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About News & planters' gazette. (Washington, Wilkes County [sic], Ga.) 1840-1844 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1843)
•Honey.’ i'humlcr?—we’re near alike os two pumpkins. Now,Sally, I’ll toll you what’s tho -voeipst thin” in nutur— it’s you.’ ■Now he still, Mr. Baker; for mother tvs praise to the fuee is open disgrace.’ Ho now drew his chair close to hers, for cs lie told his sister afterwards, he began j to get his pluck up. ‘Sally,’ says he, what’s | lie sian when any body treads on your toe?’ | ‘ it'j a sign they love you. Oh ! Mr. Ila- . k r you’ve smashed my feet to pieces.’ Upon this he threw his arm around her, teek ami gave her such a smack ns Sally ! Jones got when old Mrs. Jones thought her ! bottle of eniptins had burst. ■What’s the matter, my dear V said the! Squire, who was awakened out of a sound j sleep by his wife jumping in bed. ‘Nothin,’ said she, ‘only I heard a great \ cracking just now. I thought at first ’twas vour shootiu’gun goin’ off’; but 1 guess it’s ally the frost cornin’ out of the ground.’ At the mention ofhis gun the Squire got out of bed, and opened the door into the sit ting room. ‘Sally, are vou tip ? What noise was tha‘ V ‘Twas—’twas 1 just shut the front door; hat’s all the noise 1 heard.’ ‘Well you’d better put the nail over the ‘atcli and do to bed.’ The next morning the old lady gave Sul ly a severe scolding for slamming the door so hard, when people were asleep. That interesting interview, and above all that parting kiss, was more than Sally Jep sin could stand unmoved—and on the next Sunday when she went to church and got a slv wink and a nod from Josiah, for her life she couldn’t tell whether she had a ■ heart left among her goods and chatties, ’ although she tried all meeting time to de cide the doubt. Josiah repeated the kiss on that very evening, and performed more, for he popped the alternative, and had the satisfaction to see Sally blush—an infalli ble symptom that his question had gone straightway to her heart, and caused it to ! flood her cheeks. The parson soon blessed the happy twain ‘ and they became one flesh—very much to the delight of all lovers of thanksgiving dainties, who in that union foresaw a per petuation ofJosiah’s incomparable breed of turkeys, as well as some other things. GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE. Executive Department, ) Milledgeville, Nov. 7. 1843. \ Fellow-Citizens of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives : You have assembled as the first Repre sentatives of the people, chosen under the amended constitution, for the biennial ses sion of the General Assembly. The topics which will engage your attention are not more important, nor necessarily more nu merous, titan under the former regulation, with the exception, that it becomes your du ty to alter the law prescribing the mode of choosing the electors of President and Vice j President of the United States to which this Slate is entitled ; and to elect officers to fill the places of those whose terms expire in November next; and to provide for com missioning them at the time, at which, by existing constitutional provisions, they will be required to enter upon the duties of their respective offices. The law in relation to the election of electors of President and Vice-President, should be so altered as to render the convention of the Legislature in extraordinary session unnecessary, except on the failure of a choice by the people, or the death or resignation of one or more of the electors chosen. 1 lay before you a document marked A. which exhibits the amounts received by the Executive, from the fund placed at his dis posal for the payment of the public debt, and the manner in which the same has been disbursed, except the sums draw n in favor of the Treasurer for the payment of inter est on State 0 pr. cent, bonds, which will appear in his report. The accounts be tween the State and the Georgia R. Road Banking Co.,embracing heavy transactions the payment for, and transportation of, ion for the Western and Atlantic Rail Road ; with the Merchants Bank of New- York ; with the Central Bank of Georgia ; and with John P. King, Esq., agent, arc al so laid before you. These last are vouch ers in support of the first named document, mid relate exclusively, to the same fund. Hie sum -.f *40,000 constituting a part of “ ); to the credit of the State in the i ‘Cn Hank of New.York, was deposi ’ n • . nmont stocks which Lad been ."leiveri m the military claim, and the in ‘erest on stocks credited in the account, a upor. >hat deposit which explains these ; ns. The possession of these funds ena i.ltd in- to save a considerable sum to the State, which must otherwise have been lost mi the sacrifice of Central Bank notes.