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£im ts avfo Snttiml. COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. niIDAY MOBNING, NOVEMBER 11,1853. t/"Owine r tothe detention of the car* on yesterday, ‘*e did not receive our fil< a in time to give to press, much that i* important with reference to our Legislative pro ceedings. We shall, therefore, issue an extra during the day, containing the Governor's Inaugural, with edito rial correspondence comprising all that has been done by our Legislature up to the 10th inst. Governor’s Message. We commence to day the publication of the Govern or’s Message. It will be completed in our next issue, in the meantime n synopsis is given which embraces all the leading features of this able paper. Odd Fellow’s Celebration. Our citizens will remember that on to morrow the I. O. O. F. celebrate their anniversary with an oration, and appropriate services at Temperance Hall, at 11 o’ clock, A. M. For particulars see notice in another column. [editorial correspondence.] Milledgkvikls, Nov. 8. The two Houses met at 10 A. M. Messages were received from the two Houses informing each other of their organization, and of the appointment of Commit tees to wait on the Governor. The Governor’s mes sage was received, and read, and the two Houses ad journed for dinner. Til K OOVRRNOR's MKSSAQP. I send you a copy of this lengthy document, which of course you will transfer to your columns n* your ear liest convenience. It is a plain, unpretending docu ment, and is confined exclusively to a considerst : <>n of State affairs, and as their interests are personal tosvery citizen of Georgia, the message will be universally read therefore, it is unnecessary for me to give but a synop sis of it. THK PUBLIC BERT. The debt of Georgia is only $2,635,472 52. It is a matter of congratulation that it is so small, and that the bonds of the State have been negotiated at a pre mium of 5 per cent. THU CBMTR.iI. BANK. The Governor transferred the assetts of the Bank to the Treasury, and believes that the eontinuace of that institution is no longer necessary. After exhausting the assets of the Bank, there will be $369,500 to be paid out of the Treasury. lie recommends that the assets of the Bank be sold to the highest bidder. THK TREASURT. On the 20th October there wrs a balance of $74,857 35 in the Treasury. Joseph Sturgis as agent of the State, has collected from the United States the sum of $144, 890 53. THK TAX LAW. The Governor sanctions the ad valorem principle of j tax. tlon, but admits that there may bo mistakes in the application of the principle in the present tax law, ; which he recommends the Legislature to correct. He i commends the law to the Legislature, and urges them to maintain the odvalorem principle with firmness, i while th. y adopt such amendments as wisdom and expe rienee may suggest. The Govornor defends the law from the charge that taxes were increased by it. He says the liabilities of the State required an increase of taxes, and if no change had been made in the mode of taxation, st 11 taxes would have been increased. THE STATE RoAD. The Governor recommends .* lease of the State Road to a Corporation for 25 years at 5 per cent, on the in vestment. While we approve the suggestion, we ob j<-ct t“ the terms of the I. an. We are informed upon the b si authority that 300,000 dollars p, r annum, can he got for the road, on a base of five years, and that at the end of that time the profits of the road will bo greatly increased, and that the State can get a still larger sum for the next succeeding five years. Under the managemegt of the late able superinten dents the resources o? the road have so increased, as to h ave no doubt of the fact, that under proper management a large revenue will accrue to the State from thia sourec. This is a strong argument against the rale of the road at present. Wc are iu favor of the State's holding on to the road until the State debt falls due. The bonds of the State cannot be bought, and the money arising from a sale of the road at this time, would either lie idle .n the Treasury, or be squandered by improvident legislation. If the road is leased we suggest to the Leg islature to appropriate the funds to the completion of the Rail Road system of Georgia, at least, until the bonds of the State full due. The whole State have contribu ted to build the road, and by this use of the money ari sing from the lease of the road, every part of the State woulJ participate in the benefits of this great enter prise. THE PENITENT! ART. It is singular that this institution cannot be made prof itable in Georgia. The Governor recommends no change in its management. In Alabama the Penitenti ary is made profitable, by leasing it to a private individ ual. It would not be amiss for