ANNUAL MESSAGE OF ALEXANDER W. RANDALL, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. Delivered January 13, 1859. MADISON: JAMES ROSS, STATE PRINTER-PATRIOT OFFICE. GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE. Gentlemen of the Senate and Assembly: In calling the attention of the Legislature, at its last session, to the finances of the State, I referred to the manner in which a floating debt against the State had been gradually accumulating for several years, by over-estimates of the revenues, and under-estimates of expenses from year to year by the Secretaries of State. That officer, in his estimates for the year ending September 30th, 1858, showed a deficit of $70,340 56, and assumed, in order to reduce the indebtedness of the State to that sum, that the taxes for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1858, would all be paid, and that the amount of $32,258 54, due from Edward H. Janssen, former State Treasurer, would also be paid during the year. The State taxes were not all paid that year. The Secretary's report states that on the 30th of September, 1858, the arrearages due from counties, for delinquent taxes, amounted to the sum of $78,757 54-thus showing an actual deficit, assuming the Secretary's estimate of the year before to be correct, of $181,361 64. The Secretary estimates the expenses to be defrayed from the Treasury, at the sum of $448,745 98, for the year ending September 30th, 1859. This estimate includes salaries and permanent appropriations, $63,025; Legislative expenses, $52,150; and miscellaneous, embracing stationery, postage, compensation of clerks, contingent expenses and repairs, laborers, County Agricultural Societies, Benevolent Institutions, State Prison, wood, gas and lights, interest on State loan and exchange, Revised Statutes and town laws, sundry expenses in finishing and furnishing the new wing of the Capitol, and claims not yet presented, amount due individuals, and overpayments from State Treasury, $333,570 87. The resources of the State, to meet this indebtedness and these expenses, much of which should have been paid long ago, are estimated at $664,415 39, leaving an estimated balance in the Treasury of $215,669 41. This sum may be decreased by the ordinary failure of some counties to pay their taxes, and by the certain failure of Janssen to pay what he owes the State. Some portion of the revenues for the current fiscal year have already been paid, since the Secretary's report was made, and some portion of the expenses and indebtedness of the State paid and cancelled. I have obtained from the Treasurer a statement in relation to the actual condition of the General Fund on the 1st of January, A. D. 1859, bringing down the statement of that officer to that point, so as to include the transactions of the year 1858. From his figures and estimates it appears that the amount for which the State was liable, including appropriations and audited accounts, balance for Capitol enlargement ($3,075 18), Revised Statutes ($16,400), balance for Town Laws ($2,650), overpayments from General Fund, salaries due January 1st, '59, and all other liabilities, was $132,896 74. The total resources of the State, prior to the time when the State tax is due and payable, are given by the same officer as follows: Arrearages from counties (State tax)... Railroad tax from Racine & Mississippi Railroad.. Balance of Bank tax, due Jan. 1st, 1859, remaining unpaid. .$42,562 19 2,086 31 4,049 32 $48,497 82 Showing that the amount of past indebtedness remaining to be paid from the incoming tax, supposing that all arrearages due the State are realized, is $84,398 92. The total receipts into the General Fund during the calendar year 1858, (excluding the amount of bank tax due January 1, 1859, which, though nearly all paid a short time in advance of that date, properly belongs to the revenue of 1859,) were $358,058 11, being largely below the amount estimated by the Secretary of State in his last annual report, as the resources of the year. The total disbursements from the General Fund for the calender year 1858, were $440,253 16. In order that a just idea may be formed of the actual and legitimate expenses of the State Government, it is proper that the items which make up this last aggregate should be analyzed, and I have therefore obtained from the Treasurer a statement, which is embodied in the following tables: Paid in 1858 the following appropriations made in 1857: For Insane Hospital.. 66 House of Refuge. (C Capitol Enlargement 66 Blind Asylum 66 State Prison.. ... $30,446 00 15,000 00 26,924 82 10,131 24 ....... Deaf and Dumb Assylum.. ....... 2,300 45 15,750 00 $100,552 51 |