. ; :
s
ASHEVILLE NEWS
Is Published Weekly,
EY THOMAS W. ATKIN,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOa.
tTERMJS. Two Dollar per annum
in ad-
Two Dollars and ffly cents in six months:
ranee;
rv T? - .m ika An1 r.F iVlO MF
tJf Advertisements inserted at One Dollar per
square of twelve lines, for the first and twenty Jive
cents for each subsequent insertion.
"Business and professional cards, not ex
ceeding five lines, Five Dollars per annum; over
fire and under twelve lines, Ten Dollars per an
num. 3F"For announcing the name of a candidate,
Three Dollars.
From these terms there will be no departure,
in any case. Liberal contracts made with those
wno desire to advertise by the year.
POSITIVELY,
AH accounts for subscription, advertising and
job work are due at the close of the year. This
rate we shall rigidly enforce, and expect all who
trade with as to settle once a year.
Swaimanoa Lodge, No. 53,
r. o. o. f.
Holds its regular meetings every Thursday
evening, at Temjferance Hall.
ED. J. ASTON, IT. Gf. ,
A. J. Lindsey, R. S.
Asheville, Aug. 26, 1858. tf
DR. J. F. E. HARDY
AND
DR. W. L. HILLIARD,
HAVE this day associated themselves in the prac
tice of MRDIC1NE, in its various branches.
Da. Hardv, who is daily in the village, will be
always ready to examine cases and make out pre
scriptions, and when in hi power isit cases in
the country. Dr. Ililliard will attend to his town
and country practice, as usual. We would espe
cially call the attention nf ail persons laboring
tt'i ler dise'iscs requiring Surgical aid. to this card
We will take especial pains to assist all persons
li viug at a distance iu procuring suitable boarding
home in or near the village, and render them
guch relief as the profession is capable of.
n Tvze at Dr. Milliard's Drugstore.
Asheville. January 3, 1855. tf
DR. J. S. T. BAIRD,
HAVING permanently located on BEA
VER DAW, two miles North of Ashe
ville, offers hi professional services to the pub
lic, in the various branches of his profession.
He can always be found at home, unless profes
sionally absent.
March IS, J 853.
M. L. NEILS0N", M. D.,
ASHEVILLE, N. C.
January 11, 1855. tf.
DR. J. G. HARDY,
HAVING permanently located in Asheville,
offers his professional services to the citi
zens of the town and surrounding country, in
the practice of Medicine and Surgery, lie will
atteud promptlyto all calls, day orHiight.
Residence at the Eagle Hotel. Office opposite
the Court House anoVnear the Cape Fear Bank.
Asheville, November 4, 1858.
GL W. WHITS0N,
STJKGE0N $pi DENTIST,
ASHEVILLE, ft. C.
iC cannon;
Attorney at Law,
Webster, Jackson Comity, N. C.
October 21, 1858.
ly
JDavid Coleman
Attorney at Law,
ASHEVILLE, N. C.
March 3, 1853. tf.
BUAT0N & GOLD,
Attorneys at Law,
SHELBY, CLEAVEL AND COUNTY, N. C.
WILL practice in the Superior Courts of Law
and Equity of all the counties in the 7th Judicial
District. Shelby .April 17, 1856. tf
TTf W TTAT1 TTT
ORNEY AT LAW,
ASHEVILLE, N. O.
Will attea? the Courts of Jackson, Haywood,
Henderso , Buncombe, Madison and McDowell.
Asheville, Jan. 8th, 1857. tf
GEN. B. M. EDNEY
WILL practice Law regularly hereafter in the
Superior Courts of Cherokee, Macon, Jack
son, Haywood, Henderson, Buncombe,
Mad.son, Yancv, Rutherford &. Polk.
O face, le ndersou ville , N. C Feb.l2571y
H. A. BOONE,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
Webster, Jackson County, If. C.
Will practice in the counties of Cherokee, Ma
eon, Jackson and Haywood.
Oct. 14. 1858.
. , 1 i , . ,
LADIES
WISHING to purchase fine dress goods
for spring and summer wear, are advi
sed to call on
RASKIN & CHAPMAN.
April 3. tf
GAINES, DEAVER & CO.
