Press enter after choosing selection

Governor's Message

Governor's Message image Governor's Message image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
January
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Fdlow Cithcns oj the Üenate, and Hnvsc of Rcpresentalives: Since the adjournnment of tlie last legislalure a kind and beneficient Providence tías contmued to bestovv upon us bis manifolri blessings. Abundant liarvests have rewarded the labors of the husbandman - agricultura! industry hns been extended - onr surplus proáuctions eularged - and our population greatljr .mgraenled. For these and other numerous mercies, Iet us unite in rendering1 thanks to Ihe great Giver of all good, and humbly ásk a continuance oí' In's divine protection. The nssurablage of the Representa} i ves of the people, invested with ihe sovereign functio.isof leg-islation, is an important occurrcnce. The welfare of the state, in an eminent degree, dependa upon the result of their deliberations, and eve y step m their proceedings, however remolely bearing upon the interests of the etate, is rpgarded by tho public wilh extreme interest.I am sure, however, I need not acqunint you with the responsibility you have assumed as legis'ators Tor the people, nor remind you that their dearesl inlerests are, for the time, committed to your lieeping. You enter upon the execution ofyour high duties, I doubt not, duly impressed with their impor'.ance: nnd as yoar measures are chnracterized hy wisdom and justice, so shall they exert a beneficial mfluenco upon the nterests of the commonweallh. At your present session but few subjeet.s of a general character will require your cousideration. Cliangfes in exi&ting Iaws should not be mnde for slight cause. Legislative acts should be paased wifh rnuch and carefuJ deliberation, but wheli once adopted, they slionld bc permanent unless considerations of public good clearly and positively démand their modificriion or repeal. Complainls are often made, nnd not wiíhont just cause, of the evils from the too frequent alteration of our statu tcs.A joint resolución was pnsscd Ffbrnary 4, 1842, proposing an amendment to tlie conslitution, to the effect thní every law, aulhorizing the loan of money by the state, shall specifv the object for which the money is lo be appropriated and before it talies effect, shall be submitted to the people for rejection or npproi'al. This resolution havintj been a)-proved by two-thirds of the memberB of the last legislature, and by a large tnajority of the people at the late election, has therehy become operative as a part of the constUulinn. The report of the tate canrassers, ehowin the vote upon the subject will be laid befor you.Another joint resolittion was adopted on the Gtlj day of February. 1843, proposiiig n further amendment to the constitution, to the effect that the general eleclior. shalJ be held on the first Tuesdny of November in each year, and but one day. This resol ution is referred to yo, and if approvcd by twothirds of the rtiembers elected to each house, must be submitted to the peoplc at süch time and in such mafirier as you rnay prescribe. The amount received into the treasury the last fiscal year, to the credit of the comtnon interest fund was $19,413,39, and during the ame period, $20,890,09, was distributed forthe purport of .coimnon schools throughout the State. The araonnt received to the credit of the university interest fund, wus 87,282,32. Of this aum, $6000 was oppropriated to thepayment ofinterest due on the loan mace forthe university, nnd the remainder expended by the regeuta for the beneficial purposes of the institution. Of this fund, 86,000, and the difference of exchang-e between Detroit and New York, is annually required to pay interest, and the balance, under existing circumstanceK, cannot be esti.T.ated mnch above Sl,000, which is insufScient to render the university, m any considerable degree, useful and scarcely sniücient to continue it in operation. You wil), tljerefore, pee Ihe necossiiy of ndopling measures, at ihe present session for its telief. Of the seventytwo sections of land, which constkuted its endowmont, r,bout ene fourth part has been pold. The minimum price now fixed by lav, is twelve dollars an acre; and, as this sum exceeds ihe present va'ue of the unsold land, it will devolve on you to decido whefher a rcduction may now be made with advantage to the permament prosperity of the university. Large quantities of the olher public land are in market, nnd may be purciiased atratesso low that sales of university land mifrht not be made, even at a minimum conespondintr with thcir true value. On the other hanq, the institution is now in its infancy, nnd the present use of the funda with which it is endowed, is required to ensure its permanence. The lands cannot be sold at their present estimated value for many years to come, and. in the meantime, the university may cense to exist for want of adequate euppart. The subject commends iteelf lo your serious consideration.Al the time of the adoption of the organic law of the unirersity, its anticipated revenue was expected to be much greater than it has subsequently proved, and the legislature, nctuated by a laudable desue to promote knowledge and cxtend ecience, offered, without chnrge, the means of acollegiate education lo all the youth of Michigan. No fees for tuition were pertnitted to be charged to any student in the state. This was a liberal previsión, but, unhappily, subsequent events render it uncertain whether the original design, eo uiunificent and worthy of commentfation, can be carritd cut to the full extent intended by its generous projectors; and for the removal, at least in part, of the pecuniary embarrassnicuts of the institution, I would respectfully cali your attention to the propriety of authorizing the board of regents to charge the sludents in ottendance such rea-sonab'e fees for tuitio'n. as, with other accruing means, will secure llie sen'ices of thenecessary profcseors and teachers in the various departments. If you shduld deern it expedient lo confcr this authority upon the bonrd, I would respectfully suggesl, that, while you fix a maximum which Bhould not exceed the charge for simi !ar purposes in other seminaries of leaning, you leave to the regents a discretion in regard (o thï subject, and authorize thom to make ciscrimination in the exerc'se of the power granted.Five professors hav been nppoinied of wbbró two ouly hnve cntered öpon the discharge of tlieir dnties. The nurr.brgr of students in the main institntion is nbout iity. - Branches at Tecumseh, White Pig-eon, Ealamazoo and Roineo are continued in operation at an annua] expense of two