the Legislature of Geor gia to consider the propriety of pursuing the same course with or Institution. CHARITABLE INSTITCTIONS. High encomiums are paid by the Governor te the managers of these establishments. He recommends that prevision be made by a tax on slaves for the sup port of insane negroes in the Asaylum. EDRCATION. The educational advantages of Georgia are apprecia ted by the Governor, but he admits that no suitable provision is made for the education of the poor. There are 38,000 poor children in the State, and yet, only 20-000 000 dollars, or 60 cents ahead, are appropriated to their education. The Governor recommends no system, but looks forward to a time when the taxes wiil be reduced sue half, and then ho suggests that the proceeds arising from the lease of the State road, be appropriated to the education of the people. THE ri’DLIC PRINTING. The Governor recommends that the public printing be done at Milledgeville, under the eye of the Execu tive, and that power be conferred upon him to transfer the printing whenever the public Printer fails to com plete it in a given time. The last recommendation meets with our cordial sanction, but we can devise no reason for the first, but a desire on the part of Ilie Ex cellency, to advance the claims of a favorite candidate for public Printer, and even in this it will necessarily fail, as the only result of the adoption of such a law. woutd be to force candidates in other parts of the State to torm combinations with persons located at Milledge viile. We, by uo means, charge that such was the de sign of Governor Cobb, we do not know that he is the advocate of any out's claims. We only state the effec hi* raeotDNiendatkHJ. * ANNUAL BKSSIONB. We cordially sanction the recommendations of Gov. Cobb in this regard. We have always regarded bian- : nial sessions as a humbug. The experience of the State proves that nothing comparatively is sav* and in a pccurii- ; ary point of view, by the charge, and the public inter ests often suffer by the delay, incident to biennial ses sions. VIBCK LLANKOUB. We also coienr the rsconunendations that the vf fice of Attorney General be eatablished, the Bnprerr.e Court be made stationary, and of forming a State libra ry worthy of the State. The excuse of the Governor for hia delay in erecting a monument to the Memory of John Forsyth, are en tirely satisfactory. We hope the Legislator® will make an appropriation worthy of the State, and of the memory of the great man it designs to honor. FEDERAL RELATIONS, The only reference to our Federal relations contained in the message, refers to the outrage perpetrated ripen Mr. Lemmons of Virginia, by the judicial authorities of New York. The position of Ilis Excellency on this subject is firm and decided. It is unendurable that a citizen of the United States should be deprived of hie property, merely because he carries it by necessity or convenience upon the waters of a sister State. If such a principle is established, the Union w ill be converted into an engine of oppression, and instead of carrying cut the great ends for which it was established, will under mine one of the great interests it was designed to sub- serve. We are pleased to notice that our {slanted young : townsman R. Lmmitt Dixon is Assistant Secretary of the Senate, and that Alexander M- Speer of Bibb, is Assistant Clerk of the House. They are both men of ; educatieu, talent, and efficiency, and discharge their v.v j r.ous duties with promptness and urbanity. We cou- i gratulate both Houses upon their good fortune in ob taining such efficient officers. We are the more grati- i tied as they are our i wn personal friends. The editorial corpse were invited to take seats on the { floors of the respective Houses. We promptly availed ourselves of the privilege, and now write in the Hall of j the House. Nothing definite has turned up as to the Senatorial j election. The friends of the respective candidate* are j still struggling for mastery. Crisp with his company b* arrived, and opened ; ’ast night with the Lady of Lyons. He had a house I chock full, and among the audience we noticed several i beautiful hidies. This was our first sight of the repve- j sen*stives of the fair sex at Milledgeville, and if they are 1 fair specimens, we anticipates rich feast in their society ! this \\ inter. You may rely on it that the fashion and beauty of the State will be here this session. Come j over and admire them. The Ladies have not yet made ; their appearance in the State House. We expect them j to-morrow, and then you may hear more from Yours, &0., L. Gen. Cushing’s Letter-Free Soilism denoun ced. Will the enemies of the administration nerer cease their censeless and niafgnant assaults ? Is there net virtue enough in their ranks to discern the truth, and