Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-05-27
$4,000
Leaving the aggregate of ordinary
$l,3l3,000

Leaving the aggregate OF ordinary
expenses in five years, $l,3l3,oOO
average expenditure of $500, 500, being double the
amount expended to carry the Government
prior to the adoption of the policy lately pursued.
Here is demonstration of the wretched effects OF
this policy too palpabe to be mistaken. such IS
the result of abandoning the old and safe poilcy
of limiting the expenditures to the accrung in
come, and ofrelying upon loans TO sustain the
Government. This living by borrowing leads to
careless and reckless appropriations. deprecatc
high and oppressive taxes as much as any one,
but moderate taxation is not without It's benefits.
1t keeps alive that Jealous watchiuness III the
people, which is ever necessary to secure IA pru-
dent and economical administration Of affairs
while taxes went hand in hand with appropra-
tons, and the representative felt that every APP
preparation voted by him must be provided for by
tax on his constituents, he was held to Il strict
accountability. Ii is the pay day that brings home
TO peoples minds the business and eApedency
and necessity of the expenditure. But the poll
cy of getting along by leans, OF leaving to the u
ture the burden OF payment. has created Won
derfu facility in voting appropriations Bill after
bill approprating tens and hundreds of thousands
of the people money, glide through III silence,
without debate, without investigation, and II a
single individual may be found firm and ndepend
ent enough to scrutinizc these appropriations, he
is stigmatized as the watchdog OF the Treasury.
j
id accountability, let them understand that for
every dollar of expenditure voted, they were vo-
ting money from the pockets OF their constitu-
ents and instead Of one you would find every rep
resentative a watchdog of the Treasury. This
would ensure retrenchment and economy. Yonr
bills of appropriation would be thoroughly slited
before they received the sanction Of the Legisla-
ture, and the lavish, prodigal extravaganza which
has of late characterized the administration of az
fairs, would be etfectualy reformed-a reform
most earnestly and devoutly desired by the peo-
pie of the State
The argument which has heretofore been urg
ed with some plauslbility and with effect against
raising tax sufficient to meet the expenditures,
on the ground that new valuation was necessa-
nv to e0ualize the burdens of taxation, can no
logre be urged, for whatever taxes are now de-
tcrnined on will be based on the new valuation
The burden will be equally distributed, and the
whole property of the State must contribute TO
pay the tax according TO its present valuation
There is no pretence now Tor further postpone
ment of State tax sufficient to meet the ordinary
annual expenditures, on the ground that it would
be UNEQUAL and oppressive on the different Sec
tons of the State. The assessment Of taxes has
been STAYED off for years. for the alleged purpose
of new valuation, until the wants and necess-
ties of the late administration compelled last year
the assessment of Il Stale tax which Tor the tour
preceding wears had been most urwseIy omitted.
III we omit now 10 DrlilD Tue tdA up W lliiltO
the expenditures the fluctuations in the value Of
property may destroy the equality in the valua-
ton to be made the present session, if the Com
mittee should ever accomplish their labors, and in
IA few years the same cry of inequality will be
| again raised. Thus there is an additional reason
why the tax should now equal the expenditures
The whole financial policy of the State has been
wrong, radically wrong for the last five yeas,
and it is time to apply the remedy while we may,
before the energies of the State are paralyzed,
and the burden becomes too heavy to be borne by
further increase and accumulation of debt
The credit ofthe State has been impaired by
authorizing excessive loans, and by excessive is
sues of State securities The State scrip has been
a drug in the market, and has within two years
been sold for 80 per cent. on its par value While
we are compelled to raise money on deprecated
paper to provide for the disbursement of the Trea
sury, your expenses are increased to the extent
of that depreciation.
have stated that this system of sustaining the