Are receiving an additional stock of
eady Made
CHotking. Hals, Bonnets, Jewelry,
Watches, $c, 6fc,
making their stock very complete, Call
and examine it. July 24, 1857.
Gudger's Hotel,
ASHEVILLE, N. C.
J. H. OlDGER, Proprietor.
-
The Southern. Eastern and Murpbey stages
atop at this Hons.
Asheville, October 7, 1858.
p AlNES, DEAVER & CO. hare received
VJT and to arrive, a superior assortment of
Ladies Dress Goods, in great variety.
uctooer 7,
Q0
TT
THE AsHEVILLE NEWS.
VOL. 10 No. 21.
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.
EXECUTTV DEPARTMENT,
Raleigh, Nov. 16, 1858. f
To the Honorable, the General Assembly
of the State of North Carolina :
The meeting of the representatives of the
people in General Assembly .is always a mat
ter of public interest. Clothed as they are
with the exclusive law-making power of the
State, with no check upon its exercise, when
constitutionally employed, save that of the
public opinion, and with authority also to
elect persons to fill high and important sta
tions, not only in the State, but in the coun
cils of the Federal Government, we can well
see why the assembling of such a body
should excite the liveliest interest. But
while this has been usually the case with
regard to Legislatures which preceeded the
present one, it is emphatically so as to
this.
Questions of State policy and duty of very
grave importance, it is known, will be pre
sented to you, as to some of which, doubt
less, much diversity of opinion will be found
to exist.
In a government constituted like ours,
these differences of opinion will prevail, not
only between political patties into which a
community may be divided, but between the
members even of the same party organiza
tion. Such differences, however, are but the
result of that freedom of opinion to which
all are entitled, and for the proper exercise
of which no one ought to complain.
I doubt not that you will be prepared to
give to all matters upon which you may be
called to act, a careful consideration, and I
trust in doing so your counsels may be so
guided as to promote the general welfare of
tlie State. In the discharge of my duty, 1
shall, in this communication, lay before you
such views and suggestions of my own, as I
deem suitable to the occasion.
The first subject 16 which I invite your
attention is the Slate debt and finances.
In reply to a resolution of the last General
Asssembly, the Public Treasurer reported the
bonded debt of the State to be, on the 13th
December, 1850, $5,153,802 55
Of which has been since paid
to the trustees of the Uni
versity of North Carolina, 6,000 00
$5,147,802 55
Tbis debt has
been since increas
ed by the amounts
and for the purpo
ses following ;
Consolidating in
terest with prin
cipal on bonds to
Literary Board,
by resolution of
the last General
V.
Assembly $
Bond to bank of
Cape Fertr, for
loan,
Bond 8 for Fatette
ville and Albe
marle Plank
Road,
Fayetteville and
Warsaw Flank
Road,
Lunatic Asylum,
Atlantic and North
Carolina Rail
road for bal
25,202 45
41000 OH
20.000 00
6,000 00
21,000 00
ance of subsorip-
tion, 533,500 00
Lunatic Asylum un
der act of last
Session for en
closing 'grounds,
fec, 35,000 00
Subscription to
Chesapeake and
Albemarle Canal
Company, 250,000 00
Loan to Atlantic
and North Car
olina Railroad
Company, . 400,000 00
Western North
Carolina Rail
road. 400,000 00
1,732,702 45
$6,876,505 00
of the State
Makiner the bonded debt
upon which she is primarily liable, at this
time, six millions eight hundred and seven-tv-nine
thousand live hundred and five dol
lars. Of this amount, the payment of the
principal and interest of the sum of $400,
000, loaned to the State Bonds in the At
lantic and North Carolina Railroad Com
pany, is secured by a deed of trust on the
Road and other property of the Company,
in conformity to the act of the last session
authorizing the loan. So, far, the Company
has failed to'pay the interest on the bonds.
It is hoped, however, that wbeaiairly in op
eration, it will be able to do so, and relieve
the State to that extent.
I will state also that, for two years last
past, the State has been compelled to pay the
interest upon bonds of the Cape Fear and
Deep River Navigation Company for $300,
000, by reason of her endorsement thereof,
and that she is liable in like manner for the
ultimate payment of the principal as it falls
due, one-third in the year 1865, the like
amount in 1875, and the residue in 1885.
