1846. No. 19. Statement showing the several amounts paid the State Printer for printing, from November 30, 1844, to November 30, 1845. Printing and advertising, office secretary state, including laws of 1844, per act No. 111, $290 63 Do Governor's message in French, Do indices to House and Senate journal, reprint of contempt journal and laws, 145 20 359 09 $4,755 03 Report of Committee on Internal Improvement. The committee on internal improvement, to whom was referred the proposition of Jonas H. Titus, to lease the Central Railroad, have had the same under consideration, and make the following report: The object of a state in engaging in works of internal improvement should be the accommodation of its inhabitants, by furnishing an ample, cheap and speedy mode of carrying the surplus products of the country to market; and this expedient should never be resorted to unless the natural facilities of the country were entirely inadequate and the majesty of the work such as to place it beyond the reach of individuals or corporate companies, and in such case, unless the benefits resulting from the same were equal in their bearing, such work should never be undertaken until demonstrated by a mathematical certainty that such work would support itself and pay the interest upon the cost of construction. Unfortunately, however, for this state, she has violated this principle. Coming into political existence as she did at an unfortunate period, when the evils of an inflated currency had corrupted public sentiment, at her first appearance upon the political stage, before she was entitled to the rank of a state of this republic, she took a bold stand in favor of a splendid system of internal improvement. Actuated by the purest of motives, with a zeal and determination apparently irresistible, she marched onward and upward towards the goal of her ambition, to wit: a fairy land. But while reveling in the dreams of her greatness, the bank bubble burst and its glowing colors vanished and nought was seen but the ignis features that marks error's putrid trail. Convulsed and paralized by the sudden explosion, the whole community stood amazed until the light of reason, reflected by stern reality, pointed out the truth that, from chaos and confusion, order and system must be arranged. Then it was that most of our visionary schemes were abandoned, and the Southern and Central railroads selected as the only works that could be relied upon for revenue. Since |