The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-03-24
EXPENSES OF GOVERNMENT.

EAFENSES OF GOVERNMENT.
Perhaps greater fallacy was never imposed
upon people, than the statements that are now
going the rounds of the Jackson newspapers
concerning the expenses of the Government OF
this Commonwealth Admitting there was a
wastefu expenditure, it would be difficult TO
see why that should furnish any argument for
effecting revolution in the executive depart
ment of the State. For moments reflection
will show any one that the Governor has no
control over the public funds. The Treasurer
opens his chest only in pursuance of grants
made by the Legislature. And if the people
have not already sufficient number of Dele.
gates in the House of Representatives they may
send more or displace the present incumbents,
by the choice of Agents, more watchfu of the
public treasures. But it is not so. 1t is true,
the aggregate of our expenditures is nomnaly
larger than that of the neighboring States
But of what items is it composed? Our sala-
ries are larger than those of Rhode Island, New
Hampshire, &c, and SO they should be, but are
they higher in proportion to the number of our
population, the amount of our wealth and the
quantity of business performed by our public Of
ficers 1t will be found they are not. But
more officers are paid from our State Treasury
Well, how is it in those States? Do officers
serve the public for nought BY no means
Take, for instance, the Probate Officers, all
an equal tax, upon the whole wealth of the
Commonwealth Formerly, they were compen-
stated by fees, and the burden fell exclusively
upon such as settled estates in the Probate Of
fee. The rich, who generally make family
settlements, without going to the Judge of Pro-
bate, paid nothing. Is this more burthensome
to the former than the modes pursued else
where? But the Judges of the Supreme Court
and the Common Pleas have enormous salaries.
n th1ry hoxy Al Loc>. !
when they were practising at the Bar? Is the
salary now large enough to place the Court in
an independent situation, or do we find Judge
aspiring to an higher Office, and yielding to par
ty that influence that was meant for the secu-
rity of the people. But how are these salaries
paid Why, by the fees paid by the suitors on
the entry of every action in the Courts.
portion of these fees is paid over by the Clerks
of the Court to the State Treasury, and this
forms the fund for paying the Judges. In the
Common Pleas, it more than pays that Court,
and the surplus goes to the Supreme Court
The same may be said of the salaries of the At
torney and Solicitor General, the County At
torneys, and many other officers. But this is
not all. We have an unwieldy representation,
with one unnecessary session every year, and
this forms an enormous aggregate in the ex-
penses. The remedy for this evil, is now before
the people.
When man complains of his burdens, to I
judge of tine reasonableness of them, let us
look to the weight Of his burdens. During |
the FIVE years of Governor Lincoln's admin |
istration, but one State Tax of $4,000, has
been levied upon the people Of this the city |
of Boston paid about one third. Salem and a
few seaport towns paid another third. The !
towns in the County of Worcester pay about I
one eighth. Take, for instance, the rich town !
of Leicester; their State Tax for FIVE years is |
l46,25, or Whereabouts. Dudleyis 1875 Now I
ask any man who has been an Assessor, what |
as the probable amount annuity upon farm
worth $4,000. Let him deduct the tax on the
polls, and then if he is well versed in fractions,
no will be able to answer your inquiry. Let it !
not create great surprise, If the sum should not
exceed six cents. Then ask citizen of any
other State in New England, owning farm of
that value, what it costs him to support the
burthens of his State, and if he answers you six
dollars, tell him you once paid more than that
in Probate fees, on the settlement of single I
estate, before the liberality of your State Gov
eminent relieved you from the tax. But whence
comes the revenue to pay all these officers ?
Not from the farmer or mechanic, kind reader,
but $200,000 is annually drawn by the Bank !
tax from the moned capitalists, directly too,
without any expenses for collection, and with |
cut taxing any consumer; for even the borrow
er at the Banks pays no more, than he did be- |
fore the imposition of this tax. Another item
of $50 900 comes from the Boston Auctioneers,
on the sale of estates in that city and principal |
ly on goods of foreign growth and manufacture, !
so that this indemnity enhances the price of
the goods it is bounty given TO our mechan. !
les. long article exhausts the patience of
the reader, but every citizen who has been per- |
picked by a comparison of our expenses, with |
those of other States, is earnestly solicited to
institute an inquiry into the suggestion, here !
thrown out. -
RETRENcHMENT. 1t is we'll known that
the promise of retrenchment in the expen- |
ditures of the government, was one of the !
principal hobbies on which the present Ad- !
ministration rode into power. That power,
once attained, they now virtually say to the
people, as did Rehoboam, of old, when the
burdens imposed by Solomon were COM
planned of; "My little finger shalt be thick
er than my fathers loins," and " my father
chastised you with whips, but will chas-
tise you with scorpions" The official rec
ords show that during the first year of the
present economical and retrenching Admin
istration, the expenses of the government
have been greater by the sum of TWO MIL
LIONS TWO HUNDRED AND sIxTY-EIGHT
THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-Two
DOLLARS, than in the first year of the er-
trdUGgant administration of John Quincy
Adams. Such is the kind of retrenchment
which the Jackson men of Massachusetts
would introduce into the government of
this State.
FALsEHooD REFUTED. A statement has
gone the rounds of the Jackson papers, that
James Fowler, Senator from Hampden.