Under existing laws, State Bonds are to
be issued as follows :
For balance of first subscrip
tion to Western North Car
olina Railroad,
$200,000 00
For subscription to same,
made 10th August last,
under act of last session, to
complete the first section
of the Road to Morganton, 440,000 00
Making, $640,000 00
TUeae bonds, in all probability, will be
ASHEVILLE, N. C, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1858.
called for, and issued before the meeting of
the next General Assembly.
It is true, the debt was discharged out of
the incoming revenue at the last fiscal year,
but baa left a vacuum in the Treasury to
that extent, which must be supplied by new
loans, or in some other maimer, before the
incoming of the revenue for the present fiscal
year. In fact, it is the opinion of the Pub
lic Treasurer, as you will see from his esti
mates, that, if temporary loans are resorted
to the amount of floating debt this fiscal year
will exceed that of the last, and that about
the sum of $400,000 will be required. This
amount taken from the revenue to be paid at
the end of this fiscal year, would nearly
empty the Treasury and Jeave, it without
means for the next twelve jpflfl.
The monentary di fficuTtn2sexflnceff''
throughout the country in the fall of the last
year and for several successive months there
after, fully proved the impolicy of trusting to
the resource of such loans to preserve
the credit and honor of the State. It gives
me pleasure to say that, in this emergency,
our banks, with some two or three exceptions,
came to the aid of the State, and thus enabled
the Public Treasurer to meet all her engage
ments. "
It seems to me to be a matter of the first
importance to relieve the Treasury from this
burthen and to place it upon such footing
for the future, that a like hazard may not be
a second time incurred. i
Of the bonded debt of the State, of which
I have given a statement, there will fall due
of principal, from time to time, in the year
1859 $200,000, and on 1st January, 1860,
$500,000. Provision must be made by you
at this session to meet these debts, and I
hold it almost as imperative that you should
also provide for the floating debt, as estima
ted by the Public Treasurer, making together
about Eleven Hundred Thousand Dollars.
How it is to be done is a mattter well wor
thy tho consideration of every one who-has
at heart the best interest of the State. We
cannot raise the amount by taxation in the
short time we have to do it, without impo
sing a burthing that would bear heavily upon
the people. Nor, under existing circura
stances, is it at all probable that the amount
could be obtained by loan, upon such terms
and for such time as would make it desira
ble. The time was, but I think it has now
passed, when the holders of these bonds
would have exchanged them for State cou
pon bonds at a long date. -It seems to me,
therefore that, with our present resources
almost the only alternative left ia to make
coupon bonds of the State at a long date,
with a provision in the bill authorizing their
issue, to create a special sinking fund suffi
cient to pay, and iuviolably pledge to pay,
these bonds at maturity, and that the bonds
should then be sold in the market as the
money may be wanted at the Treasury.
Judging from the present prices of our bonds
in market, I believe that such bonds with a
fund pledged for their ultimate payment,
would sell for par if not for a premium. I
shall be much pleased if a more feasible
scheme for relief than the one suggested,
can, in the circumstances in which we are
placed, be devised by the Legislature.
The books in the Treasury Department
show that the revenue of the State from all
sources, except from the sale of State bonds
for the two fiscal years ending the 30th of
September last, wa3 for the year 1856 '7
$512,205 02, and fqr the year 1857 '8
$507,450.35.
It should be stated, however, that about
the sum of $7,000 part of the sum first named,
properly belonged to the year 1855 '6, not
having actually paid into the Treasury, as it
should have been before the end of that fiscal
year; while about the sura of $4,000 should
be added to the second sura named, for de
faults by Sheriffs, which will probably be
collected during the present fiscal year.
These amounts of revenue compare favorably
with those reported to the last General As
sembly for the years 1854-'5 and 1855-'6.
Should the revenue contiuue the same for
the present and next fiscal year, and bonds to
the amount of the floating debt be disposed
of, the Treasury for the two years would re
alize about the sum of $1,400,000, an amount,
in all probability, sufficient to pay the inter
est upon the . existing State debt, and also
the current expenses of the State Govern
ment. But as to tbis I do not wish to be
considered as speaking with absolute certain
ty, the estimates at tue time ot preparing
this statement not having been completed by
the public Treasurer.
