Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-05-08

FINANCIAL AFFAlRs OF ONO.
IMPORTANT FACTS FoR CONSIDERATION o

lmtOA4ANI FACTS Fok CONolFhhA AANN VT
TAX PAYRRs.-NUMBER II.
have said the Loegoeo leaders contem-
plate reputation. A simple statement Of
facts will prove this so Clearly, that he ~ho
runs cannot butTead it. The indications
Of their purpose are nous manifest in the
manner in which the debt has been swell.
ed and the money lavished ever since
1896, whilst the means of paying either
principal or iuteresthave bsenas studious.
ly diminished. let assoc a few Of hie
facts. In the spring of 1886 the old Board
Of Public Works were all removed at one
blow, Nest OF them had commenced our
public works and conducted faemunt that
time. As individuals, they had Their party
preferences, and felt them warmly, on OPP
poste sides, bun politics never entered that
IOard. In their official capacity, they stu
died oRly the pubic 4Rlerest. This did rot
suit the men who had concocted u scheme
OF public plumber, and made bank reform
and a magnificent extention Of our public
works the first Part Of their plan. SO pGi-
pable was this, 10 those in the secret, ';hat
one membe, 5of the Board .acmally shed
tears Of chagrin and vexation at the recll-
less course ais own political friends were
pursuing. From that time prudence was
shamed, ecSnomy was lost sightoi, and in
tegrity was ahknown to the .offiriai vocab-
ulary, The Inoney vas expended belore
ithad beer provided, and then the State
was compelird to procure it on any terms
she coRld Hence it was, that the Fund
Commissioners, not,as is now pretended,
in violation of law, but, in obedience to its
absolute injunctions, raised money by sell
ing State stocks at ruinous sacrifices, whilst
checks on ahe State Treasury wele sold 10y
the contractors for fifty cents on the dollar,
because the Treasury was empty. Many
Of the officers drew out and applied TO their
own use large-sums, which they retained
for years, and were not enly continued in
Office, but ppeinted, when deiaul-
ters to the tune of many thousands, To
avoid the necessity OF levying taxes TO pay
the interest on tne money thus improvi,
IDENTITY borrowed and wasted, every dollar
which could be 1dken without too strongly
awakening public suspicion, was used fol
that purpose, They had, unfortunately fol
the public, but too ample means for doing
this. One means was the public lands
The general government has made three
grants Of public lands to the State, to aid
her in constructing her public works.
ist. In 1928 grant was made of 5OO,.
900 acres, to be selected By TIE State, from
any unsold lands within her borders, to aC
her generally in the construction OF he,
public works.
I'd. BY the same act, quantity Of land
equal to one-half of strip i've miles wide
on each side Of the Miami Canal irom Day
ton to the junction with the Wabash anC
Erie Canal, was granted; 10 aid in the con
suuclion of that canal, to he selected, 81
far as the lands remained unsold, in alter
rate sections, when the line of the cana
had been located, ON the line Of he canal
and where they had been sold, substitutes
to be selected from any unsod lands in the
State. Under this grant Asa, ,lO6a acres
have been selected, and there is a claim iUi
about 10000 acres yet unsettled.
Sd, In 1884 Ohioreceived from Indiana
to whom Congress had granted it, quan,
tity Of land equal to onp-haIf Of astrip five
miles wide on each side Of the Wabash and
Erie Canal, from its commencement ontht
waters of the Lake to the Indiana line, OF
the srme terms as No. 2.
Under Ibis grant 282, 1884 acres have
teen selected. The above quantities secc.
ted are taken from the published offcia
documents. The unpublished documents
are said to differ from these as to the guam,
titles as finally adjusted. have not access
to them, aud the matter is immaterial to the
questions now on hand.
OF No. there have been sold 495, ,98g
acres producing S69O,539 80, or No.
there have heen sold 900 983 acres, produ
cling S395,5O6 81 and of No. 3 there have
been sold I12.O374 acres, producing $415,
53l 81. Total proceeds of lands sold ST.,
431 $50 IS. There appear to remain 1888 +,
889 acres unsold. Had the proceeds o
these lands, as sold, been applied to pay
for the construction Of the cannl' = would
have saved the necessity for borrowing tC
that amount, and would have kept dowr