acknowledge it ? Has party malice gone so far that there can net be a lower depth for its malevolent ex erciso ? The; charges free soilism rmd free soil affiliation, which were made the head and fiont of the opposition in Georgia have fallen to the ground, one by one, so surely and dtcisively that none but the most hardened political sinner would venture to prolong them. Secretary McLelan was an out and out free staler, and an enemy to the South, said the Whig*. But hi* letter of instruction to Marshall Wyukoop urging the enforcement ot the Fugitive Slave Law, convinced the South that the Secretary of the Interior was s faithful co-worker with Gen. Pierce, in maintaining her rights, and i” giving effective force to the principles avowed iu the Inaugural address, to which Messrs, Toombs, Jen- kins, and other whig leaders had given their approval. Mr. Dix next came in review. He too has silenced their foui batteries. Secretary Guthrie gave in hia sec ond letter to collector Bronson, a decided rap on the head of free soilism. Secretary Marcy's record needs no defence—li* is heart and soul a co-worker with the p resident. Secretary Davis gives a quietus to the char ges ot disunion against him, which hi* enemies will not very soon revive—his loyalty to the Constitution and the Union, is unquestioned. Yet,in the faee of all these facts, the whig press headed by the New York Herald belches forth its bilingsgate to the disgust of every right thinking citizen, and to the chagrin, even of their hon est partizan friends. As another chapter in this volumn of proof already elicited, we to-day give a crushing letter from Secretary Cushing. As it is unquestionably authoritative, no one can misunderstand its direct and signifleant purpose.— The following is the letter : Washington, Oet. 29, 1853. Dear Sir : I perceive that jin several countie# in Massachusetts coalition senatorial tickets have been formed of associated democrats and free soilers. My judgment is, that the democrats who hare par eipitated in this have done worse than to commit a fatal error. They h ve abandoned a principle which is fundamental. To support or vote for the free soilers of Massachusetts avowedly, in the persistent agitation of the slavery question, and therefore hostile, in the extremes! degree, to the determined policy of the administration.— The P. esident entertains immoveable convictions on this point, as I have had occasion to express to you heretofore ; and all of us whom he has called to the public service here most heartily and zealously sustain his views on the subject, as being the only ones consistent with our per sonal honor, the success of the democratic party, the gen eral weltare of the country, the integrity *f the constitu'- tion or the permanency of the Union. If there beany purpose more fixed than another in the rnind of the Pre sident and those with whom he is accustomed to consult, itis that that dangerous element of abolitionism, undtr whatever guise or form it may present itself, shall be crushed out, so far as this administration is concerned. This the President declared in his^finaugural ; this he has, declared ever since, at all times, and in all places, when he had occasion to speak on the subject. While he does not assume to judge of the hearts of men who publicly avow sound principles, he only needs overt ac s to show where they ars, in order that his settled policy in the conduct of the affairs of the government shall be un equivocally manifested. Those who have apprehended halting “or hesitation on r the part of the Presi dent in treading any path which truth and patriotism open to him will themselves greatly mistaken. He is up to this occasion. His policy was not hastily settled ; while he occupies his present position it wiil never be departed from. The constitutional lights of all the States of this Union are as dear to him as the rights of New Hamp shire. 1 have perceived from the outset that this great principle of the constitutional rights of the States js fas tened in his thought as the corner stone of this Union. Depend upon it, no matter what conseqjenoes may im pend over him, he will never allow it to be shaken by abolitionists or faetionists, but will sethisfe.ee like Hint as . ell as against right hand backslidings as against left hand lefections, which may prejudice or embarrass the onward progress of the republic. 