By an act of the last General Assembly it
was made his duty "to furnish estimates of
the expenses of the State for two years next
succeeding the close of the last fiscal year,
and with a scheme in the form of a bill to
sustain such estimates."
This will be laid before you at an early
day in the session.
Should the form of the present Tevenue
bill be retained, I should again, as I did in
my last regular message, most respectfully
remind the Legislature that there are many
difficulties in the construction of parts of that
act, which have from time to time been pre
sented by the collecting officers of the Sate
and others to the Treasurer and Comptroll
er, and which should be rendered plaiu by a
new and explanatory act.
It would be out of place to attempt .to
detail them here, but theyan be pointed
out by those officers to your finance com
mittee. I repeat what I before stated that, in ca
ses of doubt the State is generally the loser,
as collecting officers will not, in such cases, en
force collection of the tax, at the hazard of a
suit, should they mistake the law.
I desire to call your attention to the pres
ent mode of assessing lands for taxation.
Every one who has giveu any attention to
the subject, must have become satisfied how
unequally such assessments are made, not
only in different coun'i8 whose lands jMt
known to be nearly of the same value, but
that such assessments are auito M unequal
and out of proportion to any fair standard of
value, in the several districts of which a
county is composed.
If the present system of valuation is re
tained, I think this last evil may be remedi
ed in a great degree, by requring the asses
sors for the several districts com nosing a
county to meet together as a Board, after
the assessments have been made and before
they have been returned to court, and that
the Board so composed shall examine and com
pare all the lists and have power to increase
or diminish any assessment, as to a majority
of them may seem right and proper. The
list so corrected to be returned to court as
now required by law.
la my regular message to the last General
Assembly. I urged upon them the policy of
creating a sinning luoixjgpr-ttie uoiua$e tU6-
chargeof our State debt. I take occasion to
Tjlfi niaji iidif
renew the recommendation then made. The
bill passed at the last session inadequate as it
was from the smallness and uncertainty of the
fund provided, was nevertheless a step in the
right direction. The fund though small affords
a nucleus around which a larger one may be
built up. A Board of very able and experi
enced gentlemen were appointed to manage
it, who have, heartily undertaken the
important trust confided to them, and who
will doubtless lay before you valuable infor
mation and suggestions as to its increase,
what amount will be required from year to
year to meet our debts as they fall duet and
as the best means to be adopted for the pre
servation cf the public credit.
The lttilroad stock belonging to the
State and not before appropriated to other
purposes, constitute the chief part of the
sinking fund. The receipts so far have been
Mainly, if not eutirely, from dividends de
clared on stock in the Raleigh and Gaston
Railroad Company. It was hoped, and I
believe generally expected that, after your
last session, dividends would be made by the
North Carolina Railroad Company, at least
on the praferred stock held by the State", for
her last subscription of one million of dol
lars. It relation to this a question has
arisen of some importance to the State as
well as tie individual stockholders, and to
which I Jeem it my duty to call your atten
tion. This preferred stock was taken by virtue of
an act, Ch. 32, Laws 1854 '5, entitled "an
act for the completion of the North Carolina
Railroad;" and by which it was, among oth
er things provided that, "the State shall be
entitled to shper cent per nnum, payable
semiannually thereon, out of any dividends
of profits made by 6aid company, before
any dividends shall be paid on any
other stockr in the same.
In the two last' annual .meetings of the
stockholders in Company, it was insisted by
Judge Ruffin, the State proxy, that out of the
receipts, over and above the necessary expen
ses of operatiug the .Road, the State was en
titled to. have a dividend on her preferred
stock and that such receipts were not prop
erly applicable to the payment of debts of the
Company, contracted antecedent to the
passage of the said act, or to new works to
be constructed. Or if to the latter, they
wer only applicable to such as were indis
pensable to operate the Road. Wbereas,
the reports of tho officers of the Qompany
showed that these receipts were sufficient to
pay a dividend to the State, in each of these
years, but that they had been applied by the
officers of the Company to the discharge of
existing debts, and to the ; construction ac
coint. The officers and stockholders in the
Company took a different view of the matter,
and insisted that the fund had been properly
and 'egally applied, and that the State had
no just claim to have any dividend, under
the circumstances. The proxy of the State
reported these facts to me, t o the end that I
might take such action in the premises as in
ray epiuion the interest of the State might
require. In the conflict of opinion I did not
deem it advisable to take any steps to assert
the claim of the State, but concluded to sub
rait the whole matter to the General Assem
bly for such directions, if any, as they may
think proper to give.
