State News

- Geo. H. Steil wagen, retiring county treasurer of Wayne, handed over to his suocessor Jan. lat, $172,845.00. - Grand Rapids has a inystery. It signa itself "D. "W.," and every New Year's day it sends 20 to a certain local oharity. Becauae Gov. Croswell's message is longer than that of the President's, it is presumed in some quarters that the affaire of Michigan are of more importance than are those of the United States. The Detroit, Lansing and Northern Kailrbad Company recently sued W. A. Starnes of Ionia, to compel payment of a $2,000 subscription made for the building of a railroad from Stanton to Ionia. The Sentinel says the jury disagreed in their verdict, standing nine to three in favor of the company. The remark of Gov. Blair at Lansing, when all the living executives were present and made addresses, that it was a shame that this State did not pay its Governors a larger salary than dry goods clerks reoeived, ought to impress the legislatura with the necessity of an amendment, providing for at leaBt $3,000 per annum. $1,000 is a picayune figure, unworthy of the name of this great and growing commonwealth. In his pulpit the other day, Beecher alluded to the enormous Buma equandered upon the navy, and yet said he "we have nothing to ahow for it." This brings to mind Grant's naval minister, Robeson, who spent milliona upon millions of the public money, without the government being able to show a first class vessel. Despite this wholesale inisappropriation of raonoy, Robeson haa been able to thwart every move of the present Congress toward bringing him to that justice he richly deservea. The Cameron party in Penn has lost its most active and truated organizer, ex-State Treasurer Mackey, who died at the early age of 43. Addrcss ol Ex-Gov. Felch at the Dedicatión of the Capitol Building. ExUov. Felch was introducedby Gov. Croswell as the oldest ex-Governor and oldest ex-Senator in the State. Mr. Felch, in a olear voico and with strong utterance, read the following address : YOUR EXCELLENCY, FRIENDS AND Fellow Citizens : The occasion which brings us together in this hall is one of no ordinary interest. It is the period designated by our State constitution when both executive and legislative power passes into new hands. Tbe saine popular will which entrusted it to their predecessors coramits it now to the keeping of agents selected by the same popular suffrage, or renewa its commission to the faithful and the true. It is the result of that glorious feature of a tree representativo government - choice of rulers by the sovereign will of the people - change of officials, with no change of principies by which they are to be guided - no revulsión, no revolution. We have just heard the administration of the official oath, in this presence, to the chief executive officer of the State. To me this inauguration is a most impressive scène. Ever since the establishment of our government - more than 40 years ago - this same oath has been adininistered on every occasion of the incoining of a new administration. It imposes duties neither light nor trivial.. The pledge to support the oonstitution in its true and broadest sense, and to perform faithfully the duties of the executive office, is the solemn assumption of the hichest responsibilities, and all feel the propriety of the soletan appeal to the Most High in awuming . them. And while I listen to its measured worda I turn to you, my fellow-citizons, and seem to hear from the lips of every one in this great assembly the response, I too will support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Michigan, and in my more , humble sphere, will faithfully perform my duty to the comnionwealth. And ■ even from beyond the walls of the Capitol, from the lips of our fellow-citizens throughout the State, I seem to listen : to the same impressive words joining in one coninioii pledge to our country's welfare. [Applause.] But this occasion presents other most , interesting features. We enter to-day this new Capítol of our State. to the government may be said to have , dwelt in tents- to-day it enters its permanent temple ; and as its portals are thrown open to the several departments of the government, and we congratúlate ourselves on the auspicious occasion, the history of past progress comes vividly before our minds. It was on the 3d day of November, 1835, that Stevens T. Mason, the first Governor of the State of Michigan took the official oath under the first constitution. Although not recognized by CongresB as an admitted meinber of the Federal Union until January, 1837, the State of Michigan practically dates its existence from the organization of 1835. This period of oer 43 years has been marked by wonderful and almost magie changes. The population, then less that 90,000, has constantly increased, until by an addition of some 1,400,000, it numbers more than 1,500,000 people. The State, mindful of its duty to the unfortunate, has acattered over its territory noble institutions for the allevia tion of their misfortunes and their sorrows. The asylums for the insane, the deaf, the dumb, and the blind, are the outgrowth of our State orgauization ; and the ampie provisión for the unfortunate poor in every county attests how well the duty of the public to the individual oitizens has been performed. The educatioual interests of the State have been liberally fostered and most wisely directed. No State in the Union has established throughout her domain more numerous or more noble institutions of learning. Wheerver settlers, whether few or many in number, have fixed their abode, the schoolhouse and the teacher are thair near neighbors, and the Standard of instruction is nowhere higher than here. And when we turn to the