1 remain very truly vours, * a CUSHING. HOU. R. F*OTHIXrAM, Jr.,BoßtcsPuet, OCT We learn from the New York papers that th oa*e of the United States against Mr. Colyer, part own I er, and the Captain, Engineer and o.her officers of th ! steamer Henry Clay, on an indictment ter manslaughter : for having caused the death of eighty-four passengers. ; has terminated in an acquits’ of the accused, aaer a ’ trial which occupied fourteen days. | ST The Southern Elkctic for November has been received, and presents a roost inviting table of content, | including original articles from the pens of Southern i writers. CO” Hunt’s Mkrchant e Magazine for November has also come to hand. It* well established character ranking as it do 6 among the first, if not at the head o! publications of the kind, require* ne panegyric from ’ ns. Dkath op E. 8. Sater, Esq. —We learn by a let ter the decease of K. 3. Bay re, of this place, whilo on a visit to Demupo’is. Mr. Sayre was an old reideni of this place, and was for several years connected with the business department of this paper. He was a gentle man rriHch esteemed by hi* friends i'or his acquirements and ability. He has eufferred often from hemorrhage of the longs, which we learn was the immediate cause of his decease. — Mont. Journal. Anti Coalition Movement. —The Anti Coalition Democratic Convention, for Middlesex Couiity, Mass., met at Concord, on the 27th ah., and repudiating all connection with the Freeßoilers, nominated a separate Senatorial ticket. They parsed r.o resolutions regard ing national affairs. CT Mr. McLane, the Commissioner to China, sails for hie destination, from New York, on the 19th in stant. The Alabama Rivkr. —The Selma Reporter of the 3rd inst., say* ; “The laio rains have raised the river. It is now in fine boating order, and we hope the late fa vorable weather ha* totally expelled the yellow fever from Mobile, sr.d that the winter business will at once commence.” An American Oppicr at the Turkish Camp.— The camp of the Turkish army on the Danube has been visited recently by a great number of European tour ks and military men. Capt. Walker, of the mounted Rifles, U. S. Army, had gone to take a look at the grand army of the Crescent. The Captain had been handsomely received by the Sultan, who gave him a letter of iutoduction to Omar Pacha, the Commauder in-ch;ef on the Danube. O’ Michael McCoy and James Duffy who were ar rested in New’ York on suspicion of being the mur derer* of Catharine Quingley, near Jamaica, Long Is land, have been honorably acquitted, after a full investi gation. Monumbnt to thk Migt'issiHyi Volunteers. —It ‘ has been proposed, and funds are being raised, (says | the Columbus Argue,) to build a monument in Jackson | in the memory of the Mississippi Volunteers who fell in j Mexico, and boxes will bo placed st the different pre ] cincts ;n the State at the ensuing election, in which | money may be deposited for the purpose. GOVERNORS MESSAGE. v ~ . 7 tYxEcriTVE Department, } Milledgeville, Bth .Nov., 1853. \ ! Fellow Citizens, of the Senate and House of Representatives : In discharge of my constitutional dutv, I pro ceed to lay before you such matters as should j receive your attention during the* present session ! of the General Assembly. On the twentieth dav of October, 1851, the j public debt amounted to $1,687,472,22. Bv the act of December 4th, 1851. ratifying the i contract of my predecessor and the Chief En i gineer of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, for the purchase of iron for the State Road, it ! increased $200,000. By act of January 12th, 1852, providing for the repairs and equip i men! of said Road, it was still further increased the sum ot $525,000 —and by the act authoris | ing a subscription to the Milledgexdile and Gor don Railroad, there was added the sum of $20,- : 000, making the total amount of the fState debt I $2,432,472,22. To this amount should be ad | ded the bonded debt of the Central Bank, which ji* now $369,500 ; having been diminished by ; the payment 0f55,500, since the Ist of Novem ; her, 1851. The total liability of the State is i thus seen to be $2,801,972,22, from which | must be deducted the surn of $166,500, which i has been paid during the past two years, under i the provisions of the act of February 11th, 1850, ! providing for an annual Sinking Fund for the | payment of the public debt. The present debt I of the State therefore is $2,635,472,22. | The bonds authorized bv the act of 4th De i cember, 1851, were made payable at the State ! Treasury, and the interest payable semi-annual j!v at the bank of the State of Georgia in Sa vannah. These bonds were negotiated for a premium averaging aboat two per cent. I was i satisfied that our bonds should command a ! higher premium, and finding upon an investiga ! tion of the subject, that a more advantageous i negotiation could be effected, by making 1 them payable in New York—l caused the bonds | issued under act of January 12th, 1852, to be - made payable at the Bank of the Republic in i the city of New York. They were negotiated jat a premium of 5 per cent. It is the first in stance in which our State securities had been disposed of at any premium, and it should