At the last session a bill was passed, ten
dering to the Bank of the State a renewal of
its charter. At a general meeting of the
stockholders in the city of Raleigh, the mat
ter was taken into consideration, and I was
informed that they declined to accept a
renewal of the charter upon the terms con
tained in the bill. As the charter under
which the Bank is now doing business will
expire on first of January, 1860, although
by law it is allowed three years after that
time to wind up the affairs, it will in my
opinion, be highly expedient for the Legisla
ture, at this session, to charter some institu
tion of the kind, to take the place of the Bank
of the State, should it go into liquidation.
It has been sometimes suggested that the
capital of the Bank of Cape Fear might be
increased to an amount sufficient to supply
banking facilities to the community, and to
furnish also the means of making a safe and
profitable investment of that portion of the
literary fund now invested in stock of the
Bank of the State. But it is uncertain
whether the Bank of Cape Fear would ac
cept of such a proposition, and if that diffi
culty were removed, it seems to me that
such an arrangement would be objectionable.
So long as we have banks of discount and
deposit it would in my opinion be highly im
politic to build upone overgrown institution
which would have the power, in a great de
gree to control the monetary afifairs of the State.
The same amount of capital divided between
two banking institutions, with branches in
different sections of the State, would be bet
ter and safer, as each will act as a check
upon the other. I have no particular recom
rnendations to make as to the amount of cap
ital or of what it shall consist, or as to the
details of any charter to be granted. Many
schemes will doubtless be submitted to you
and I shall only express the hope that you
will be able to select one, whieb, while it
will hold out to Btockholdera ft reasonable
WHOLE No. 489.
hope of fair profits upon their capital, will at
the same time affrd ample facilities , to the
public. Nor should it be forgotten that such
an institution, properly conducted, will be
able to render important aid to the State in
the management of her finances and the
payment of her debts.
Our existing laws regulating the rate of
interest on money lent, and attaching penal
ties to their violation, have lately, to some
extent, become a topic of discussion. The
policy of such laws has been seriously ques
tioned. We live in a highly commercial
age, and it cannot be denied that in most of
the great commercial centres of the world,
the value of the money, or in ether words
the rate of the interest paid for its" use,
depends upon the supply and the de-
IT 1? A f " A the risk incurred by the lender,
and that all attempts, by law to confine the '
rate ox interest within certain hxed and pre
scribed limits have proved futrle. Such being
the case, it has been deemed a wiser policy to
remove the restrictions as to the amount to be
paid for the loan, or forbarance of money
over and above a certain fixed rate, where
no special agreement is made, and thus to al
low money like property to seek its own value.
It is said, how truly I am not sufficiently
informed to say, that large amounts of cap
ital owned by our citizens have gone from
our State to seek for more profitable invest
ment in other States, where the rates of in
terest are not restricted as by our law, and
that such will continue to be the case to our
serious detriment. It may be doubted whe
ther at this time capital employed in most
business enterprises in this State, paying a
greater rate of interest than that now fixed
by law, can be reasonably expected to remu
nerate the employer. But however this may
be, it may still be well questioned whether
the State should step in and undertake to
say what contracts may or may not be enter
ed into by her citizens, or upon what terms
they may engage in any business enterprise.
Without exirissinor a decided oDiuion as to
the policy of our existing laws, the subject is
one ot importance, and as such, I recom
mend it to your careful consideration.
I transmit herewith reports made to me by
my request, by the Presidents of the Atlan
tic and North Carolina Railroad Company,
the Western North Carolina Railroad Com
pany, the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal
Company, aud the Cape Fear and Deep River
Navigation Company, the only works in
which the State is interested as astockhold
er, which are now, or have been, in a course
of construction since the axljourument of the
last Legislature.
