| Show ll 11 STATE OF DESERET 0 I 1 EXECUTIVE OFFICE G S L city 1 zi STATE OF op DESERET 4 I 1 january 18 1867 J to the he senate and house of representatives conen convened cd in general assembly gentlemen it is with feelings of profound gratitude unto almighty god for all the kindness that we have received from his liand hand that I 1 again salute your honorable body another year has passed and nd through the mercy and infinite wisdom of our great creator we yet live and enjoy the privileges and immunities vouchsafed the people of this government by a liberal constitution A plenteous harvest has crowned the labors of the husbandman during the past year fruits cereals and vegetables have been produced producer in great abundance several have been added to our population by immigration yet through h the munificent blessings which have teen geen been bestowed upon us by a kind providence the wants of the people have been veen supplied as vell veli well veil as those of the strangers who have visited our state thousands who have partaken partaker par taken of our hospitality have causo cause to bless the peo peor pie by whose indefatigable exertions and indomitable perseverance an oasis has been created in the midst of these sterile and thirsty deserts during the past year large sums have been expended by the people in opening open in roads building bridges erecting pu public alic buildings improving farms constructing canals and in the varied works of improvement pro which have been necessary through throughout but the state many improvements have been made by the authorities of this city one of which especially deserves mention the construction of a paved canal for safely conducting the tile waters of city creek down north tempie temple tempie street this admirable work will undoubtedly bo be of great worth to the tile people of that vicinity and will greatly enhance U the tho value of neighboring property the completion of the deseret telegraph line is a muse guse use of much throughout the state by its aid twe tuo the tho city of logan cache county in the north and th the city of st george washington in ton county in the south with all the intermediate settlements are ate brou brought it into instant communication TI tho the 10 distance lis between these two points is about four hundred and fifty miles besides the main Lin line ethere othere is a branch line running from nephi juab county through the settlements of sanpete county to manti a distance of about sixty miles wherever this discovery is known and used it is prized but by none should it be more highly valued than by the people of our state for to none does it come laden with more advantages though 11 only completed a few days already are the benefits which result from this great enter enterprise p e making themselves apparent it is d difficult i to conceive at the present of the wonderful changes that will be wrought out by the potent agency of this marvellous marcellous marv ellous invention in our state having an extensive frontier and being surrounded on all sides by the restless and ana predatory tribes of indians whose plundering habits are not easily conquered the state telegraph line will be found peculiarly useful in connecting our widely spread cities and villages and in transmitting intelligence to exposed se settlements that will enable the people to guard against sudden s surprise or attack a t by another season it is hoped lipped that telegraphic connection will be formed with the settlements of bear lake valley whose people shut in as they are by snow clad mountains during the winter season feel the want severely of some quicker and safer mode of communication with the outer world orid orld than the usual one of snow shoes there are other settlements in our state as well wel I 1 as prescott Pr escott eacott the capital of the then elgh deigh of Arizona with which it will be desirable to connect by means of the telegraph wire and the necessary steps to accomplish this will doubtless ere long be taken the manufacturing of staple articles is a matter of such importance to us in our position so isolated and eo so far removed as we are from the great bentres centres of commerce that I 1 cannot forbear from all nil alluding ud dg to this subject awain again in every part of the state we can raise a goo good article of flax and for sheep raising there is no better country in the world than this and with proper encouragement a superior quality of wool can be produced the counties of washington and kane yield a fair quality of cotton the importance of maehl machi machinery ners nerk for the manufacture of these raw materials should engage the attention of our capitalists ta lists too much importance cannot be attached to these branches of home manufacture the making of woollen goods especially deserves particular attention A number of factories might be profitably employed in branch and the increased facilities which these would afford would encourage the growth of wool I 1 would recommend reborn mend that Y you 9 take such measures as you in your wis wisdom may deem appropriate to encourage the importation of machinery A considerable amount of capital has been expended in the development of gold and silvermines silver sliver silv ermines anines in this territory but up to the present writing I 1 have not heard of a single company which has been successful enough to declare a dividend while many of them have totally failed failed the true wealth of deseret is not nor to be found in her mines of precious metals but in the tiie development of her agricultural and industrial resources capital judiciously expended in this direction besides being 4 a benefit to the country at large is remunerative to those who make the investment for years after our entrance into these valleys our settlements could only be reached from the east and west by long and tedious tr traveling avelin months were spent in traversing tye the tho uri url settled unsettled plains and deserts which stretched between the tile frontiers of the states and territories lying eastward of us and our frontiers ua even veil veli now with greatly improved means of traveling the journey is not an easy one but the rapid rate at which the union pacific railroad has been pushed forward from the east cast and from the west during the