halls, to consider and act upon such subjects as by special message shall be to them submitted. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State, at the village of Lansing, the 7th day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and JOHN S. BARRY. [L. S] fifty-one. By the Governor: CHARLES H. TAYLOR, Secretary of State. On motion of Mr. Isbell, Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed to inform the House that the Senate have convened in pursuance of the proclamation of the Executive, and a quorum being present, were ready to proceed to business. Senators Isbell and Sturgis were appointed such committee; who soon reported that they had performed the duty assigned them. The committee were thereupon discharged. Mr. Riley offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the President of the Senate be authorized to appoint messengers to fill any vacancy that may exist. On motion of Mr. Harvie, All after the word "messengers," was stricken out. The word "three," was inserted before " The resolution as amended, was adopted. messengers." A committee consisting of Messrs. Warner and Beecher, were announced from the House, who informed the Senate that the House had convened pursuant to the proclamation of the Executive, and a quorum being present, were ready to proceed to business. On motion of Mr. Shoemaker, Resolved, That the rules of the Senate, as printed in the Manual of the last session, be adopted as the rules of the present session. Mr. Harvie moved the appointment of a committee, to act with a like committee on the part of the House, to wait upon the Governor and inform him that the two Houses had convened pursuant to his proclamation, and a quorum being present in each, were ready to re ceive any communication he might be pleased to make; which prevail ed. Senators Harvie and LeRoy were appointed such committee. The President announced the following message: To the President of the Senate: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SIR-I am instructed by the House of Representatives to respect. fully inform the Senate that the House have appointed Messrs. Britain and Clyburn, a committee on the part of the House to act with the committee appointed by the Senate to wait upon the Governor and inform him the two Houses have convened, and quorums being present, were ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make. Respectfully, D. P. BUSHNELL, The committee on the part of the Senate after a short absence, reported that they had performed the duty assigned them, and had received for answer that the Executive would very soon communicate with the two Houses in writing. The committee was then discharged. The President then announced that the standing committees would be organized as of the last session, except where vacancies existed, and those filled as follows: Resolved, That the committee on supplies be authorized to appoint a fireman to the Senate in the place of Lanty McIntyre. A message was announced from the Executive, by the hand of S. P. Purdy, his private Secretary, which was read by the Secretary, and, On motion of Mr. Dort, The same was laid on the table and ordered printed, with 1,000 extra copies for the use of the Senate, and also printed in the journal, as follows: Fellow citizens of the Senate and House of Represetatives: An imperative necessity could alone have justified this call upon your patriotism to sacrifice individual interests and devote, for a time, your attention and services to public affairs. I doubt not, however, under the circumstances, you respond with alacrity, and will, with cheerfulness and promptitude, consider and dispatch the public business which now requires legislative action. Appropriations for all purposes of the State government, for the years 1851 and 1852, are required to be made at your present session. Those made for the latter year will, under the revised constitution, vary considerably, in their amounts and objects, from those required for the current year. Although salaries are determined by statute, and compensation fixed in like manner for other public services, yet no money can be drawn from the State treasury in payment, but under appropriations made by law. It will also be necessary to prescribe the amount of taxes to be levied during the years named. The apportionment of the members of the House of Representatives among the several counties, and designation of the Senate districts, are also required now to be made. The constitution makes it imperative upon the Legislature to perform this duty in the year 1851; and, without such apportionment, a future Legislature cannot be elected. It will also be necessary, at the same time, to determine the manner of canvassing the votes given in Senatorial and Representative districts. The election of Representatives in Congress for this State, will occur before the next session of the Legislature, and it will, therefore, be one of the duties of your present session to divide the State into Congressional districts. I have not yet received from the Secretary of the Interior, the official certificate of the number of members ap portioned to Michigan, but, as intimated in my last annual message, little doubt exists that four will be the number assigned, and it will be safe, I think, to legislate upon that hypothesis. Appropriate provisions of law are required to give effect to the twenty-second section of the fourth article of the constitution, in relation to the furnishing of fuel and stationery for the use of the State, the execution of the public printing, and binding of the laws and journals. Contracts for these objects must be let to the lowest bidders, who shall give adequate security for punctual and faithful performance. The State paper being abolished, some provision of law will be necessary in regard to the publication of notices required to be published through that medium. Existing laws in regard to elections need modification. The oath to be administered to electors in case of challenge, as defined in the act of March 10, 1851, for the election of Judges, should be made general in its application. General elections are hereafter to be held biennially, and the time has been changed. The Commissioner of the State Land Office is to be included in the number of State officers elected. A District Attorney, State Senator, three Representatives, and county officers are to be elected in the Upper Peninsula on the last Tuesday of September, 1852, and every two years thereafter. The Representatives are to be apportioned among the several counties in that district. A Governor and Lieutenant Governor, for the State, are to be chosen on the first Tuesday of November next, under the old constitution and the laws in force under it, to serve after the expiration of the term of the present incumbents, until such officers are elected and enter upon the discharge of their duties, in accordance with the provisions of the new constitution. The first general election under that instrument will be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of November, 1852. The law of April 8, 1851, in regard to the reports of State officers, requires amendment. The years for making such reports to the Governor are erroneously designated. The design of the act being to require the reports in question to be made alternately to the Executive and the Legislature, those for the year 1851 and every second year thereafter should be made to the Governor, and those for 1852 and every second year thereafter to the Legislature, as heretofore. The Legislature is required to declare the cases in which public offices shall be deemed vacant, and also to determine the manner of filling vacancies, where provision is not made for that purpose, in the constitution. Legislation is required upon this subject. In view of the unsettled state of the law regulating the sale of intoxicating drinks, public good seems to demand the enactment of such provisions as will make the subject definite and intelligible to all. For my own views, I respectfully refer to my last annual message, where this questton is considered. One-half of the taxes received from chartered mining companies, in the Upper Peninsula, which pay an annual tax of onr per cent, must, under provision of the constitution, be refunded to the treasurers of the counties from which it is received, to be applied to county and township purposes, and an act is necessary to carry this provision into effect. The swamp and overflowed lands granted to the State should, as far as possible, be made available for the payment of the public debt; and some appropriate enactment to promote that object, may, with propriety, now be passed. The provision of the constitution in relation to commissioners of highways is not uniformly understood, and a declaratory act upon the subject is necessary to secure uniformity of action. Four thousand dollars have been drawn from the State Treasury to pay the debts and expenses of the State Prison, for the first half of the current fiscal year; and all liabilities to the first of the present month, so far as known, are now liquidated. An appropriation for the erection of a kitchen and for making a new roof to the west wing of the prison buildings is deemed indispensable. The repeal of the law which authorizes the payment in the several counties of interest on sums due the primary school fund, is considered, by the Commissioner of the State Land Office, necessary to secure that fund from loss, and the subject is commended to your consideration. In making provision for a revenue by taxation, the constitution requires that the amount be sufficient, with other resources, to pay the estimated expenses of the State government, the interest of the State debt, and all occuring deficiencies. The Legislature is also required to provide by law a sinking fund, of at least twenty thousand dollars a year, with compound interest at the rate of six per cent. per annum, and an annual increase of at least five per cent. The sinking fund so provided is to be applied solely to the payment and |