Thee reports are not as full as they would
have been, had more time been allowed in
their preparation; but they may serve; to
show the present condition of these works
ind of the companies.
In a short time I hope to be able to pre
sent to you additional reports from these
companies, and also reports from other com
panies in which the Slate is a stockholder.
I forbear to comment on these reports as you
will have ample opportunity to examine them
when printed aud laid before you.
I have so ofteu expressed ray opinions to
the Legislature on the subject of internal
improvements that I deem it unnecessary to
repeat them here. Though we have -incurred
a heavy debt in the construction of works
of the kind, it is not one, by any means, be
yond our ability to pay.
Whether additional appropriations shall
be made at this session and for what purpos
es, is a matter which propetly belongs to you
to determine, aud with you I shall leave it.
During last summer a Board of Commis
sioners appointed by the Secretary of the
Navy, under a resolution of the Senate of
the United States, visited the Deep River
country with a view of ascertaining: its suit
ability as a location for government machine
shops for the manufacture of machinery for
the United States Navy. At . the head of
this commission was Capt. Charles Wilkes of
the Navy, a gentleman distinguished not
only in the line of his profession, but as a
scientific explorer. I felt it my duty, in con
nection with many of our citizens, to extend
to these gentlemen such civilities as I could
offer.
A report will be made by them to the
next Congress of the United States, and I
have every reason to believe that it will be
ot the most satisfactory character, so far as
the existence, in that region, in the greatest
abundance, of iron, coal and other necessaries
for a government establishment of the kind-,
is concerned. Indeed, the examinations made
during the present year, not only by scien
tine men, but by those having a practical
knowledge of such matters, have tended
more and more to bring to light the immense
mineral resources of that remarkable region.
Some of these gentlemen I have seen and
conversed with, and all concur in these opin
ions, and especially as to the existence there
of immense quantities -of the most valuable
kinds of iron ore. To develop this wealth,
however, there was but one opinion also as
to the necessity of proper means for its trans
portation. With adequate Railroad and
water facilities, no doubt was entertained by
hiiv of them, as to the rapid development of
the coal and iron interest, and that it would
be speedily followed by others almost ,as im
portant. I deem it my duty to call your attention
to the condition of our militia system. I re
gret to say that we have now scarcely any
military organization in the State, except
what is to be found in a few volunteer com
panies. But few Regiments exist that have
officers, or that are called out at any time to
perform raili'ary duty. Should an emergen
cy arise, requiring the employment of any
considerable military force, we should, for a
time, be almost powerless for want of any
organization. If a well regulated militia be
of the first importance in our system of gov
ernment, (and such has been the opinion of
our wiet men, both civil and military,) then
something should be done to infuse vitality
into that of our State, so as to place iu a
condition, if not of positive efficiency as a
military body, at least in one in which it
might be made available, and its efficiency
improved as occasion may require. I have
no expectation that ander our present laws
or any amendments thereto likely to b
adopted, any high degree of military discin
line or skill in the drill of the soldier -can
be attained. Nevertheless, I entertain as1
little doubt that if our present laws, with
some modifications, were enforced, the sys
tem might be placed upon a respectable and
useful footing. Our present system has been,
practically speaking, without a head; and I
assume it as a fact which I believe cannot be
successfully controverted, that no military or
ganization can be maintained without an ac
tive and efficient head. Nominally, the Go
vernor of the Slate is the Commander in
Chief of the militia, and the organization of
the system seems to have been designed by
our laws to be maintained through and by
means of an Adjutant General appointed by
him. But the pay of that officer, (two hun
dred dollars per annum,) is so small, that no
one can - expect him, under existing circum
stances, to devote but a small portion of his
time to his military duties. To give efficient
cy to the office, the pay should be snub as to
enable him to devote the whole or the great
er part of his time to its duties, visiting such
parts of the Slate as might from time to
time require his presence, and infusing vigor
whsr laxity prevailed reporting to the Go
vernor as often as necessary ihi c&idtliott of
thing, whose duty it should be to cause the
laws to be enforced, and to maintain a gene
ral supervision over the whole nystern. This,
with a simpler aud more direct and easy man
ner of vacating the offices of Generals of di
visions and brigades, and causing new elec
tions to be held' to fill such vacancies where
the holders of such offices failed to equip
themselves aod review their respective; com
mands, as required by law, would, I believe,
soon restore the organization which has beeu
lost, and open the way for further improve
ments. It is also believed by many, and iu
that opinion I concur, that a serious blow
was struck to our militia system, by exempt
ing from ordinary military duty all above
the age of thirty five instead of forty fiva
years.