past season ives 8 us the assurance that at no distant bayt ay the busl journey 01 arney from this city to the eastern or will be performed with ease and occupy but comparatively little time the completion of this gigantic work will increase intercourse and it is to be hoped soften prejudices and bind the country to ge betherl get hert herg during the past year our settlements in sevier plute and kane counties have suffered considerably from marauding ma indians these bands have been principally composed of renegade indians from the beig neighboring or tribes who have been drawn t together gatli by tilo the hope of plunder the loss Ss of life and stock through their depredations have been considerable the united State encamped here hero both last year and the year previous were called upon by y the proper officers to render their aid in putting a stop to these depredations and attacks but this they declined doing calls therefore had to be made u upon oh til the militia of other counties to volunteer in the defence of those settlements in every instance these requirements met with a prompt response in the busiest season of the year our citizens left their counting rooms stores work shops and fields and marched to the relief of their fellow citizens with rare with its attendant expenses which were very heavy were entered upon and endured in the most cheerful manner the energy and vigilance of the militia in guarding the exposed points had their effect upon the wily foe they saw t that ha t they could not make attacks with a any ny safety or prospect of success and th they ey withdrew some few depredations have recently been made but they have been of an unimportant character and in the most of instances have not been attended with success on the part of the red men it is to be hoped that such measures have now been taken by the settlers in forting dorting and in guarding their stock that a recurrence of those scenes will be prevented should the state have to bear the expenses of these campaign campaigns I 1 would respectfully recommend that they be as equally distributed aa as possible by taxation the question of admittance into the union as a state is one that has occupied a large share of the attention and thought of our citizens for some years it is now upwards of nineteen years since we came to this region for nearly three years after our arrival h here hero e r our only government was that of t the h e provisional government of the state of deseret A constitution was formed and adopted and a petition was also drawn up praying for our admission into the union as a state these documents unie fits were forwarded to wash washington agton by the hands of a deputation selected forcha for that t purpose sei and in 1850 we obtained a territorial government thus thua early did we manifest a desire to assume the cost of government by paying our own officers offic r and other expenses instead of depending upon tho the general government to do so for us since that time and especially during the past ten years we have made ro repeated applications for admission into the union as a state but up to tho the present time no action has been taken upon our petitions so far from granting to us this right to which by every lr principle i of justice we are fully entitled t there here seems to be a disposition manifested by bv some few members of our federal legislature to take from us the rights we already enjoy I 1 allu aliu allude deto to a bill which was introduced to congress at the last session and which has again been revived during tb this is present session the passage of this bill would virtually disfranchise our citizens and annul the principal features of our organic act indeed there are a few who advocate the entire repeal of the organic act of the territory with the hope to deprive us of every form of civil government but those who urge these plans appear to be ignorant of the fact that before congress had passed the organic act and giren us a territorial government the provisional government of the state of deseret was in active operation and an acknowledged form of government should such measures prevail the alternative ter native wo would world U id there therefore f ore b be 0 lef left t us of falling back upon our provisional government in order gentlemen that we may inay not lack in ano any duty devolving devolving upon us I 1 would suggest that our state constitution ution beso be so modified as to meet the expressed political views of the present congress A memorial also aiso to the honorable senate and aldhouse house of representatives senta tives in congress assembled should be drawn up asking for our admission into the union as a state and with tho the constitution be forwarded to the hon hoa W RL hooper our elegate ahwash at washington to be by him presented at the tho earliest practicable date in view view of our admission into tho union as a state I 1 would recommend that you elect at your present session two united states senators and such state meers officers off omm as may bo be needed to maintain the state organization intact that confusion and trouble may be saved I 1 would respectfully suggest that you enact that the laws now in force in the territory of utah and those enacted b by y the late territorial legislature be ia in full force and virtue in law in the state of deseret you may find it necessary to pass an act changing the time of election of representative to Con congress gress giess in accordance with the arrangement of congress to commence its next session on the ath day of march next and in in agreement also with the act passed by the late territorial legislature for the election of delegate I 1 1 I pray your honorable body to so legislate le cr isgate as to have the spirit of the lord lid rest upon you in all your deliberations BRIGHAM YOUNG on the dissolution of the tho joint session the members of the senate retired to the senate chamber and ana various portions of the governors message were referred committees when the senate se nate adjourned until ten am of tuesday the house passed an act to amend the constitution of the state of deseret an act legalizing the laws and resolutions of tho iho territorial legislative assembly and an act to provide for the election of a representative to congress adjourned till tuesday ten am |