be gratifying to our State pride to know, that the bonds of our State now stand among the first securities of their class. The bonds of no State in the Union command more of the confidence of capitalists who seek a safe investment of their ; funds. Th ; s confidence is not misplaced, for no State in the Union has more ample means to ; meet its liabilities, and no people are more tena cious of the credit and honor of their State, i than our own. As the interest of a portion of our bonds has to be paid in New York, it becomes necessary for the Treasurer to keep on deposit there, a sufficient sum of money to meet the interest as it falls due. This has been done under my di rection. If any doubts exist as to the power or propriety of this course—it wouid be advisable that all such doubts should be quieted by pass ing a law’ authorising such deposits to be made. The necessity of it is so obvious, that I deem it unnecessary’ to present any argument in sup port <rf the roeonamendation. I refer you to the accompanying report ot the ; Treasurer, in which will be found a tabular j statement of the public debt, showing at what ! time each portion of it will fall due. From this : statement you will find that 3 very iarg portion : of our debt will become due about the same time. This matter should receive the attention j of yourselves as well as your successors, in or- j der that by a course of wise and judicious legis- ’ lation, the payment of our bonds may be antiei- j pated, otherwise we should be called upon to , make very large payments, within a very short | period, which would lead either to burdensome ‘ taxation, or an extension of the time for the j eventual liquidation of our liabilities. Both re- j suits can and ought to be avoided. In the pres- j ent prosperous condition of our State affairs, j there will be no difficulty in creating a Sinking ! Fund, which will entirely discharge the public ■ debt, before it shall have fallen due. There should be additional legislation of this subject, giving to the Executive full power and discretion to appropriate the surplus means oi the 1 reasu i ry to the purchase of our bonds under such lim i Rations as your judgment may deem advisable. : The present law leaves the question in some ; doubt, whether or not iiio legislature intended i any premium should be paid by tne State in the | purchase of bonds not yet due. Such, however, is the present high character of our State secu i rides with all classes of capitalists, that it is im possible to obtain them at par. As long as in ; dividuals are willing to pay a premium for these 1 bonds, so long will the State also be compelled | to pay a premium for such as she may wish to ! redeem in advance. ! have thought it advisa i ble to make the purchase at a small premium, to ! the amount required by law jo be annually re i deemed. There is no other safe investment of a I Sinking Fund, and as a matter of economy it is better to pay the premium, than to allow the money to remain undisposed of in the ‘Treasury, ! tempting the Legislature either to unnecessary and wasteful expenditures or to an unwise reduc ! tion of taxes. 1 call your attention particularly to this subject, that such laws may be passed as will carry out the public will in reference to it THE CENTRAL BANK. | By the act of December 10, 1851, I was au ! thorised to transfer the assets of the Central ) Bank to the Treasury, when in mv discretion | the interests of the State should require it. Be ; lieving that there was no longer any necessity | for continuing that institution in existence, for : any other purpose than to wind up and close its business, 1 appointed tho commission au rhorized by the foregoing act, to investigate the I condition of the Bank, and transfer its remain- I ing assets to the Treasury, I herewith transmit j their report from which it will be seen what was i the condition of the Bank at that time. ‘The ! accompanying report of the ‘Treasurer will ex ; hibit its present condition, as well as its opera ’ lions since it has been transfered into his hands. There are yet outstanding many debts, some of I which will be collected, but from the larger portion nothing will ever he realized by the ’ State, and it becomes a matter for your conside ! ration, what disposition shall be made of its re | maining and unavailable assets, and also what j p? ©vision shall be made for meeting and dis ! charging its liabilities. Upon a careful exarni ! nation of the affairs of the Bank, I am satisfied, that after exhausting ail Us resources, there ; will be left the amount of $369,500, which must jbe paid from the Treasury. It is for this rea ; son that I have placed the bonds of the Bank ; in computation of the public debt, which I have i already submitted to you. 1 would recommend ; that