REPORT.

The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred
so much of the Governor's message as relates to the finances
of the State, beg leave to submit their final report.

The committee refer, for a detailed view of the finances of
the State, to the report of the Comptroller, made to the Gen-
eral Assembly. By that report, it will be seen that the nett
balance in the Treasury on the 30th of September, 1857, was
$242,090.58. The receipts into the Treasury during the year,
on account of the Sinking Fund, were $321,336.75, the whole
of which was invested for the use of that fund.

The amount of the Sinking Fund," on the 30th of Septem-
ber, 1857, was $3,997,276.44, being a nett increase during
the fiscal year of $321,211.09. The aggregate of the funded
debts of the State as of the same date appears to have been
$14,719,767.39 as a set off; against which is the amount of
the Sinking Fund, and the capital and credits of the State.

The committees deem it unnecessary to present more in de-
tail, information which the House already has more complete
in the report of the Comptroller. They think it enough to
say, that although the condition of the State finances is
sufficiently encouraging, they though it improper to assent
to the request of petitions for a further reduction of taxes.

The action of the .last General Assembly renders it the
part of prudence to wait till a fair opportunity has been had
for testing the effect of the reduction then made. The tax
on commissions of administrators, executors and trustees, and
collateral inheritances, for the repeal of which several peti-
tions have been presented are among those which should first
be looked to, when a further reduction shall be thought ad-
visable: but as part of a general system the committee think
best not to touch them at this time, particularly as the amount
received from these sources was $74,734.62. It is well to
remember that the large item of fifty-one thousand dollars
from the State lottery grants is withdrawn from the account
after this year.