tranquil and prosperous. This calamity—a war with Mexico-no spirit of forbearance or desire of peace on the part of our government, could avert, or shield our citizens from Mexican aggression.

The cardinal policy of our government, the character of our people and their institutions, are essentially peaceful. The American people endure wrongs and injuries with great patience, forbearance and magnanimity, while they can reasonably hope that amicable relations can be preserved, and just and honorable principles maintained. The total disregard of all treaty obligations on the part of Mexico, however, and her repeated injuries upon our persons, rights and property, followed by the invasion of our territory, and the shedding of the blood of our citizens, forced this war on our government, in defence of the rights of our citizens and of the honor of the nation. The duty which rests on every well regulated government, of protecting the rights of the citizens and the honor of the nation, is held sacred by every American, and regarded as essential not only to our well being, but to our existence as a nation. In the discharge of this duty, the power and patriotism of our own independent freemen have proved invincible, and demonstrated their unconquerable devotion to liberty and to the prosperity and integrity of the Union. The same pure flame of patriotism which distinguished our heroic fathers in the achievement of our national independence, burned with equal ardor and purity in the breasts of our brave officers and soldiers, and aided by the God of battles, has impelled them onward in triumph, from Palo Alto to the Halls of the Montezumas, and from one great conquest to those still greater, through a career of brilliant victories, securing the rights of our citizens and an honorable peace, and conferring immortal honors on our arms and national character. While the wisdom and energy of our national administration in directing its military achievements which have opened the way to peace, security and civil liberty, to the extension of civilization, Christianity, and free government, call forth the gratitude of every true patriot, their honest and just pride can be scarcely less gratified with the ability aud success which has distinguished its civil administration and given increased confidence in our free institutions, and in our strength and capacity to defend them.

The legitimate object of a tariff is to raise revenue sufficient to defray the necessary expenses of government. This object, however, seems to have been lost sight of in the eagerness which has existed to increase the profits of capital invested in manufactures, by taxing one portion of the community for the benefit of another. Under this administration that odious system has been repealed, and a new tariff adopted, operating on all with more equal and exact justice. This tariff is designed as a revenue measure, and exempts from taxation, as far as practicable, all articles of necessary consumption, and such as do not come in competition with our own growth and manufacture, and imposes on other articles and commodities only such duty as will answer the ordinary demands of the treasury and furnish the incidental protection necessary to encourage the great interests of the country. This modification of the tariff, and the corresponding reduction of high duties by the British government on exports of grain and other agricultural products, has, without detriment to other interests, greatly increased the prosperity of our agricultural and industrial pursuits, augmented our commercial exchanges, and contributed largely to the general wealth and prosperity of the country.

The failure of banking corporations to discharge their liabilities under the law which formerly made them the keepers of the public moneys and treasuries of the government, was the occasion of great pecuniary distress, and public and private suffering. That law has also been repealed, and an independent treasury established, according to the requirements of the constitution, in which the public funds may be deposited in the safe custody of agents duly constituted by the people. This constitutional treasury, by checking excessive importations, exerts a healthy action on commerce, and by removing the public moneys from the vaults of the banks, has a most salutary influence in restraining their tendency to excessive paper issues, and in arresting those violent expansions and contractions of the paper money system which have so often involved the best interests of the country in one common calamity.

The great leading agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial interests are prosperous and flourishing, and the principles of our free government secure to all the greatest possible degree of rational liberty and happiness. Never did our

happy and glorious union present so many claims to the affectionate attachment of the American people, or offer to the admiration of the world a brighter example of the successful operation of a free and popular government. Every friend of a republican government, who duly appreciates the vast superiority of our laws and institutions over those of every other government, cannot fail to exult that the example of patriotism exhibited by this republic in achieving liberty and independence, is operating with irresistible influence in removing the weight of oppressive institutions, and stimulating the people to successful efforts in the cause of freedom throughout the civilized world. The spectacle afforded by the present convulsed and agitated state of the older nations of the earth, now struggling to throw off tyrannical rule, and obtain constitutional liberty, is truly sublime, and demonstrates the purity of our political system, and the value of our free institutions. Who indeed that has a Christian heart, or the love of freedom glowing in a philanthropic breast, does not sympathize with the people of France, and desire to cheer them on in their efforts in favor of popular rights, and to congratulate them on their success in establishing a republic on the ruins of a French monarchy? Or who does not rejoice that the spirit of freedom is abroad in lands where its sighs have never before been heard, and rescuing, with its resistless energy, millions of our fellow beings from despotic power, and imparting to them the blessings which flow from our happy and free system of government?

