I also refrain from making many recommendations. Believing that too frequent changes of the laws and too much legislation are serious evils, I respectfully suggest that upon many subjects it may be well to defer legislation until the people have acted upon the question of calling a constitutional convention. If such a convention shall be called, it is not improbable that the General Assembly will be clothed with powers essentially different from those conferred by the present fundamental law in respect to the judiciary, railroads, intemperance, and many other important subjects, and that the legislature itself will be so constituted as to secure to minorities a fairer representation than they now enjoy.
The balance in the State treasury on the 15th of November, 1869, was $438,060.14; the receipts during the year were $4,399,932.53; making the total amount of available funds in the treasury during the year $4,837,992.67.
The disbursements during the year have been $4,071,954.57; leaving a balance in the treasury, November 15, 1870, of $766,038.10.
The estimates of the auditor of State for the current year are as follows:
Estimated receipts from all sources, including balances, $5,670,205.10; estimated disbursements for all purposes, $5,163,976.01; leaving an estimated balance in the treasury, November, 15, 1871, of $506,229.09.
The public funded debt of the State on the 15th of November, 1869, after deducting the amount invested in loans not yet due, was $9,855,938.27. During the last year there has been redeemed of the various loans, and invested in loans not yet due, the sum of $123,860.36, leaving the total debt due November 15, 1870, $9,732,077.91.
The fund commissioners were prepared to pay off a larger amount of the debt than has been actually discharged during the year, but none of the bonds of the State were due, and some of the holders demanded ten or twelve per cent premium, and others refused to surrender their bonds at any price.
The constant and rapid increase of taxation demands consideration. The following table, showing the taxation for different purposes in 1860 and in 1870, and the increase of taxation in ten years, sufficiently exhibits the nature and extent of the evil.
AMOUNT OF TAXES LEVIED.
| For what purpose. | 1860. | 1870. | Increase. |
| County taxes | $1,309,137.46 | $1,975,088.71 | $665,951.25 |
| Bridge taxes | 487,538.40 | 1,474,148.18 | 1,036,609.78 |
| Poor taxes | 260,607.20 | 657,116.42 | 396,509.22 |
| Building taxes | 228,444.13 | 783,960.73 | 505,516.60 |
| Road taxes | 394,424.77 | 1,199,767.26 | 805,342.49 |
| Railroad taxes | 538,869.50 | 461,848.72 | .......... |
| Township taxes | 349,360.86 | 734,585.65 | 385,224.79 |
| T'p and sub-district and district school taxes | 1,487,247.44 | 4,960,771.87 | 3,473,524.43 |
| Other special taxes | 349,236.33 | 1,152,335.09 | 803,098.76 |
| City and town taxes | 1,506,083.86 | 5,447,766.96 | 3,941,683.10 |
| Delinquent taxes | 453,013.46 | 667,188.69 | 214,175.23 |
| Other than State taxes | 7,313,963.41 | 19,464,578.28 | 12,227,685.65 |
| State taxes | 3,503,712.93 | 4,666,242.23 | 1,162,529.30 |
| Totals | $10,817,676.34 | $24,130,820.51 | $13,390,164.95 |