distjnction in regard to their rights, and none can be made by other authority. Congress has, however, exacted from the new states, as condition of their admission, a conventional acknowledgment of the proprietary interest of the general govcrnmènt in tho public domain, to their own exclusión. This is at least an indication that the general government has not full confidence in üs title by reason ofany constitutional provisión; for a right conferred upon that governmëlrt by the inBtruraent from which it derives its existence,requires nondditional sanction to give it valid- tv; an sucli and acknowlpdgment, exacted as the price of arimission Prom a state, not yet a member ofihe Union, and when no oiherof ts ncts woulcl be rccognized as legal, would be void of duress, it'it were not void for violation nf tlio constitution. Congress cannot bargain with the states ior their received righ'ts. Concedinr, howcver, tliat by the (erms of their origm.il grarit, and by the sccond clause óf tlio lliird section of the fourth article of the constitution, ihe fee of the public lands is secured in perpetuity to the general gover ernment, then we rnay well ii'quire what impediment exists to prevent their unrestricted (axntion by ihe states. The riglit to assess and levy taxe;, is an attribu'.e of sovereignty, and without its 1 cise no government cni!d exist. The stotes !wonld bc neither sovereign nor frce, if' ihey ' d'd not possess tlie power to lew all needful laxes lor iheir support. N auth'ority but the j federal ci-nstitmion can restrict tbem in the I exercise of tliis powjr; and wherc, it is nskcd, : with mnst fcmph;)Uc meaning, is to be found in that hallowed instrument, the provisión that lakes from a state the right to In.x oil anda within its limits? ]f the clause of the constii tution adverted to, confers the title upon the ! general governraent, the sovereignty of the states vet remai.ns undiminished in regard to i the right of taxatwn. No cnnstilutioral inhibition can be pretended, and the riglit has liever been surrendered by Michigan, since slir has been an acknowledged nicmber of the Urion. I have much confidence in the correctness of the v'u'ws here briefly presented, particularly tbose which relate to the right of tazation; yet, as a diflbrent doctrino has so long prcvailed, and as the new states have ?o long acqniesced in the claims of tin: general gove-nment, lam prepared at this time to recommend no definite aciion in regard lo the subject. It is j of deep concornment to the state, and rrquiiesj mature and delibérate consideraron. No step abould be histily taken, and none that it wóuhl be fonnd necessary to relrace. 'I'he Geological ond Topographical survey of the State, upon the plan originally proposed, has been stcadily progréesing and the field work has been brought to a cloí-e. Tlie original plan of organization for thecomplction of" this work was sucli that a largej amotint of the labor, which in the sjrveys of other slates has been performed by assitants, was here im tosed upon the person to whom was enlrusted the charge of the work. For thií reasQjn a considerable amoimt of office work yet rem.üns to bo perTornied. The large amonnt of materials colkcted for the final report nre yet to be arranged, the annlysis of minerals and soils to be finiished. and t'ie drafting of geological and topograpliical maps to bn compliled.VVhile t isdesirable tliat the renUs of this work should bo luid be!re the public at as early a dn y as posible, snfficient time siioñld, nevertheles?, bc allowpd (br ihe di estion and compiiation of the final report and for ilrafling ! of the tecessary niaps and diag'rams. The publicalion of llie toporaphical mnps of the ótalo and of counMep, s requin;d by law, was suspended in consequence of the embarrassments of the treasury, hut has receiitly been resumed by the Geniogist nnd inaps of several of the counties will be speedily la d before tlie public. If ihe commoncement of a rreological 6urvey of the State as now thn qu'-stion presented for consicierction, I should have no hesitation in recommending ifs postponement, and, whilst I think the survey now in procreas was preinaturely unlertnken, yet as it is so nearly brotiht to a. cloe true economy seems to rrquire its completion.JJiirmnr the year enting Octobcr 31, 1842, I fifty convicts were received into toe stnto prisoiij.and during the same time four escaped, . o.'ie was killed in his recapture, one died, I Binetoen were discharord by expiration of' senicnce, two werc pardoned by my pn?decesso and two by me, nnd at t!::it date eirlity seven sïill rémained. The wltole valué oí' labor erfurmed liy convicts durmjj the year is estiniated by the agent at $9,127 04, and ho is of opininn tliat the entire yard whII and other nccessary improvements in t-ie rri-;on nriy be completed by llie labor ■ f convic's du ing tlu? present year, wil hout sppropriation from the Legi?lature. A ft er ihe Cörapleliol) of the prbon, it is hoped tliat the procëeds of I convict labor imw npplied to the improvemon's i in pro.TCPS. will.be snffierent to dofray the ! entire expense uecessarv for the safe keeping an;l mainreriancó of the prisoners. The recent nnmerous disasters upon the i !ake.=, involving the loss bolh of property and ! ifV, affrds perhaps, a snfficicnt reason fcr cnlling your altcntion to the situation of our ! hnrbors. Miciiigan being almost cndrely an I ngricultural state, pays more than a due proi portion of the revenue of the government, and ye? with a greater extent of navicr;ible coost than any other State in the Union, the aim-unt expended witliin herlimiis for thoim-, prove ment. ot liarbors, h;is been comparatively stnnll. The valuo of property lost upon our shores within Ilio last few yéars, for the wan, of sijfBcreht hnrbor?, probably excecd.s the amonnt necessary for thoir entire conslruction. A proppr representation of tln fncls to Coniryfíás, inay perhnpá induce tliat body to takel thesubiecL into fuvorablo Hisirierntinn.

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Subjects
Old News
Signal of Liberty