course of enlistment. Consequently great effort has been necessary to meet the requirements of the General Government, and no small measure of care and solicitude has been expended upon that portion of the executive duties. Resolved if human effort could accomplish it to save our State from the humiliation of a compulsory levy, I have deemed it the wisest course to stimulate enlistments by employing a corps of the most energetic and capable agents to make personal application to every available man. This mode of recruiting, thoroughly systematized and efficient, has given the best result, it is believed, both to the State and to the volunteers. Not only have the several calls been met with promptness, but the last call for 500,000 men as well as previous calls has been anticipated, as will be seen by the proclamations issued bynd August 26, 1864, found in the appendix and marked A.

The result has been accomplished as economically as possible, and without, as is believed, an extravagant outlay of money. The bounty of $300 has proved sufficient, with the use of the special fund of $150,000 placed at the disposal of the Executive. Of this last-named amount, the sum of $65,368 has been expended for agents, extra bounty, transporation, and sundry items included in the accounts of the quartermaster-general, upon whom all orders were drawn.

So satisfactory has been the working of the system of recruiting adopted in this State that the example has been followed by other States, which have not only adopted our system of agencies, but have in some instances availed themselves of the services of our experienced agents, offering them superior pecuniary inducements.

On the 1st of July, 1864, the General Government assumed the enlistment for veteran regiments. Fortunately such progress in recruiting had at that time been made that already our quota has been far exceeded, and there was an excess nearly large enough to meet the subsequent call for 500,000. Events have abundantly proved that the course adopted wa the best calculated to produce the desired results, and that its early adoption in advance of the great competition which has since arisen has saved a large amount to the State, and what may be deemed of still higher importance, has removed an unequal burden from those who could ill afford to bear it, and by distributing made it fall lightly as a property tax upon the shoulders of us all.

The fortifications at Dutch Island are still incomplete, the work not having progressed as rapidly as anticipated.

The importance of this defense to the security of our harbor and river is such that its early completion is in every way desirable.

The claims of disabled soldiers and of families of such as have given their lives to their country and left no legacy but a nation's gratitude to their widows and orphans demand careful attention. We can never pay the immense debt which we owe to our noble brothers in arms, but we can meet this our clear obligation. How best to do it so as to secure the proper application of the appropriations to be made will require great consideration. Neither money nor effort should be spared to make the provision adequate and secure.

Other States are considering the propriety of using the lands appropriated by Congress and vested in the States for the purpose of promoting aed of this source of income, having conveyed its lands to the corporation of Brown University, and therefore must look to some other source for the requisite funds.

At the last session of the Legislature a report was received from the Honorable John R. Bartlett, who represented the State at the consecration of the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, concerning the progress of that work, and an appropriation was made of a sum then deemed equal to our proportion of the expenses to be incurred. These expenses will largely exceed the estimate then submitted to the Legislature, and an additional appropriation of $700 will be required to furnish our proportion of the actual cost. The report will be found in the appendix, marked B. The financial condition of the State, considering the new and unavoidable burdens imposed upon us, are in a satisfactory condition. All the loans authorized by the Legislature, amounting to $4,000,000, have been negotiated upon favorable terms. With the considerable sums due from the General Government, which we may hope soon to realize, there would remain in the treasury ample means to meet all the claims which would be presented during this session but for the late call made by the President, which will involve an expense the amount of which cannot now be determined. The accounts against the General Government are made out and prepared for settlement, but we have official information that the immediate pressure upon the National Treasury to pay our armies in the field is such that all other claims must be postponed, and I cannot