Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-06-21
Adjourned Session.

<=<Ae4--.-
Adjourned Session.
Wc have before said, thas inevitable.
necessity imPelled tie meeting Of The Leg
islaiuFe neat winter, and we hnye not made
this assertion without having The reasons NJ
hand for ii. We will refer 10 some oe
them: The Constitution creates an entire
new system Of taxation and makes il d.
ligatory upon the present Legislature 10
enact tax law in conformity thereto. I'm
der great urgency, for want Of time,
such q law was pnssed, and by those who
are .conyersant with oil the exigencies
existing at the time .and the peculi<
ar circumstances under which the law
had 10 be passed, il 10 not expected 10 be
entirely without defects. The question has
ever been asked, and with apparent seri-
business, by few, who profess too TO have
some common understanding of such mats
ters, what was the hurry for the lawf and,
at This session. We have already said,
that it was not discretionary matter with
the Legislature, but was required by the
Constitution. Many of the features of the
old tax law were inconsistent with the new
system Of taxation established and pre-.
scribed by the Constitution and Of course
must be supplied with new provisions. If
the fundamental principles Of the new tax
law are wrong or defective, the trainers Of
the Constitution should bear the odium, and
no. the Legislature.
1t was expected that the operation of the
new tax law would bring upon the dupli.
cate largely increased amount Of pro2eI-
ty, but this fact had not, of course, been
demonstrated SO as TO show the AMOUNT Of
the increase. And in order 10 come at
any thing like correct estimate of the rev.
enues Of the present year it was necessary
to know something about the raluafion on
the duplicate. With this valuation ascer-
tanned and a rate per cent. Of taxation
| fixed upon it. conjecture, npproximaiing
correctness Of the revenue could be made,
and without this, appropriations could not
be wisely made, for they should be based
upon reliable estimates of the coming.in
revenue. limo meeting Of The Legislature
were TO take place next winter, then sp>
preparations would have to be made for
tico years, and there being no data npon
| which to base calculation of the amount
| Of appropr iations the Treasury would sus-
tain-for j, could not be known with any
certainty now much revenue the new tax
law would bring in-there must conse-
quently be, in oil probability, a serious de-
fcit or surplus, either of which it is Ger.
tainly desirable TO avoid. Under these
circumstances then, il was impossible for
the Legislature to make appropriations
that would likely be consistent with the
condition Of the Treasury, to avoid serious
difficulties that might occur it was necessa-
ry that the Legislature should convene
again next winter.
After the new constitution shall have
been thoroughly put into operation, The
various laws It makes necessary perfected,
and its system Of taxation firmly establish
ed, biennia. sessions Of the Legislature will
do very well, the interests Of the State
will not suffer; but until then, necessity
will compel the assembling Of the General
Assembly ofiener. The debates in the
Constitutional Convention show, that il
was admitted upon an hands thai, the BIZ
ennial session clause could not safely be
put into practical operation until after the
expiration Of two sessions of the Legisln.
ture. And the only question which the
present Legislature seemed TO be whether
on adjourned session should be held, or !.
be lett TO the Governor TO call an extra
session. Economy wns in favor Of the
q former, for in case Of the later, very
4 great additional expense would be conse-
quen,. attendan: in the matter Of mileage of
members, which they will not receive for
the adjourned session, The difference be~
tween the two is q saving Of some ten or
fifteen thousand dollars to the Stnte in fa>
vor of the adjourned session. We believe
that, after the sixe die adjournment of the
present Legislature, with our confidence in
its ability to perfect oil the laws necessary
to carry into successful operation all the
provisions Of the New Constitution. our
State will get along prosperously with bi.
ennlal session. Of the law.making ptwsr.
-Hamiiton Telegraph.