— Certain payments were to be made for post ages ; purchases for the use of the State ; to creditors of the Stale, &c., for which spe cie funds alone would be received, and in all such cases the amount was drawn from i,,. qv asury by warrant on the appropri mm! Mi favor of the party to whom it was ■ h was paid in Central Bank notes ;• sited in the Central Bank to the ■ ‘he State, and a check given in ex . The Central Bank had borrowed : \ “.v - \ ork the sum of eighteen thousand cc iars, to pay the interest on the public • i ‘jl for which it had pledged thirty thou sand dollars of its notes. The item for the exchange of that sum was to enable it to re deem said notes. Th-ve now remains an unexpended bal ance of this fund, of thirty.six thousand five hundred and twenty-nine dollars and seven i t.ts, of which there is to the credit of the ‘■.ate in the Central Bank, the sum of thir ; -six thousand four hundred and thirteen i.,rs and nine cents, and in the Georgia road and Banking Company one hun dred and fifteen dollars and ninety-eight cents. The report of the Treasurer will place before you an account of the fiscal opera tions of the year, so far as the same have been connected with his Department. Had the demands upon the Treasury come up to the estimates of tho lust year, its means would-not have been adequate to meet them, notwithstanding the large amount re ceived for Grants. The appropriation for troops for the protection of the southern frontier, founded on estimates, exceeded the amount required, us reported by the Pay master, eighteen or twenty thousand dol lars. If the sum now in nrreer for interest on 0 per cent, bonds, which bus not been presented for payment, were added to tlie foregoing, it would have swelled the de- j mands against the Treasury, to an amount | which it would not have been able to meet, without encroaching upon the funds arising from the last assessments of taxes. I am gratified to have it in my power to state, that the present and prospective con dition of the finances is more flattering titan when I had the honor last to communicate with tlie representatives of the people on this subject. The receipts into the Treas ury from taxation and otiier contingent or- j dinary sources, according to the estimate of ’ the Comptroller-General, a copy of which is herewith submitted, will be more than sufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of tlie Government, and pay the interest on the public debt* The total receipts may he estimated as follows : Front taxation and other contingent sources of revenue, 8290,000 00 To the credit of tlie State in Central Bank and Georgia Rail-road Bank, subject to Executive checks, 36,529 07 To the credit of the Treasury in Central Bank, 21,967 00 Balance of Military claim on Government, 74.795 73 \ Making an aggregate of 8423,291 80 : To this is to be added the balance on hand ;on the 31st of October las lotto the amount j received on assessments of takes fo'u,lS43. Appropriations for many objects,"Tor the political year, eighteen hundred and forty three, were inadequate for tlUjApur poses for which they were intended, anUMhoso’fior the year 1844, must necessarily be increased. The contingent fund, accidentally* over drawn a few hurra red dollars, has long since been exhausted, and there tute in conse quence, now outstanding debts chargeable to it, arising from cases of small pox,,posta-* ges, attorneys fees for pi'osecutintpfdelin quent Banks, printing Bank Reports, &ic?, amounting in the aggregate to ten thousand dollars, or thereabouts, for which immedi-. ate provision should be made. TlJ&pxpen ditures for the present year, may bdwstima ted as follows: ■* * • Expenses of Legislature, 895,000’ Civil Establishment, 37,475* Contingent Fund, jpcluding tlie balance for last year, 1 30,000 Military Fund, ■ Stag 5,000 ; Printing Fund, , Special appropriations. 5.0(H) Interest on Publics Debt, 95,000 t Arrearages of interest for fonwer l 4 years, 18,OOff Making an aggregate of 8312,4 which being deducted from estimated re ceipts, will leave a balance subject to Le gislative disposal of 8110,816 80r 7 TbH* sum is to be increased by the balance ortt hand on 31st ult. as aljudod to above.— * The large sum of 832,000 for the troops on the southern frontier, is in the special appropriations paid (lie last* year. No similar appropriation will be re quired hereafter. * ‘ t, Ate It is proper for me to remark, that'! hav* engaged, upon the receipt of tlie balance of the appropriation from the General Govern-, ment, to apply at least fifty thousand dollars! of that sum to the reduction of the debt due Reid, Irving &Cos., which, from the forego, ing statement, it will be perceived, may vet* ry readily be done, without, in the slightest degree, embarrassing the operations of the.j Government. To tlie sum of the receipts into the Treasury, as herein*?ef?fe mentioned, may be added the proceedskof the sales of such of the reverted the General Assembly may order to bcvdis posed of. From that source, if all the re verted lands drawn in the lotteries prior to the Cherokee lotteries are sold, the sum of fifty thousand dollars, at least, may be ex pected to be realized. As you may not be assembled again dur ing your constitutional term of service, pro vision must be made for the expenses of the Government, and the interest on the public debt for the political year eighteen hundred and forty-five. These expenses will he di minished by the amount of the pay of the Legislature and charges incidental to le gislation. For that year the probable ex penditure will