Our government is founded on principles of justice and equity, and makes it the duty of the legislature at all times to enact laws which, in their operation and effects, shall prove as beneficial to the poor and humble as to the rich and influential. Under our free system of government, where the people are sovereign, that special legislation which furnishes facilities to one class of monopolizing the fruits of the toil and industry of another, is a violation of that natural law which entitles every man to the rewards of his honest industry, and subversive of every principle of justice, equality, and free government.

The right of the people to control corporations by amending or repealing their charters, wisely secured by the acts of our last legislature, affords the necessary power for legisla

tive scrutiny into their condition, their means and liabilities, and cannot be surrendered without danger to our free institutions. Corporators having the control and management of the business of a corporation, should, like individuals in their business, be held liable and responsible for their control and management, and while they are permitted to divide the profits of their successful operations among themselves, should not be allowed to distribute the losses, growing out of bad management or improper speculation, among the people.

In a communication to the members of our last legislature, I called their attention to the subjects which I regarded most intimately connected with the interests of the people. Many of these subjects have been acted upon and some will be presented for your consideration with the unfinished business of that session. Notwithstanding the conviction impressed on my mind of their high importance, it is not my desire or duty to occupy your time impressing them upon your attention. An extensive and intimate knowledge of the different classes of society is necessary to enable us to carry into effect the objects and designs of government. You are from the immediate neighborhood of your constituents, well acquainted with their condition, and are the best judges of what will promote their interests. The control, which in times less enlightened than the present, the law gave the creditor over the personal liberty of his debtor to compel him to pay his debts by the terrors or miseries of imprisonment, has been taken away by a course of legislation favorable to the poor debtor, and consistent with the liberal and humane feelings of the age. And the inquiry may now well be made by those sharing in the awakened sympathies of the people, if the time has not come when reason and sound policy, as well as humanity, will justify the exemption of a larger amount of property from attachment and execution for the relief of the poor debtor, than is now exempted by law. Oppression is the bane of honest industry and active enterprise. Arbitrary power exerted by a relentless creditor in wresting from his poor debtor his means of supporting his family and paying his debts, has no tendency whatever to facilitate the collection of his debts, and serves only to dispirit the debtor and drive him to despondency, vice and ruin.

That unfortunate class of our fellow-beings, the deaf and dumb, the blind and insane, have been materially benefitted by the appropriations made by the legislature for their relief. The means now placed at the disposal of the Executive are inadequate to the assistance of all the meritorious applicants for the State's bounty, and it is believed that an enlightened, liberal public sentiment in the cause of suffering humanity, will sustain an ardent disposition entertained by the different branches of the government, to increase these appropriations, which are recommended by every consideration of justice and the principles of religion, and to promote a charity so noble and honorable to our State char

acter.

Reports from the Warden of the State Prison and from the State Treasurer, reflecting much credit on those officers, will be presented for your consideration during this session of the legislature-a session which a due regard to the expenditures of the State will terminate as soon as is consistent with the public interest.

The term of office of one of our Senators in Congress will expire on the 4th of March next, and it will be the duty of this legislature to elect some person to that office.

The law relating to the time of holding the election of Electors of President and Vice President of the United States should be changed, so as to conform to the law of Congress requiring that election to take place on the same day in every State in the Union.

The care and labor bestowed by our last legislature upon our militia laws was needed to remove their defects and restore the militia system to that respectable position which it deserved, and which was assigned to it by the framers of the constitution. The amendments made to these laws, and the provision engrafted on them establishing schools of instruction for officers, have imparted new life and vigor to the system, and given an honorable standing to the militia of New Hampshire. That the present militia law, containing as it does many extensive and complicated provisions, should not be found by the test of experience to need amendment in tome of its minor details, cannot be reasonably expected. Any change in its general principles, however, would deprive the system of its necessary efficiency, and prove subversive of the stability of an institution on