Feb. 8. By this amount received of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, being first instalment of surplus revenue accruing to the state, 20. Secretary of the Treasury of the United $95,383 83 103,000 00 Mar. 3. ditto, ditto, 6,100 00 21. Second instalment surplus revenue, due 95,383 83 May 13. Detroit and St. Joseph road company, 25,000 00 June 15. Third instalment surplus revenue, due 30th June, instant, 95,383 83 Five per cent on land sales up to March 24. 31, 1837. 29,300 00 600 00 Oct. 10. Five per cent on land sales, up to Septem- 13,400 00 Dec. 16. Pontiac railroad company, for iron sold, said company, 5,193 00 $468,844 49 31. Balance, $80,543 55 H. HOWARD, Treasurer. STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE, Copy of the communication received from Washington, in answer to an inquiry addressed to the proper department, when the state of Michigan would be put in possession of the standard set of weights and measures, authorized to be delivered to this state. Standards of Weights and Measures are making under direction of the treasury department. 1st. For all the custom-houses. 2d. For all the states and territories of the Union. In consequence of a joint resolution of congress, they will be authentic, distributed by the government, and made with all the proper means of accuracy and uniformity. The quantity of weights needed for all the states, and for most of the custom-houses, are now, some fully, and others approximately, adjusted, or otherwise in a very advanced state of forwardness. Of the standard yards, a great number are in a similar state of forwardness, and the capacity measures are equally in hand. All these standards are constructed of the same pure brass, expressly made for the purpose, and in all respects uniform. Thus successively, the whole system of uniform and accurate weights and measures will be accomplished for the whole Union, without any expense to the states. All special separate action of any state is therefore unnecessary, and would destroy the very aim of the legislation upon that subject. [Signed,] Washington City, March 28, 1837. (No. 6.) F. R. HASSLER. Report of the select committee, on the causes of unequal taxation for the support of the government. The committee to whom was referred a resolution to inquire "into the causes that have produced the unequal taxation of the respective counties in this state, for the support of the government thereof," respectfully report: That on examining the act entitled "An act amendatory to acts herein recited," approved March 21st, 1837; in section two, it is made the duty of the Auditor General, "on or before the first day of September in each year, to apportion among the several counties of this state, agreeably to the amount of property, as shall appear by the assessment rolls last returned to his office." Your committee can find no law making it the duty, or in other words, compelling the board of supervisors to return the assessment rolls of their respective counties to the Auditor General's office; consequently, several counties hereinafter named, have never made any return until the present year; eighteen counties only made [H. R. Doc.] 15 returns for 1836, and only four of those have made returns this year, and those four, not until after the first day of September. The following counties have made returns this year, but none before: Saginaw, Ionia, Shiawassee, Mackinaw, Allegan and Monroe. The counties of Chippewa and Van Buren, not having made any returns, are not assessed at all. The counties of Branch, Livingston, St. Joseph and Cass, have made returns for 1837, but received too late to be assessed from the returns this year. Those counties are assessed as follows: Branch, $534 325 St. Joseph, $917 1,231 Had the returns been received in season, so that the assessment could have been made from the returns of this year, they would have paid the following, viz: The several counties as now assessed, will pay as follows: Allegan, 2,735 Monroe, 4,304 By the above it will be seen that a great inequality does exist, in the different counties, in contributing to bear the expenses of the state; but the Auditor General is of opinion, that if the county officers made their returns at the time, and in the manner, contemplated by the existing laws, the evils now complained of would cease to exist. However unequal and unjust the present assessment is, yet, it being now in a course of collection, it will be necessary to have it perfected. The only remedy that suggests itself to your committee is, that if the next legislature think proper, a law may be passed, authorizing the Auditor General, after all the returns shall have been received at his office for the year 1837, to make an apportionment of the sum necessary for the support of the government, among the several counties of the state, and pass to the debt or credit of the respective counties, and deduct or add to the same, as circumstances may require, and transmit to the commissioners of the several counties a statement of the debts or credits passed on the books in his office. (No. 7.) Communication from the Reviser of the Laws. SIR In answer to your inquiry whether I had any thing further to report to the legislature, to complete the revised code of laws, I have only to say, that I had intended to have reported to the last legislature upon the subjects following: first of costs and fees; second, for the relief of insolvent and imprisoned debtors; third, of the limitation of actions and prosecution. Owing to the sickness of the clerk I had employed, I was unable to make report on those subjects, and I shall not be able to make report of these matters until probably the tenth or fifteenth Feb ruary. Respectfully, January 10, 1838. Your obedient servant, WM. A. FLETCHER. HON. E. LACEY, Chairman of committee of unfinished business. (No. 8.) The State of Michigan, on account of Geological Survey, in account with Douglass Houghton. State of Michigan, on account of Geological survey. May 1. To amount expended at sundry times from This account involves amount paid for one pre $2,478 25 Carried forward, |