be : Civil Establishment, 837,475 Contingent Fund, 20,000 Military Fund, 3,000 Printing Fund, (no Laws and Jour nals,) 5,000 Interest on Public Debt, 100,000 Special appropriations, 15,000 8180,475 If the revenue should reach the estimate for the present year, viz.: 8290,000, there will be a surplus of one hundred and nine teen thousand five hundred and thirty-five dollars, applicable to the reduction of the debt due to Messrs. Reid, Irving & Cos., should you continue the provision of the act of last session, directing the application of the surplus to that object. If you should direct the sale of reverted land’s drawn in the Cherokee lottery, after the expiration of twelve months, a revenue of at least eighty thousand dollars may be expected from’that source. Hence, it will appear if there be no error in the estimates, the means at your control will enable you to adopt all the measures hereinafter recommended, with out interfering with the annual reduction of the principal of the public debt, of at least fifty thousand dollars. Should my recommendations in relation to the amendment of the Constitution to re duce the number of members, and tlie change of the time for the meeting of the General Assembly be adopted, and the pay of tho members fixed at the rate which was for a long series of years customary in Georgia, and is now tho usual compensa tion in an adjoining State, the most fortu nate results may be expected. The sessions will be shortened to an average of forty days, tlie daily cost of legislation will not exceed six hundred and fifty dollars, and • the aggregate biennial expense reduced to j twenty.six thousand dollars. The amount | thussaved, will be a sensible relief to the burdens of the people, and the ameliorating i effects of the change will soon be felt in the j improved character of the Stale at home j and abroad. Forged notes purporting to have been is sued by the Central Bank, were circulated to a considerable extent in certain parts of tho State, in tlie early part of the year.— The Bank, by the vigilance of its officers, has escaped imposition from that fraud ; but its existence suggested the necessity of guarding the public interest at other points against the effects of forgery. Coupons at j tachcd to State 6 per cent, bonds are so ea sily counterfeited as almost to invite the crafty to the undertaking. To protect the Treasury from assaults from that quarter, an order was issued by the officer at its head, with the approval of the Executive, requiring bonds in all cases, to be presented with the coupons attached when interest was demanded. Appeals have been made to the Department so to modify the rule, as i to admit of tlie payment of the interest upon tlie presentation of the coupons, with an affidavit tiiat they were cut from the bonds. But as such a modification would, so mani festly destroy, in a great measure, the bene ficial object of the rule itself, it was not made. It is material to prove the genuine ness of the bond from which coupons arc detached, and this cannot be done by stran gers who are unacquainted with the auto graphs of the officers, whose signatures they bear. There can be no safety in a de parture from the rule. In its strict obser vance, there is a perfect security as is at tainable in such cases. It accomplishes another object, not looked to, at the time of its adoption, and which is proven by the lossJVom the Treasury of several coupons afiter they had been paid by tlie Treasurer b<®re they were cancelled. These cou poiK can never come, in all probability, to tlie hands of the holders of the bonds to which they were attached, so as to be pre sented under existing regulations. Cou pons were in many cases cut from bonds before the holders were apprised of the or der. In every such instance they have been paid, upon an affidavit to that effect. With all the caution observed, the Treasu- paid two forged coupons, which it • is supposed were presented detached from * tlie bonds. This shows the indispensible t necessity of an adherence to the rule, and l recommend its establishment by law, as j demanded for the security of tlie Treasury. I lay before you a list of Executive ap pointments made during the last political , year—and also of Executive Warrants | drawn on the Treasury during the same ; period. I There are now outstanding several de 1* mands against the State, which are requir ed to he paid from the Contingent Fund ; but which, from the smallness of the amount . appropriated, I have been unable to dis > charge. I would recommend your early F attention to this subject, and the immediate enactment of a law to provide for demands I chargeable to this fund. In examining f payments made from the Contingent Fund, you will find charged to it several items | which are not properly contingencies, such I as overpayments to the Treasury by Tax Collectors, accounts for small pox, &e.