Imndred dollars for each.Since the issue of sta'e scrip, the sum of $S2,e26 23 in tlmt species of state indebtedness, hos been received for ealcs of school lands, and the fiirther sumof #6,484 35 for the sale of Universily land., whicii, amounting iltcgether to 833,710 59, remains in the state treasuay. As scrip cannot be re-issued but for ciaims nainst the generai fund, the aboye sum shotild properly be coiísidered ns n loan and accruin inferest paid thereon as up on other claims against the state.In the disposal of school and university Iands, the instalment required to bo paid at the time of sale is sufficient to secure the state from fraud: and the authority vested in the commissioner of the land office to require, in hisdirection, security for the paymcnt of the remainder of the purchase money does notafford an adequate remedy. Ñumerous pareéis of thoselands, valuable moslly for thcirtim ber, havo heen purchased and the tenth part of their price paid by individuáis whose only object Vas to appropriate such timber to their oVn use and protect themselves from prosecutions for tresspass under pretext of ownership The cotnmissioner canhot knor, eScept in extraordinary cases, the design of applicants for the punchase of lands. and the state will be best protected by requiring a greater amount, of the stipulated price to be paid at the time of sale. The numerous duties imposed upon the commissioner of1 the land office render it difficult for him satisfactorily and withadvantage to superiiltend the business öf leasing the improved lands. It will be a proper subjecf of inqvtiry whethcr" this duty may not with pi'opriety be committed to the supervisor or other oflicer of the idwnship in tohich the land is siliiated, under süch röstriötioos and nccountability as you may deern proper to imposei The law on the subject of taxes should e modiried so far as it applies ta lands sold by the state, for which payrnent has only been made in part. In such cases the interest of the person who hplds the certifícate ohould be tazed as personalertv; or if the land be taxed such iotereat alone shöuld bé sold for non--payment of tax and not the kind" itsslf. A fractional section of rand contaihing about 514 acres,being part of the lad granted for the support of the University, is situated on the Macmee neai Toledo, and wühin the boundariesof Ohio If is ropresented fhaf this land has already been denuded of mucl of it3 valuabio timber, and, for want of proper care, is constantly deteriorating in valué, If you think its sale a special act wiíí be required fo confer tfoe necessary authority. Should' yoü deern it expedí ent to offot for sale the state building and Salt Spring lands, the terms and eontiïtions should bo fixed by ïaw. The last mentioneí íandá cannot be sold or leased for a longer pé riod than f en years without consent ofcori gress, fhough, upon a propet representa tion, that body wookï pfobaMy árrntjl the restriction. I have received no ofScial cornmtmica" tion iñ regard to Síaíe Salí Sprints near Grand1 River. Information, how- ever, deeraed sufficiently authenfic, enables me to state that the imwetfiate prospect of manufacturing salt extensiva1 y and with profit is by no means fíattor-í I have not yet been able as reqfrirfed by the act of 16th February, 1842,topurchase the lands adjaceWf fofhe state salt spfings near' the Tittabawassee river,-and including, it is believed, a part of the improvements at that The State öê- ologist, by my request, has used all reesonable efforts to effect that objecf Smt as yet without siiccess.The ömotint alretuïy expended in tb& impfövement of the state salt spring is 35,970 10. The water hitherlo obtsin cd, not possessing saline qualïties ín a sufficient degree tö ensure the pfofiiable manufacture of salt, and the state havmg no further means at command, I respectfully stíggesí the proprieiy of discontinuing further expenditures for tho pfesent. Authority should be confer red, ín that event, upon sorae person worthy of trust to collect and place ia store the maehinery and fixtures belonging to thesfaie.At the public sales of lands fot taxea in previous years, portions of such lands for wanf of bidders have been bid off for the state; and addítionaí quaníitíes at future sales will probably ín íííte mahner becöme vestéd in the state As no lavy exists providing for the sale of the laödsj you will see tne necessííy of making such needful provisions on the subject as will best secure the public interests Since the adjournment of the last legislature the Merchants Bank of Jackson ha3 and its assets gone info the hönds of a Receiver. The system of banking now in use ís radically and4 though by jüdiciotis legislation, we may introduce salutary reforms, securing ín a greater degree the public fronï loss, o can never hope effectually to correct ita evils.Among the reforms that may be properly foírodnced into the cxisting charters jofbanks, the'addition of individual to existing corporato responsibilityj is one which deserves your attention. It tvould be difficult to show a satisfactory reason 'vhy partners in a corpofation shotild be exempt from liabilities to which partners are subject in an association without corporate powers. Banks may also be justly restricted irön1 making loans to their stockholders. and from issuing bank notes, other than their own, payable on demand at the place where issued The safety of the public woilld" also be íncreased, if baníís M'erc required to obtain the bilis in tended to be issued from söme department of the state governmentj tnd, at the sama time, to file such approved security therofor as woüld ensure their redemption, in case the corporation should fail or becorae insolvent.ManufactorieS, süstáíned % Ihe principie of pi-otecliorfj hte monopolies not les öbnoxious nor less injürious than banks. Their proprielors are aJike sup ported and enrichèd by a tax upon the industry of others. In England, the landholder asks protectimi by taxing ihe inanüfacturer; in the United States, the manufacturer demands protection by ittiposing a tax üpon the farmen In that country, the landholder claims the monopoly of sttpplying the manufacture? ttith bread; in this, themanufacturar asks the monopoly of furnishing the farmer with wares and mer chandize. In neither case is there a community of interest. In England, tho landholder cannot purchase the article produccd by the manufacturer, becausp of the extensivo snpply; nor inthis country can the nanufacturer purchaso the droduce of the farmer'" for the aame reason. There, the corn laws opprcss tho manufacturer; here3 a protcctive tariff oppresces the agriculturist.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News