under this law, should be provided for. These details of administration ought not to be needed, but there seems to be something peculiar regarding this business, and it requires tying up tight. The police regulations, in my opinion, should be so amended as to prohibit the sale of any kind of intoxicating liquors on election day, and after eleven o'clock at night. There is a vast amount of liquor sold in drug and confectionary stores, without the payment of the tax. The only remedy that I can suggest is to place them under the provisions of the law and tax them. I believe that with these amendments the law will be found, year by year, more and more restraining in its tendencies, and more productive of good to the people. It has already closed over two thousand places where liquor has been sold, and 3 put into the common treasury nearly a million of dollars from the traflic. The spring is no higher than its source, and no law that has not the sympathy and sentiment of the people acting with it, will ever remedy an evil. If a community do not regard temperance, sobriety, and good morals as a necessity to their well-being, the law will do them but little good,-while to the friends of good order, public peace and private content, it will prove a blessing. Intemperance is the danger of the hour. It feeds prison and poor-house; destroys morals and manhood; and, cancer-like, eats away the life of the individual and nation. Law will not stop its ravages, but it may be made an instrument that will lessen its evil work, and this I believe our present law is doing. It should be strengthened and improved, bearing in mind that its provisions should be kept within the pale of public sentiment, and within the range of the common sense of justice that so universally prevails in the minds of the people. The sudden and severe illness in my family that calls me away, has prevented me from preparing the report of the Centennial exhibit made by the State. I shall be compelled to defer it until my return, and ask my successor to transmit it to you. SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES: In closing my official connection with the State, I cannot refrain from expressing my sincere gratitude to my fellow citizens of all opinions and parties for the kindly consideration they have always shown me. I shall bear it with me as a precious memory. I have faith that with good laws, equal justice, and general education as the foundation stone, we shall build here a State that will in material wealth and in the moral and mental worth of her citizenship, stand forever as the handiwork of a free people. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Lansing, January 3, 1877. JOHN J. BAGLEY. The following documents accompanied the message in the form of an appendix: ABSTRACT OF COUNTY TREASURERS' FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS OF COLLECTIONS OF LIQUOR TAX, TO AUDITOR GENERAL, UNDER ACT DISTILLED LIQUORS. No. 228, 1875. Amount of Tax Assessed but not Collected. $40.00 51 $608 26 583 98 61 4,780 23 220 00 231 2,920 00 $11 00 $1,420 40 a a 90.00 5 502 18 290 00 19 1,549 58 Barry. 23 2,882 41 23 2,882 44 183 49 183 49 27 8,065 93 Bay. 2 $600 00 125 14,597 50 127 15,197 50 3 $300 00 51 1,498 34 4 200 00 58 1,998 3 183| 17,195 84 3 10 42 00 30 00 100 00 Benzie 41 187 50 4 187 50 5 80 00 1 50.00 6 130 00, 10 317 50 33 2,469 03 1,427 50 2 75 00 131 501 67 41 4,091 33 2 32 150 00 Calhoun.. 51 7,019 64 51 7,019.64 16 595 19 4 171 25 201 766-44 71 7,786 08 94 18 Cass. 20 2,276 73 20 2,276 73 4 129 99 1 50 00 5 179 99 25 2,456 72 6 57 255 77 Charlevoix. 1 150 00 1 150 00 40 00 1 40.00 2 190 00 Cheboygan. 300 00 9 1,312 50 10 1,612 50 80 00 1 50 00 3 130 00 13 1,742 50 Chippewa. 9 1,350 00 9 1,350 00 160 00 160 00 13 1,510 00 Clare 5 600 00 5 600 00 5 600 00 Clinton. 21 3,244 69j 21 3,244 69 [ 1 100 00 5 130 05 100 00 380 05 321 3,624 74 150 00 150 00 Delta 600 00 18 2,625 00 20 3,225 00 1 100 00 9 341 21 50 00 491 21 31 3,716 21 Eaton. 22 2,524 86 22 2,524 86 13 405 17 $150 00 14 555 17 36 3,080 03 674 25 7 674 25 1 40.00 8 71425 300 00 56 7,290 97 Treasurer reports" No Li 300 00 7 57 quor 7,590 07 4 21 912 50 8 2,773 74 21 Tax in this 1,212 50 11 2,773 74 " 100 00 1 50 00 21 3,243 44 21 3,243 44 1 100 00 4 68 11,923 28 92 12,653 23 86 563 26 3,209 99 273 33 1 50 00 6 713 26 27 3,956 70 50 00 200 00 144 63 90 3,604 62 182 16,257 90 50 00 8 323 33 22 2,260 83 49 5,718 96 22 650 24 150 00 25 800 24 6,519 20 548 33 Midland 11 2,801 08 812 50 550 00 8,581 85 1 100 00 2 60 00 50 00 4 210 00 8 760 00 34 1,545 92 4 200 00 38 1,745 92 105 10,327 77 6 40 85 67 4,178 66 6 224 32 6 224 32 40 4,402 98 7 96 239 58 Treasurer reports "No Liquor sold in this County during the past year.' Monroe. 36 4,293 82 36 4,293 82 33 1,265 02 1 50 00 1 100 00 35 1,415 02 71 5,708 84 150 00 Montcalm 37 4,444 58 37 4,444 58 10 316 63 1 50 00 11 366 63 48 4,811 21 6 13 Muskegon 85 11,166 67 85 11,166 67 21 655 83 21 655 83 106) 11,822 501 291 24 Newaygo.. 21 2,925 00 21 2,925 00 3 108 34 3 108 34 21 3,033 34 Oakland 62 7,085 96 62 7,085 96 23 929 99 Oceana.. 6 700 00 6 700 00 5 174 33 Ontonagon. 8 1,200 00 8 1,200 00 1 100 00 3 120 00 Osceola. 300 00 21 2,043 75 22 2,343 75 2 80 00 Roscommon. 1 150 00 1 150 00 1 150 00 Saginaw 75 20,966 88 2916 356,497 68 2991377,464 56,30 2,741 64 1435 48,312 19 111 5,332 50 26 2,560 00 7 1,294 63|1609 | 60,240 96 4600 437,705 52 1,656 36 49,767 68 a Not reported. b"The amount of interest collected was so small-not to exceed $3.00 or $4.00—that no account was kept of it."-Dep. Co. Treas. с "No interest has been paid to me on account of Liquor Tax; the sheriff has always retained the same as a part of his fees."- Co. Treas. "There has been no interest paid to me by sheriff, and I do not know that he has collected any."-Co. Treas. 41 4 200 00 3 300 00 139 4,453 56 321 26,096 11 с 1 50 00 11 443 39 32 2,495 49 1 24 6,179 39 332 54 3 450 00 2 100 00 13 636 30 31 3,010 05 350 130 00 6 250 00 53 1,938 25 131 |