— The legitimate object of a Contingent fund, | is to provide for expenses which could not be foreseen bv the Legislature, and to meet which, appropriations could not therefore ibe made. Ii jnunend the repeal of the law, which requires all expenses incurred J on account of the small pox to be paid from r'he Treasury, and that in lieu thereof,-pro vision be made, that a supply of fresh and genuine vaccine matter he kept constantly on hand at different and convenient places throughout the State,at public expense, and that it be enjoined as a duly, that every in dividual be innoculated therewith. Each county should be required to defray the expenses of its own poor in receiving tlie benefits of this benevolent regulation. In this manner this loathsome disease may be kept out of our limits. During tho year, a case of small pox occurred in the county of Bike, and on the discharge of the patient a quantity ot clothing was burnt by order of the Inferior Court of that county, and an account was presented against the State for their value. I submit to you tlie copy of a correspondence, which states the grounds on which payment was refused. As the owner, however lost his property under or der of Court, it may well form a subject for your consideration, whether he shall not be paid. A mistake was made in the appropriation to Mrs. Amanda Taylor, to reimburse her for an overpayment oftaxes. The Senator from that county called and made known the error. The true amount has been paid. The appropriation ibr the balance ought to be repealed. I have had a book prepared for the regis try of all coupons for 6 per cent, bonds, tak en up at the Treasury, which will be an additional guaranty against fraud, and will, at all times, exhibit the amount of interest paid, and also afford the means of informa tion of the amount unpaid. All coupons redeemed, have been entered thereon, ex cept those that have been lost from the Treasury. Two small warrants drawn on the Trea sury for fifty-three dollars and fifty.five cents, both properly chargeable to the con tingent fund, but one inadvertently drawn on the wrong fund, and both paid by the Treasurer without the approval of the Comtroller, should be allowed that officer. The energetic measures adopted by the Board of last year, and vigorously prosecu ted by the present efficient Director of the Central Bank, for redeeming its notes,have succeeded beyond expectation. Notes of the Bank amounting to eight hundred and thirty.seven thousand six hundred and fif ty-one dollars, have been redeemed, and under tlie act of the last session, burnt. Os this, the sum of one hundred thousand throe hundred and twenty dollars, was on hand on the 7tli day of November last, and since that time, tho sum of three hundred and eighty-one thousand, one hundred and eigh ty-six dollars and forty cents, lias been col lected on debts duo to the Bank, and the balance was redeemed with eight per cent, bonds. Between the 7th of November of last year, ami tlie second day of the present month, the circulation of the Bank was re. duoed from 81,453,583 to 8680,922, and by the time the tax of the present year is paid into the Treasury, if the amount has been correctly estimated, there will be in actual circulation in tlie hands of tlie peo pic, not exceeding 8380,000. The amount in ttie Treasury will, however, be disburs ed as demanded by the calls of the Govern j ment, but after the payment of the Legislu ; Hire, these calls will be inconsiderable and gradual, and by no means equal to the col lections of the Bank. Tlie liabilities of tlie Bank, of every des cription, amount to one million three bun dred thousand six hundred and ninety-nine dollars and seventy-five cents. In these, the circulation and eight per cent. Bonds, issued for the redemption of its notes, con stitute the principal items, making, con jointly, the sum of eleven hundred and nine ty-nine thousand and sixty-six dollars and sixty cents. To meet these, it lias assets, estimated to be good by the Director, a mour.ting to one million seven hundred and twenty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-eight dollars, showing an excess of available means, over liabilities, of four hundred and twenty-four thousand, two hundred and thirty-six dollars. But allow ing an additional sum of two hundred thou sand dollars for depreciation of tlie stock of the Bank of tlie State of Georgia, and of Augusta and oilier losses, and it will be seen how abundantly able this Institution is, under future correct management, to discharge all its liabilities, and have a handsome surplus, independent of that por tion of the Bank stock which was a total loss, Brunswick R. Road and Canal stock, and other similar worthless paper whicli lias been estimated as a part of its capital. It is to be lamented, that imprudent legisla tive action, exciting a distrust of its power to meet demands against it, depreciated in the hands of tlie people, tlie notes of a Bank whose ability to sustain itself, is now dem onstrated. Public confidence is, however, reviving in regard to it, and specie paying banks will, no doubt, at an early day, find it to their interest to receive its notes in payment. Notes and bills ofExchange, discounted In this institution, amounting; tosix hundred and ninety-seven thousand, seven hundred and forty-five dollars and ninety.five cents, exclusive of interest, are in the hands of Attorneys for collection. I would respect fully ask, if, when tlie notes of the Bank reach par