I submit these views with the utmost def
erence. The subject is an important one,
aud I recommend it to your attention. Un
less something is done the whole system had
as well be abandoned.
In this connexion I beg to renew the re
commendation made by rae to the last Gene
ral Assembly, that the Governor of the State
be empowered to furnish arms from the State
Arsenals for the use of such schools in the
State as may apply for them, bond being
given for their safe keeping and return as
now required of Volunteer Companies.
I transmit herewith the Report of the Di
rectors of the Insane Asylum. The Report
contains important suggestions and recom
mendations which will no doubt receive, as
they deserve, your careful consideration, 1
The last Legislature repealed the law im
posing a tax of one and three fourths cents
on every hundred dollars worth of land, and
five aud one fourth cents on every taxable
poll, for the support of the Asylum; and, for
that purpose, appropriated twenty thousand
dollars for each of the years, 1357 and 1$58,
to be paid out of the treasury. No provis
ion was made; to raise the forty thousand
dollars appropriated, save that the several
counties having patients in the Asylum were
mm - W j.
required, as they bad been before, through
their County Courts, to levy the amounts
charged and due for their support, and cause
them to be collected and paid into the publio
treasury wmi oiuer puoiic taxes.
On the first of July laslt, the Superinten
dent of the Asylum reported to the public
treasurer the counties having patients at the
institution, and the sums respectively due by
them, amounting in the aggregate to the suin
of $17,954 57, of which the Sheriffs paid
in, with the public taxes before the end of the
last fiscal year, the sum of $7,019 62, show
ing that the counties are yet in arrear for
patients at the institution, to the first July
last, $10,844 95, without tncludingpany thing
for support, of the patients since that tiro ;.
This fact fully proves that Under the existing
law, the counties cannot be safely relied
upon to reimburse the Treasury in such
cases.
It is true that the law provides that if the
tax shall not be paid by any county within
twelve months after it is due, the President
and Directors of the Literary Fund shall de
duct the amount thereof from the share of
such county, in the common school fund next
to be distributed, and pay the same to the
public Treasurer.
This, itself, would be a serioui evil, as it
would deprive the common schools of part
of the very inadequate suras now set apart for
their support. And besides, should a county
fail to pay, it will be at least eighteen months
after a patient is sent to the Asylum, before
the State can realize any thing in this way
for bis support. . -
As the act of the last session was limited
to two years in its operation, further legisla
tion will be required at this session. It' the
Legislature be disinclined, as it baa been here
tofore, to make the Asylum a charge upon
the State at large, then, it seems to me, that
some more efficient means should be adopted
to enforce prompt payment by the counties
otherwise the support of the institution will
seriously embarrass the operations of the
lreasury.
I apprehend thet it will be found difficult,
in' practice, to have a Slate tax, in a county,
levied and collected, promptly, through the
agency of the County Courts. Such mode of
levying and collecting a State tax would
seem to be an anomaly. I can see no means
of effecting a prompt collection of such a tax
on counties, except through the direct inter
vention of the officers of the State.
Should the tax be continued on land and
polls, the ra-ana would be furnished in the
Comptrollers Office of ascertaining what per
eentum upon the lands and polls of anv
county, would raise the amount due to the
Stat by that county. By the law, as it now
is, the Superintendent of the Asylum is re
quired to notify the Public Treasurer of the
amounts due by the several counties. It
seems to me that a law may be so framed as
to have the rate of tax ascertained on land
and polls, (being always sufficient to cover
any loss for insolvents, and that being reported
to the Public Treasurer, it may be made his
duty to issue a warrant to the Sheriff of th
county, whose duty it may be made to col
lect tU Ul,
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