institutions of higher education, we can but congratúlate ourselves on the eminent character which they have attained. At the head of them all - I speak with due acknowledgment of the great merits of others also- stands that noble State institution, the University of Michigan, an institution whose growth is a marvel, whose history has no parallel, whose sons have already become a power in the land, whose eminence challenges and receives such general adiniration from abroad, and whose promise of future usefulness was never so bright as to-day. The meagre fund in land conceded by the Federal Government for a University might easily have been squandered and lost, as hashappened in many other States having the same endowinent ; but here, through all its perils, it has betn guarded, nursed and fostered with a watchful care and zeal almost without a parallel. All honor to the early legislators wholabored so constantly and so wisely to preservé and utilizo this inestimable boon. All honor to the earlv Governors of the State who atood so firtnly by the fund, and whose recorded messages transtnit to us most ampie proofs of the zealous care with which they guarded the treasure, and the wisdom and success with which théy laboied to build up an inatitution as never institution of learning was built up before. All honor to the suooeasors of these early friends who have never ceased to foster and aid it as the child and the glory of the State. This period of time aince our State organization ha wrought its changes all about us. Where then we were in the uncultivated wüderness, we stand now amid the beauties that pertain to an old and well cultivated country. The forest has receded, and the flelds laden with rich harvests and amilipg with the thousand charms and comforts of prosperoua agricultural life stretch themselves out on every aide. Bailroads, almost unknown in 1835, now intersect nearly every portion of the State. Rich mineral deposita have been discovered and the mines have yielded up their stores of wealth. The foresta have supplied their treasures. Machinery of every kind is every where busy, and all the industrial arts with every modern iuvention and every newly discovered power of nature, are at work. Is it wonderful theu that everywhere in town and country alike the present should be so uniiKe me past r j.ujy wuu uösi mtnember the oondition of things at the organization of the State can best i precíate, in view of the present, the i wonderful change that has taken place. We beheld then the beautifnl península such as nature had made it little ohanged by the hand of man : we now behold the organized State, with its cities and its towns and its noble institutions, glorying in the wealth, the population and the prosperity of an older State. [Applause.] If these years have brought such marked changes within our territorial limits, the changes in our outside relations are no less remarkable. Michigan and Arkansas were admitted together to the sisterhood of the States. Twonty-four States then oonstituted the Federal Union. Twelve new States, covering an immense extent of territory, have since been organized and taken their places as inembers of the Union. The nation is no longer the same. Since the time referred to broad extents of country have been added to her territorial limits. Ou the West, Mexico and Russia have ceded large regions of country washed by the waves of the Pacifio Ocean. Texas, with a territory wide enough to coustitute kingdoms, has come under the nationaljurisdiotion. And the alinost limitlesa country lying between the slopes of the Nevadas on the west, and the Mississippi and the great lakeg on the Kust, partitioned into convenient portions, present itself now as organized States and territorios. We glory in the rapid inaroh of national progre8s, and we rejoice with the knowledge that the period of the existence of our State is a memorable one in the advance of our nation, and that although her form of government is widely different from all foreign nationalities, she stands in the first rank of the powers of the earth. No región of this vast national domain has had a more interesting history than our own Michigan. In early times it feit the power and yielded to the junsdiotion of more than one foreign sovereign. One of the most formal acts of taking possession of i great country that history records, had its scène within our borders. In 1701 the representativo of Louis XIV of Frauoe stood in the midst of the aongregated Indians of the Northwest, and around him were priests in the rich vestments of their order, and His Majesty's soldiers equipped and glitteriug in their uniforms and their arms. The consecrated cross was raised, and the loud anthera broke upon the ear. Then at its sido, with great form and ceremony, a cedar post was erected with the royal armi attached, and the representativo of the king, holding his sword in one hand and raising a sod of earth with the other, proolaiuied with loud voice, in tho nomo ui' hls master the most high, mighty and redoubtable monarch, Louis tbe Fourteenth, most Christain King of France, that he took possession of all the country round about, from the great Lakes to the South Sea, declaring to all the nations therein that they were vaneáis oThis inajesty and bound to obey his will, and prohibiting all that were not his dutiful subjects - all potentates, princus, Bovereigns and republics - from entering into or infringing upon hit majesty's domain. If pomp and ceremony nnd bold proclamations could always secure permanent success, the banner of France would still wave over our territory. As it was, the French monarch held the country subject to his scepter until 1763 ; and during that interval of time