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annum can be wisely expended in making additions to the Library, and I fully concur with the Librarian in recommending an appropriation of that amount for each of the years 1873 and 1874.

NEW CAPITOL.

In conformity with the requirements of Act No. 67 of 1871, as amended by Act No. 4 of the Extra Session of 1872, the Board of State Building Commissioners caused advertisements to be published in the cities of New York, Chicago, Detroit and Lansing, inviting bids for the construction of the New Capitol in accordance with the plans adopted. Proposals were received from six parties, as follows: H. Richard, Jackson, Michigan, Columbia (Ohio) sandstone, $1,896,000, Amherst stone, $1,888,500; T. Adams & Co., Philadelphia, $1,818,637; Hopping & Ridgeley, Springfield, Illinois, $1,700,000; Loomis & Hebard, Chicago, $1,391,000; William J. Williams, Buffalo' $1,379,984 97; N. Osburn & Co., Rochester, New York and Detroit, Amherst stone, $1,208,000, Jackson county (Michigan) stone, $1,167,000.

Before advertising, the Board in connection with the architect, devoted a very large amount of time to an examination of different kinds of stone, and in re-examining and perfecting the plans, in order to avoid the necessity or occasion for changes or extra work during the progress of construction. The best Amherst (Ohio) sandstone was adopted as the standard quality; proposals however, were invited, based upon the use of that or any other stone of equal quality from Michigan or elsewhere. One bid only for Michigan stone was received, and that conditional.

A few changes in some of the details, not affecting the convenience or substantial character of the building, having been made, the Board entered into contract with the lowest bidders, Messrs. N. Osburn & Co., for the construction and completion of the new Capitol, for the sum of $1,144,057 20; the

material to be the best Amherst sandstone, and the edifice to be completed December 1, 1877. The contracting parties are men of responsibility and of large experience in similar work, and under the general supervision of the architect and the excellent Board of Commissioners, will, I have no doubt, construct an edifice creditable to themselves and every way worthy of being the Capitol of our growing State for a century to come. Work has been commenced with commendable energy and will, as far as possible, be continued through the winter months. The excavations for basement and foundation walls are made; necessary machinery and a large amount of materials have been placed upon the grounds in readiness for the vigorous prosecution of the work on the opening of spring. The whole amount of expenditure to the present time is $28,864 48.

COMPILATION OF LAWS.

The Compilation of the Laws authorized at the last regular session of the Legislature has been successfully completed, and will be of great convenience to the Legislature, and to all who have occasion to refer to the general laws of the State.

Amendments of the Laws have hitherto often been made by simply naming the Act in the Session Laws, without referring to the sections of the Compiled Laws. It would greatly facilitate reference, if hereafter all amendments of general laws should be made by referring directly to the section and chapter of the new compilation.

It has come to my knowledge that copies of the Session Laws and of the new compilation have been placed on sale in considerable quantities by others than officers of the State to whom the control of this matter has been intrusted. The books so offered are often sold at much less than the cost price. Legislation appears to be necessary to prevent an overissue of volumes, or a misapplication of them by the officers, whose duty it is to make the distribution in the counties.

I therefore recommend that the law be so amended as to

require county clerks, in making requisition upon the Secretary of State, for the number of copies to which the county may be entitled, to state in detail the names of the persons, officers, corporations and societies for whom copies are solicited and that any sale or disposition of the laws not authorized by statute, be made an offense punishable by fine or imprisonment.

TERRITORIAL LAWS.

I would call your attention to the propriety of authorizing a publication of such laws of the Territory of Michigan, as are now out of print or inaccessible.

In the several departments of the State, in the courts and with individuals, it is sometimes necessary to refer to these old laws to establish the title to real estate, and to determine other important questions. For their preservation, and for purposes of reference, they should be printed and placed in the State Library. It is estimated that the whole would be comprised in two volumes, of not more than one thousand pages each, and not cost to exceed $3,000. If published and offered for sale, the State would be re-imbursed for a portion of the expense. I recommend that a publication of 500 copies be authorized, and that a sum not exceeding $3,000 be appropriated for that purpose.

At a very late date I have been requested by resolution of one of our historical associations to recommend the passage of an act providing for the collection and preservation of old papers and official documents, relating to the history of the Territory and State. The subject is one of considerable importance, and I refer it to you for such action as you may see fit to take upon it.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

The amendments to the State Constitution, submitted to the people at the recent November election, were all defeated.

Two of these were, in my judgment, of much importance, and I should fail to discharge what I conceive to be a clear duty did I not here record the expression of my profound regret at their failure.

While my views regarding the insufficiency of the salaries paid to the State officers and to the judges of our State courts, have been too fully made known in former communications to the Legislature, to be misunderstood, I cannot now refrain from again expressing the opinion that the best interests of the State, clearly demand that the compensation now paid to these officers and judges should be increased. The present low salaries were fixed when the State had about one-quarter of its present population, and less than one-twentieth of its present taxable valuation; when the cost of living was less than one-half what it now is, and when the salaries were about equal to those received in other vocations.

The business of the several departments of the State government demands that the Governor, and the principal officers, should reside at the Capital; it is impossible for them to do so with the present salaries.

The judiciary should be composed of men not only of the purest character but of high legal attainments; it cannot be expected that such men can be secured for a remuneration entirely insufficient for their support. Already, since the failure of the recently submitted amendment, several of the judges have resigned, and others will do the same. The vote upon this amendment was small, and I respectfully submit the propriety of again placing the question in some form before the people for their ratification.

No citizen of Michigan would more earnestly have opposed any amendment of the Constitution which would have authorized the issue of additional "railroad aid " bonds than myself. The proposed amendment, recently defeated, did not contemplate any such issue, and did not even compel the payment or acknowledgment of a single bond heretofore issued; it simply

provided that such bonds as had been earned and delivered in good faith, prior to the decision of the Supreme Court, might be paid by the localities which had issued them, provided the voters of such municipality should elect to do so.

INCORPORATION OF CITIES AND VILLAGES.

In compliance with an act of the Legislature of 1871, authorizing the Governor to appoint a special Commissioner to draft and prepare a bill or bills for the organization of cities and villages by general law, as contemplated by the Constitution, the same to be submitted to the Legislature for its action at the next session, I appointed the Hon. Andrew Howell of Lenawee, who has prepared two bills for the purposes named, and will report them to you at once.

As a very considerable portion of the time of former sessions of the Legislature has been occupied in the consideration of city and village charters, it is to be hoped that the bills to be presented will receive immediate consideration and approval, and thus save, a large amount of time, as well as the large expenditure of money heretofore required and made for printing bills and special acts of that character.

IMMIGRATION.

The Reports of the Commissioner of Immigration, resident at Hamburg, and of the Local Agent in New York, will be laid before you.

During the past year there has been issued at Hamburg, a second and third edition of a pamphlet, containing a map of Michigan, with a description of its climate, productions, and other advantages; the publication at the same place of a small monthly paper devoted to the same purposes, and furnishing general information useful to emigrants, has been continued by the Commissioner. Both publications have been gratuitously circulated in large numbers in Germany, Austria, and Denmark.

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