Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-07-23
THE OLD HOBBY AGAIN.

|
THE OLD HOBBY AGAIN.
In the proceedings of Capt. Patridge's Chel-
sea Convention we find the following
| Resolvcd,-That this Convention views with
deep regret the present condition of the fiscal
concerns of Vermont. Embarrassed with a
State debt Of nearly two hundred thousand dol
lars which is rapidly increasing, in consequence
OF the annual expenses exceeding by several
| thousand dollars the ordinary revenue of the
State.
Resolved.-Ihat it be earnestly recommend
ed to the Legislature, at its next session, to adopt
| the most efficient End least oppressive measures,
for cancelng this State debt, and for bringing
this State, back to the independent and flourish.
ing condition it sustained under the wise and
economical administration Of its patriotic and
truly republican founders.
OblIquity, mental or moral,--or visions of the
Presidential chair in the 1--WE fancy rasO dis.
lance, or perhaps a seat in Congress, or at least
the Presidency OF great military establishment
glded with patronage, state or national--must
have entirely blinded the gallant captain else
he would not, surely, endorse falsehoods so
glazing as those contained in the first resolution.
Vermont already embrasscd with two hundred
thousand dollar debt,--and debt rapidly in
creaslng, by reason of the annual expenses ex-
ceedlng the annual income Is Vermont indeed
bankrupt, and persisting in bankruptcy and is
this the story TO 60 out to the world! No,-Cap.
tain: it is not so. Your fancied debt is at the
most much less than what you state it at and
the debt itself is one which the right hand pock-
ct OF Vermont owes to the left hand pocket II
is debt which can be cancelled in five minutes,
II the people say so, and without paying a cent
| beyond the debentures of the House and Senate
| n mn w
body understands this and now as to the annual
receipts and expenses. Last year we demon.
strated that, for the eight or nine years previous,
the annual ordinary receipts had more than paid
the annual ordinary expenses. The report,
however, tor the year ending Both Sept. last,
does show deficit; and on this deficit of sin
gle year, arising from unusual expenses, is
probably founded the general and sweeping, and
| therefore false, assertion that the " annual en-
penses exceed by several thousand dollars the
ordinary revenue of the state" Let us take
the last fiscal year.
Exclusive of payments for money borrowed, and in
terest thereon the expenses were s93,4l6 SO
| Exclusive OF money borrowed, and the
| balance IN the treasury at the beginning
| md the balance owing at the end of the
year. the receipts were 6o,267 Is
Leaving n deficit of slili9 81
:" ''op 'ic'o anu tdne th!o dS d
sample of the annual financial transactions of
Vermont, we would indeed consider it as mat
ter not only for "regrct," but alarm. But the
truth is, this is nat fair sample. In the expenses
of that year were the following items OF pure
ly extraordinary character:
Debentures Of the Legislature over and above tho
sessions Of ordinary length Chs session was nearly
oJ III '''' S'aues having ocs1 , IS'i NJ
Insane uospital. ' poE0 0 0G
Paid to committee TO revise tho statutes $500 OC
Troops on northern frontier, l,45o OF
,,.,.;. -
n"'"s ei''ioo u
Here, then, is an amount of purely ex,raord.
nary expenses more than equal to the large de.
i tcit- We have still two items more: one is the
y extraordinary increase Of court orders, being
Il $i63l over the preceding year; and the o,he
e is the item of S46S2 A paid for the Captain.
n hohbes-military drills, &c. &c. Admitting
l. however, that these items may continue to press
&c thus heavily on the treasury, we have not de-
&c Quoted them; and yet we plainly show that the
,e people are safe beyond the necessity of increas
1t ed taxation, and that without resortinS to thu
$, ample means which Ii'the wings mcan in spit
e OF locoocolsm, to put in possession of the state
. we mean that share of the public lands whic
= belongs to her
.r we beg now to ask, what plan is proposed I
nc | cancer the account between the Treasury an
ct the School Fund-alias "the state debt ~ TIL
a. second resolution speaks of the most efficient
,S and "least oppressive measures" But wI.s
a. are these Here set of disappointed politician
al linen, who were recently sustaining the mos
IS, extrvagant and corrupt administration ever
~ power, and are now opposing the new admins
II" n tration which is pledged to economy and reforl
ct -'aSc a'o', oa'ner anu cal! upon the peop
H. TO rally against the state debt. 10 be sure it
X a glorious thing, this wpnp off old scores az
ed starting fresh and above board but hou do the.
ho reformers propose to do it Not hint even,
he given; no plan is proposed they are commtte
Eat TO nothing; and really we believe they mean