Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-07-15
100000

Let US look at each Of the above items sep
ara,ely. To The governor we have given
salary Of $1,000, which is amply sufficient;
more by 5000 than he will probably be allow
ed salary Of $500 is given TO the Secreia-
nv and the same to both the Treasurer and the
Auditor This is also sufficiently high, and
as much as they will get. Indeed, for some
time to come the Offices of Secretary and Audi
tor might be merged, and their duties dischar-
yed by one man, al, say salary OF 81 900, by
which saving Of $500 in the abova calcium
ton would be made TO The Slate. Then comes
the Attorney General, to whom we propose TO
give S40O. This is high, inasmnch as the OF
fee for some time will be mere s'necufe.l
without duties, and nigh the dispensed WIN
at p,easent entirely. Wehave made the allow
ance fer five JnJges at the rate Of $1,000 salary
to each. There is no reason why Ahe number
should he greater than five, when the dulles
which will devolve upon them are now dis
charged by three. The next item Will be the
pay Of seventy-fve members. calculated at %
per day. for session Of fifty days. A legIsIa-
live body Of seventy-ive enthusiastically
five in the Senate and fifty in the House-is
certainly as numerous as the people will de-
sire; and surely all the Legislation called tor
by the public wants can be perfected IN hfty
gainst in the constitution; and to this end we
hope 10 see in that instrnmant clause limiting
them to not exceeding fifty days--we would
Individually prefer thirty. The second session
of Congress is limited by law; and it is well
known that more business is always transacted
at it than at the first session, which sits twice
as ong.--We might. too, adopt the system OF
holding only biennial sessions. as in our neigh
boring States Of Illinois and Missouri: but
annual meetings and short sessions seem per-
ferable on various accounts. The last item in
our calculation is $4,000 for contingencies.
1t is impossible to estimate these with much
precision, but the amount stated is certainly
large enough TO cover all, supposlng that no
expenses will be incurred but such as are alb
solntely necessary.
Having thus shown that the expenses Of
State Government need not exceed $50 900,
we ere justified in taking it for granted that
they aUiH not. The members Of the State
Legislature Will occupy very different attitude
towards their constituents, in relation TO ex-
pendtures, from what they do at present; and
they will not dare to misrepresent them. Then
there will be accountability, but now there is
none. The money appropriated and used by
them. now comes out Of The national treasury;
and this, by many, has been assigned as an
excuse for its lavish expenditure. But i will
not be so when the money comes out of our
State Treasury. Every useless outlay will
then be dispensed with, rigid economy prac-
tised, and strict accountability instituted. 4
most healthy public feeling prevails at present
in relation to what We have here been remark
ing upon; and our people will doubtless re-
quire the exercise of all that frngality in pub
Tic affairs which they are practising as indivdu-