value, indulgence might not be granted to debtors upon terms entirely com patible with tlie public interest? The eight per cent, bonds, may, at tlie option of the State, run through a period of five years from the date of their issue. Hence, little inconvenience to the State, could ensue from this act of liberality to debtors. Tlie faithful conduct of the ministerial officers of this Bank, is a guaranty that its impor tant interests are safe in tlieir hands, and that no change in its administration or mode of management for closing its affairs, need be made with the expectation of great er security to the public, or with the view of obtaining a more abiding fidelity in the agents employed. Any change by which its assets might be placed in tlie fatal cus tody of a receiver, would be the prelimina ry step towards charging its indebtedness to the Treasury and raising the means of payment from tlie people. Tlie transfer of a part of tho claim of the Central Bank of Georgia against the Bank ofColumbus, was made to Henry W. Jer nigan, as directed by resolution of the last Legislature, according to the terms therein specified ; and as no appropriation had been made by Congress for its payment, 1 ad dressed the Georgia delegation on the sub ject referring them to tlie proceeding of the Government respecting it. A copy of my letter is herewith submitted. In consequence of reports of meditated frauds, upon the Central Bank, which were communicated to me from Columbus, in a manner and of a nature to require my of ficial attention, I directed an investigation of them, and for that purpose, appointed H. G. Lamar, and A. 11. Chappell, Esqrs.— Though they were satisfied that the fraud was contemplated, they were equally con vinced that the projectors had made no progress in its execution and that no one maintaining an honorable name, was at all implicated in it. A mercantile firm of New York, Messrs. Davis, Brooks & Cos., as agents of an Eng lish house, hold fifty thousand dollars of the notes of the Bank of Darien. Should that institution prove unable to redeem them, they rely on the State as a Stockholder, under the terms of the charter, to make its proportion of them good. I have on two occasions communicated to the General Assembly documents, exhibiting a trans action between the Bank of Darien and the New York Banking Company of a most extraordinary character by which upwards of two hundred thousand dollars of its notes were pledged by the former to the latter, without the slightest reeipocral benefit or advantage. If the notes held by tlie gen tlemen named beof that parcel, unless they hold them without notice of the fraud ex press or implied, their claim cannot be re cognized. I lay before you a correspon dence with them on them on the subject. I refer you for information in relation to all matters connected with the Penitentia ry, its management,condition and prospects to the very ample and detailed report of the Principal Keeper—copies of which are laid before you. It will be seen by a com parison of its affairs for the last four years, with those of the four years which precee ded them, that the results are altogether commendatory of the impiovements which have been made in their administration du ring tlio latter years; hut that there are still great defects in tlio system, to remedy which, the ameliorating hand of tho Legis lature is required. I would invite youres pecial attention to tho practical suggestions which ure contained in the report, and re. commend that you select from them tlie best means of applying labour and perfec ting our prison discipline, with a view to promote the interest of the State and im prove the moral condition of the convicts. 1 would also, urge the necessity of relieving the Institution from its embarrassments.— It is impossible for its operations to be ad vantageously conducted without either credit or means. Since eighteen hundred and thirty.eight, it has had to contend u gainst tlie depressing change of times, and even under the energetic conduct of the present able and efficient Keeper it has fal len short, by actual sales of manufactured articles, to realize casli to meet its necessa ry expenditures. This difficulty, could in a groat degree, be remedied by its removal to a more eligible location, and much ad vantage might be derived from directing the labor to differyit objects. I beg leave to usk your attention to tlie views which I had the honor to submit to the last Legislature on these subjects. By adopting them, the Penitentiary would be withdrawn from competition with that highly useful and res pectable portion of our fellow.citizens en gaged in the mechanical arts. The Legislature of eighteen hundred and forty.one, appropriated a sum of money for the payment of three Inspectors of the Peni tentiary, but the law was so altered as to admit of the appointment ofone only. Mr. William C. Derry was appointed, who per formed tlie duties with great diligence ami fidelity, devoting tlie whole of his time to them. The sum appropriated for all, is an inadequate compensation for his services for that year : and 1 would recommend that tlie whole of that, ut least, be allowed liitn. The murder of the guard, while on pub lic duty, under circumstances of the black est atrocity, lias already been made known to you in tlie report ol General Nelson.