The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-12-16
THE ILLINOIS FREE TRADER.

but the former is sacred to the purpose Of educa-
ton. 1t has been our former practice, on account,
OF u deficiency of revenue and too much fear Of
levying adequate taxes, to borrow this fund as it
occurred, to pay the current expenses of govern
ment and promise an interes; of six per cent. to
be distributed among the several counties. Good
faith, to ourselves, to the United States from
which it is derived, and to the risifg generation,
created the most sacred obligation that this inter-
est should have been punctually paid IL good
money. On the contrary, it has been
paid, for nearly year past, in deprecia-
ted paper, and there is no provision by
existing laws. for paying it otherwise in
future. 1t does seem then, that if we find
ourselves unable to make payment in
cash or its just equivalent, it is little bet
ter than robbery to continue the system of
borrowing, and guilt, but little less. is
contracted, if we refuse 10 make provision
for paying interest in good funds, on the
sum already borrowed. 1t is unfortunate
tina. no system of revenue and expendi-
ture has ever existed in this state; the ap-
preparations have generally exceeded the
revenue, and hence the necessity of bor-
rowing the school fund as means of pay
ing current expenses. At this moment
our domestic debt amounts to about
S3l3,0S0 10, and there is, of present
means, about Sl2,ll7 %, in the paper of
the two banks, in the treasury to pay it.
Appropriations have been constantly vo-
ted without reference, or enquiry as 20
the competency of the revenue TO pay
them; and thus we have been getting
deeper and deeper in debt, as if our pur-
pose were 10 subsist by .expedienis, and
throw the burdens of PRESENT government
upon future generations. ltdoes seem to
me, that the main cause, to which this
want of system is to be attributed, is that
our predecessors have not sufficiently
conhded in the reports Of competent fl
nancial committees, who, from their posi-
ton and the inquiries necessary TO be
made by them, could survey the whole
ground of revenue and expenditure. A
reformation in this particular is absolutely
essential to any advancementin correcting
existing evils.
The state taxes for the year lS4l AMI
ounted to S2l0,445, of which the sum of
G9,0C0 has been collected, the residue
is to be accounted for, either as having
been expended in collecting or allowed as
credits for delinquencles Of tax payers.
The gross amount of revenue for 1912,
will probably amour, to 100000, Of
which, according to former precedent,
$4,000 may be collected. The expen-
ditures of the state in 1871, amounted to
1886, 442, and, in 1912, $l35, 494.
The present system of revenue is the
most expensive and complicated which
could well have been devised; more Off
GERS are employed in collecting than in
any other state, and the compensation al
lowed them is unnecessarily high. No
less than two officers, the auditor and trca-
surer, al the seat of government, and six
others, consisting ofea assessor and col-
lector, clerks OF the circuit and the coun-
ly commissioners court, and sheriff and
printer for each county are employed al
an expense estimated as equal to twelve
and one half per cent. upon the whole as
sessment The cost of printing the de-
linquent list, alone, amounts to $50 so.
BY abolshing the ceremony of carrying
the delinquent lis. into the circuit court
for judgment, the agency of one of the
clerks, and the cost of several transcripts,
could be dispensed with apd, by requir-
ing the whole duty of colestloh 10 beper-
formed by either the sheIf Or collector,
the amount OF compensation could be re-
duced.
The amount Of expenditures, also, in
every department eff government, is urht-
cessariy high, and appropriations have
constantly been made which could$kavc
been dispensed with. The amount Of sa.
iarles, II pald IN good money, ought to be
reduced. Many Offices on the cShal ant
railroad ought TO be abolished. A great
er amount of public printing and binding
than was absolutely necessary las beer
ordered, and higher price has been paiC
for the same than will be justified by tho
present worth and scarcity of money
Special appropriations have been made
for the last two years, which need no, oc
cur again in the next. For ,he state house
for furniture, for a library, for publishing
reports, for rents, for portraits of Wash
ington and Lafayette, for witnesses, con
tested elections, clerk hire, paper, takin!
the census, presidential election, and Il
| l., Il.