The Kentucky Gazette

STATE OF KENTUCKY.

SPEECH
Of his Excellency the Governor to the Legislature of this State.

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives:

Very shortly after the close of the last session of the General Assembly, the special Commissioner, appointed by the President of the United States to lay before the government of this State the undisguised state of the treaty depending at the court of Madrid respecting the free navigation of the river Mississippi, arrived in this State. The communications made by him to me, will be laid before you; I consider the mode in which they were received as the most proper, because it was the least expensive, and the most expeditious one by which the true state of that important negotiation could be universally known to those who are so deeply interested in its success. I am sorry to be obliged to add, that I have received no subsequent communications from the President containing any intelligence of the further progress or accomplishment of the treaty; and that from the late encroachments made by the Spaniards on the territory of the United States, there is, I fear, little or no hope for a successful termination of that negotiation.

In conformity to a resolution of the legislature at their last session, I have made repeated applications to the President, that the amount of certain militia expenses incurred by this State, for the defence of our exposed frontiers, should be reimbursed, but have as yet received no answer to those applications.

Having reason to believe from very recent information, that certain surveyors acting under pretended authorities from the State of Virginia, have lately surveyed land to a large amount, north of the Cumberland mountain, on land warrants lately issued by the State of Virginia. I have addressed the Governor of that State on this subject. I consider it as very important to the peace and interest of this State, that proper steps should be pursued to have any doubts that may exist, as to our true boundary in that quarter, removed as soon as possible. You will have the papers necessary to give you full information on this subject, laid before you.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives.

The doubts which have arisen as to the proper construction of that part of the revenue law by which the former taxes were reduced, will make it essentially necessary, that the legislature should pass an explanatory act to remove those doubts.

It is with pleasure I inform you, that it appears by a statement of the revenue, laid before me by the Auditor of public accounts, that there will be a considerable surplus remaining after satisfying all the demands that can be made on the public treasury. This statement will also be laid before you.

The defensive measure of protection which I have found necessary to employ during the present season for the security of the exposed parts of the State, have been wholly furnished at the expense of the general government, under powers vested in me for that purpose, by the President of the United States.

Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives.

Nothing could have a greater tendency to increase the wealth and population of this State, than the making of good roads in every useful direction from this State to the Eastern States. And I have no doubt but that the surplus of the present taxes will be found fully adequate to the effecting that desirable purpose. Feeling the fullest conviction that the legislature cannot be more usefully employed
than by devising a plan to effect this object, I recommend it to your most serious consideration. Great evils are to be apprehended from the increase of vagrants, disorderly and idle persons in this State, and will require all the wisdom of the legislature to make such regulations as will give a check to them. The amending the acts directing that certain children should be bound out apprentices to useful mechanics, appears to me to be one of the best means of effecting that salutary end. The commanding officer of the troops of the United States, has transmitted to me a copy of the treaty, lately concluded by him on the part of the United States with the late hostile tribes of Indians, north-west of the river Ohio: this will also be laid before you. As a real and permanent peace with the Indians is not only necessary for the general welfare of the United States, but is more particularly so to the true interest and prosperity of this State, I flatter myself that no interruption will be given to that peace by any improper conduct of any of the citizens of this State; but the good of the whole requires that legal provision should be made for the punishment of those who may be guilty of such improper conduct.

I should not discharge the duty I owe my country, in a manner that would be satisfactory to myself, if I did not call your attention to the treaty lately concluded between America and Great Britain. If this treaty contained stipulations which were only contrary to good policy, although it would be the undoubted right of the State legislatures to express their opinions of those stipulations, it might be a matter of doubt whether it would be expedient for them to do so. But as many of the stipulations contained in this treaty are evidently contrary to the constitution of the general government, I consider it as the indispensable duty of the State legislatures, to express their sentiments of such parts of the treaty as are unconstitutional, with the firmness and decency becoming the representatives of freemen. If you view this important question in the same light that I do, I have no doubt but that you will act upon it, in such a manner as will do honor to yourselves and our constituents.

ISAAC SHELBY.

Frankfort, Nov. 3, 1795.