the Executive be authorised to take up • these bonds, and issue regular State bonds, in their stead, provided satisfactory arrangements ; can be made with the present holders of them. In addition to this amount it will be necessary I for yo to provide by law for the payment of | about the sum of $20,000. ‘This amount has ! been borrowed by the Treasurer, under mv di rection, to meet the accruing interests on the i 1 Central Bank bonds, tho funds of the Bank fall- ing short by that amount. This step was nec essary to save the credit of the State, as these bonds are regarded in public estimation as a part of the public debt, and if we had failed to heve paid this interest promptly, the effect would have been to have depreciated the gene ral credit of the State. It is useless to encumber the Treasury longer with the remaining assets of the Central Bank which will continue worthless and unavailable as long as they remain the property of the State. I know of no better disposition that could be made of them than by selling them for what ever they would bring. To keep them and attempt their collection, would involve the State in continued expense and litigation, without any remunerating benefit. THE TREASURY. The accompanying report of the Treasurer will give you a clear and satisfactory account of the operations of that Department during! the past two years. You will observe that this report is complicated with a useless statement I iof unavailable assets in the Treasury. These : stereotyped items have been repeated from time | to time, without the slightest benefit to the 1 State, throwing no light upon the condition of the Treasury, anti leading to no possible bene i ficiai result. As long, however, as no action is had by your body on the subject, it will be nec essary for the Treasurer to encumber his report with them. I recommond, therefore, that you ! take such steps as will relieve the department | from tho necessity of further reference to these : worthless assets by directing them to be destroy, led under the direction of th. Executive or V i >mmitte cl your body. The report of the 1 Treasurer shows the available balance in the | J ::%T y ?” 6 20th ° Ctober 1853. to be *74,. i *5, 35. Concurring as I do, in the estimates contained in Ins report of the probable expendi tures of the next two years, ( deem it unneces sary to add anything on that subject, I here has been collected from the General; o t,o )ftl44ftivi -Q r * n |?, tbe 4st t vvo years, the sum ; o. _ 144,8J0,03. I hose claims have been long stand,ng, and the State is now indebted for the collection of so large a portion of them to the ‘ SVv n h ab ' ht >- With which the - v ba’ve been i urged by the agent appointed by my predeces- I and continued by myself, JosephSturgis, Esq. 1 here is yet unsettled claims due to us j I ™'“ * he General Government, but 1 am unable ; .9 gay, at what time you may expect their pay. I ment. It would be unwise to calculate upon the reception of any portion of it, m your le<b ß . lation upon the Finances of the State. For ditional information you are referred to the ac companying report of Mr. Sturgis. 1 herewith transmit to the General Assembly, the report of the Financial Committee for the year 1852, and call your attention to its state ments and recommendations as worthy of con sideration. The Report of the Comptroller General is also herewith transmitted. THE TAX LAW. It was provided by the tax act of January 9th 1852, and the supplementary act of January *2l, 185*2, that the sum of three hundred and seven tv-five thousand dollars should be raised under those acts i'or the support of the government for each of the political years of 1852 and 18511. In the first act, the rate of taxation was limited to one twelfth oi one per cent. ’The supple mentary act was passed under a well founded apprehension that the required amount would not be realized at that rate. This last act re quired the Governor with the assistance of the Comptroller General to consolidate the returns of the various tax receivers, and authorized them to fix the rate of taxation at such per cent as would raise the sum of three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Upon the ex amination of the tax digest as required, by this law, it was ascertained that it would require a tax of one tenth of one per cent,* to ; raise the amount which the Legislature had I fixed upon ; and accordingly the necessary or ■ ders were issued to that effect. This was true j of the returns for each of those years, and there j was consequently no change in the rate of taxa i tion for the present year. ‘The passage of those , acts introduced anew system of taxation in our j State. The ad valorem principal was for the j first time incorporated into our laws, though its i justice and propriety had long been seen and ! felt by our people. For many years the friends |of a tair and equitable system of taxation had i sought to modify the old law. which was ad ■ mitted to be unjust in its operation and indefen •si ble in principle. Every candid and fair min j ded man reconized the correctness of the piin j ciple that every citizen should be required to | pay for the support of his government, accord ! ing to the extent and value of his property.