— The offenders should be brought to justice. Two individuals accused, and against whom bills ofindictment have been found in the Superior Court of Twiggs county, are in confinement awaiting their trial. The Court lias been adjourned to January. 1 have engaged tlie professional services of Baily and Johnson, Esqr’s., in aid of tlie prosecuting officer. Immediate measures should be adoptpd to procure the attendance of witnesses.—Most of them reside in other counties. \N C opies of tlie final report of the Hon. Wilson Lumpkin, disbursing agent of the Western and Atlantic Rail Road, are laid before you. It gives a condensed state ment of his transactions during the term which tie held the office, and shows a faith ful application of the public funds 1 winch were placed in his charge. IJisoffice ex pired in January last, by the terms of its limitation in the law which created it.— Since that time, the Chief Engineer, lias redeemed outstanding scrip whenever pre sented in sucli sums, as to equal tlie a mounts of bonds in his hands for its redemp tion. He lias also settled accounts con tracted bv himself. My observation and experience have convinced me that the ex pense of a general superintendent or dis bursing agent on this public work, may be entirely saved, and that all tlie duties here tofore required of those officers, may be performed by the Chief Engineer, with the aid of his clerk, or payments made upon his checks at the seat of Government. As Ipss service was required of the Chief Engineer, during the present year than heretofore, I fell it my duty to reduce his salary one thousand dollars, including the discontinu ance of tlie allowance for contingencies.— It isdue to that officer, however, to say, that this was done from no change of opin ion in respect to his skill, ability or effi ciency, but from a sense of duty and jus tice to the public. “V It will be perceived that but little prog-i ress lias been made with the road during the year. Iron has been laid on the track, commencing at Marthasville, the south eas tern terminus, and extending to a point thirteen or fourteen miles nortli of Marietta, a distance of about thirty-three miles.— Two passenger cars and other cars for the use of the road, have been constructed in the Penitentiary, in a style and strength of workmanship, whicli prove that if that in stitution were conveniently located, the con victs might be profitably employed in works of that description for the State and other roads. A locomotive has been purchased, but it has not been thought expedient to run the cars regularly, until a greater ex tent of road is completed, or until one of the branches, forms a junction with the State road. One of the briedges was burnt in August last, by the gross misconduct of an overseer. The loss will be repaired by the first of January next. A contract has been made for the pur chase of four hundred and sixty tons of iron, the quantity necessary for the com pletion of the road to the termination of fif ty-two miles as provided for by a former Legislature. It is to be delivered in Sa vannah during the present month. The heavy duty on this description of iron, adds greatly to tlie cost of our public works. I would suggest to you the propriety of me morializing Congress for the remission of the duties. As our improvements when made, must afford great facilities to the Government in matter connected with na tional interests, and as they were all under taken under the inducement of the free im portation of iron to be used in their con struction, we might justly hope for the most favorable consideration of such an applica tion. It would certainly, greatly reduce tho cost of our works, and to that extent, be a relief to our citizens. Since the adjourn ment of the last Legislature, the sum of twenty-six thousand dollars of State six per cent, bonds has been issued to raise the means of paying for the iron whose arrival is daily expected, and to this amount only, has the issue of State bonds for the purpo ses of the road been increased. This sum deducted front the balance of appropria lions on hand in January last, whicli wu: two hundred and ninety six thousand three hundred and ninety-nine dulljtibaud twen ty cents, leaves now unexpended, and sub ject to tho prosecution of the work, the sum of two hundred and seventy thousand and ninety-nine dollars and twenty cents. I would respectfully submit to your consid. eration, whether in the existing slate of for wardness of tlie Branch roads, it is not tho part of a safe policy to equip tho road with motive power, and cars amply sufficient to engage in active and extensive business.