the Governor General of Canada administered its affairs. Then British sovereignty succeeded, and until 1783 the British flag floated over it, and British governors were its rulers. Then suoceeded the territorial organixaiiou, uuuer me Aiueiican flag, which oovered the región - first as a part of the great Northwestern territory, then as a portion of Indiana ; then the territory of Michigan, and fiually 8ucceeded the State, The complexity of our nation with foreign powers in regard to our territorial domain is a curious item in our hisory. Within our present national liins France, Eagland, Spain, the Dutch, [t'xico and Rusaia have severtlly, at ome time, had juriadiotion and posseson of portions of our soil, but these, y honorable national arrangeznents, ïave finally been relinquished, and our ïerished form of a free and representavo government has taken the plaoe of 1 of them. It was iny fortune, just 33 years ago, n obedience to the suffrages of my felow citizons, to take the official oath as overuur of Michigan. As I look irough the intervening years thal lie etweeu thatand the present similar ooasion, I seem to be oarried back to the ery origin of our State - almost to the ery fountain head whence flow the weet waters of our prosperity. From ie adoption of the State constitution o the occasion to which I have referred, iree individuals only had oooupied the xecutive chair. 1 should do injustice o iny feelings and be false to my sentiment of veneration if I failed to speak n this as8embly the revered namei of Hason and Woodbridge and Barry. They were the first to be honored with this high position, and they were worthy to bear the firBt honors. They were called to arduous duties in the in'ancy of the republio - toorganizing the tate government, and to moulding and 'orming andestablishing its new instituioiis, but each was competent to the ask, and each succossfully performed No man, whose meuiory runs back to :iat period, will ever forget the youthul Mason, ardent, chivalric, aooomlished, alert in the performance of very duty - a boy in years, but in judgment a man of mature wisdom. Almost worsniping tue ötate oí nis aaoption, ie was bimself the idol of his fellowitizens. His mesaages and the record f his tidministmtion will show how ravely ho battled against error, how rnily ho stood against all wrong, bow trenuously, yet in the kindest temper, ie urged the measures which he deeind most beneficial to the rising State. And not less prominently before us ises the venerable forin of Gov. Woodjridge. A man mature in yearg, of great mental power, of the most refined ulture, an able lawyer and statesman, ie proved himself equal to every emergency, and bore most worthily the nany honors that were oonferred upon lim. And Governor Barry stands worthily n the company of these his compeera, a man of mark and merit. Luborious in he performance of official duty, zealous n hiscare for the public interests, studyng and enforcing the strictest economy n t linea of public einbarrassnientg, and always seeking the greatest good of the State, the confidence of the community n him never diminished, and their repeated oalls for his return to the execu;ive office attests the strength of the ïold which he continued to have upon ;he affections of the public. Many uoble men have succeeded these u the game official positiong, and have aoth deserved and secured the approval and the gratitude of their constituency ; out in the long list of names none more worthy are found than these, the earliest of our standard beaierg. But they are with us no longer. They and their worthy co-workers atao, with few exoeptions, have paased to the ag semblage of the great majority beyond the verge of life. We cast fresh flowers on their graves, and turn to the preneut and the future. Let me congratúlate you, my fellow citizens, on the auspicious occasion of opening the new Capítol of our State. This beautiful structure is not built for the present alone, but for the future also. lts solid foundations and lts masaive walls proclaim Btability and permanency. It is to be the lasting sbode of the th ree branches of our government - the Executive, the Legislativo and theJudical - and its portals, opened to-day, receive them within its walls Here is the council-house where public meaimres must be discussed and deterïuiuod. Here is the place where the wrongs of the citizen must be righted and his rights defended and protected. It is a just demand of the great public that wist! and beneficent laws shouli couie from the Legislativo Department a firra and true administration ofitsap propriate duties from the Executive and from the Judicial Department tha faithfully intelligent and impartial dis tribution of justice which shall fall lik a blessing upon the land. [Applause.] May this capítol in the solidity of il Btructure and the indistructability of il materials prove a fitting emblem and happy augury of the permanency of th republic. It would be far better tha ita proud walls ghould ba ovarthrow and ita soliil foundation utones Ie grouud to powder and aoattered to tle wind than that any sacrilegioua hanl should mar the foundation principies -f our republic. Error writes its recorc on ungtable water, but permanenoy U inscribed upon every great truth aid every just prinoiple. My faith is strong in the pu-petuity of our system of free governineit, based bb it is on human rights and -.he weliare of the human fauiily. We cannot know what the future may bring forth ; but for inyself, as I tix my oyes upon the cloud that resta over it, I seo it illuminated by the bright bow of protnise, and in cheerful hope and oonfídence I am content to commit the treasure to the keeping of those who sball oome after us. [Ápplause.]