— | Upon that principle an ad valorem tax* should ; be based, and when faithfully carried out, must ! command the approval and support of everv : man who is willing to bear his due portion of | the burthen of Government. That the present | tax law fully comes up to this standard, 1 am j not prepared to say. The object of its framers j was, however, to approximate it, and if they j have failed te reach it, the duty is imposed up | on their successors of applying the lights of ex | perience and practical operation to its modifica j tion and improvement. It is not strange that j an untried experiment, should he found to defec i tivo in some of its details; it is rather a matter I of surprise that more obvious arid glaring mis takes should not have occurred in the first effort, j to adopt anew, radically differing from the old | system. lam aware of the fact that there ex j ist g in the public mind, in some portion of the j State, very strong prejudices against this law, • but I am well satisfied that these prejudices are ; so deeply rooted, as to defy the approach of | reason and sound sense. In most instances it j “'iff he found that this opposition is limited to I some provisions of the law, which may with pro : priety be modified and improved, and for that | reason your attention should be directed to : such modifications as will make it conform more exactly to the ad valorem principle. Lst ; detail of tne law then be scrutinized, its de- I feets brought to lignt, and the proper remedy ! be applied by wise and judicious amendments, j With many persons the merits of the present j law have been subjected to the test of compar- I ing tiie amount oi taxes paid by them under the j two different systems. They find that their tax i . 8 b?-en increased and without further inquiry : attribute that increase entirely to the i ot bie law. A simple statement will ex- I bibit the incorrectness of this conclusion. ‘The i amount of taxes collected for the political year 18.)1, unde? the old system, was $291,07*7 £lB-100, wiiii-i rhe amount collected for the vear 1852, was #£G7,165 60-000. It must be borne in mind that me Legislature saw the necessity of raising an increased sum. and therefore Di vided in the act of 185*2, that there should be raised the sum of $375,000. If, therefore, there .lad been no change in the system—it would nave been necessary to have Increased the taxes about twenty-five per cent. To com pare then the operation of the two systems fair fy, m individual cases, such persons should first add twenty-tive percent to their tax as paid in ivßol, and compare the amount thus ascertained with the amount which they actually paid under tne present aw. When this is done, it will bo found tnat tueir increased tax,isowing, not to a change of the law, but to the increased neces sities of tne State. Another objection has been urged to the prets ent aw, which is founded in good reason and is ,k° r !t-* of ,- VOU ’ CO " S ' dt ' ra,ion - lt “Stilts from the difficulty ol ascertaining the true value of ’ he !>x l m >perty. Such is the peculiar organization ol men’s mind, that with the most honest intentions, they differ widely in their es itnate ol tne value of property; whilst others unwilling to contribute their due portion to the support of government, place so low an estimate upon the value of their property, as to cause just ground of complaint with their more con scientious and generous neighbors. \s every man is at liberty under the present law, to value ms own property, he can put what estimate he pleases upon it. The law appeals to his con science alone on this subject, and there is no mode provided for reaching those, w ho'are in ditlereni to the obligations of truth and honor. It is gratifying to know that the rmmber of this class is small. An examination of our tax di gests will show the fact, that with the great hod> ol our people, there has been exhibited a disposition, to make a lair and just return of their property, l’he cases of the few, however, should be reached, and I would recommend that some provisions he made bv law for asses sing the property of those who seek to avoid the payment of their just dues to the State, bv falsely estimating their property below its true value. This and similar detects in the details of the law, should be remedied by prompt legisla.