— Georgia has not yet committed herself to an amount of indebtedness which would be a temptation to a people of a less stern moral ity, to disregard their obligations. It is tho dictate of wisdom, to keep within these pru dent limits. For the present therefore, I would recommend that, utter equipping the road wiili all the necessary means of rtg orous operations, and the expenditure of remaining balances of appropriations, on tho construction, the profits of the road be applied to its gradual completion. Under such a regulation, this great enterprise may be consummated without additional costs to the people. The time is not remote, and will proba bly arrive before you next biennial assem blage, when actual experiment will afford a test of tlie value of tlie State road, both as respects revenue and commerce. The two roads intended to form a connexion with it, and which form a part of a system of im provements adopted by the Stale, are urged forward with all the energy admissible bv t he limited means of the companies engaged in their construction. In eighteen hundred and thirty-six, the act was passed, which embarked the State in tho great enterprize of connecting the waters of tlie west, with the Atlantic coast, by means of a Railroad. Charters had been granted to private com panies by previous Legislatures, to con struct roads penetrating westwardly into the interior, which, no doubt, contributed to this undertaking. These charters author ized the construction of roads to several de signated points, stopping short of that es tablished us the terminus of the State Road; and to render the project less difficult and expensive to tlie State, the policy was a dopted of encouraging citizens to form themselves into companies, and in this vvay to secure their means in aid of the Slate, in the accomplishment of its great design. With this object, was tlie tenth section of the act of 1830 incorporated among its pro visions It declares thut “for the encour agement of the construction of branch rail roads from the terminus of the said State Rail Road on the Chattahoochee, to the several townsof Athens, Madison, Milledge ville, Forsyth and Columbus, Be it further enacted, that so soon as charters, shall have been obtained for the construction of said Branch Rail Roads or any of them, and one half of the stock shall have been sub scribed for, in all or either, it shall he the duty of tlie Governor to subscribe in the name of the State, for one fourth of die capi tal stock of such company or companies: Provided, that said subscription shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars, jjri any one branch.” Relying on tho honor of their State, thus solemnly plighted, ma ny valuable citizens were induced to en gage in a work supposed to beofgreat pri vate as well as public interest anil utility. The act, they saw, contained no provision tiiat, if before the day arrived on which the State might bo called on to subscribe, re verses should come, she might recede from her engagement, and leave tlie prospective disadvantages on the hands of those who had confided in her. One of the compa nies—tiiat, having the authority to con struct a road from the terminus of the State Road to tlie town of Forsyth, on tlie 3d of November last, submitted to me, evidence that all the pre-requisites to a demand of the State of its subscription to one fourth of the stock had been complied with. To guard the interest of tlie State at every point, tlie Executive observed great caution and required statements on oath to assure him that the proceedings of the '‘ company lin obtaining the subscription, had been in ‘good faith, and that they had obtained res ponsible names. Accordingly, Joseph Day, Thaddeus G. Holt, Esqrs. and I)r. George A. Winn, gentlemen of unquestion able ciiaracter, deposed, to the listof names presented to the Executive, as subscribers ibr the stock, and further deposed, tiiat each individual whose name appeared thereon, subscribed for the number of shares annexed, either by himself or agent; that each share was for one hundred dol lars, and the aggregate amount of the sub scription was for six hundred and sixty thousand dollars; that on four thousand five hundred and thirty-one shares, the sum of three hundred and fifty-five thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight dollars, had been actually and bona fide paid ; that seven per cent, and more, on each of said shares had been paid; that the whole sub scription had been fairly, bona fide and un conditionally made and that they believed from the personal knowledge they had, and the best information they had been able to obtain, the subscribers were generally good, and that the whole of the stock would be paid. Evidence was also submitted that the track on said road corresponded in width with that prescribed for the trunk. Under the law and this the subscription was made, and with this full statement, it is referred to your deci sion, whether the statute and the proceed ings under it, impose any, and what obliga tion on tlie State. I appointed Q. L. C. Franklin, Esq., to execute the resolution of the last Legisla ture, in relation to the books, vouchers, scrip &c., of the W. &A. R. Road. He posted up the books, arranged the vouchers and adjusted the accounts as far as tho imper fect state of the books would enable him to do it. He deposited a schedule of the ac counts as required by the resolution, in this Department and the Comptroller General’s office, and accompanied the same with an explanatory report, copies of which are submitted to you. I agreed to allow him
