The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-01-12


the entire Government, much OF this animad-
version falls TO the ground as unmeriled.
The act providing for the organization OF
the .General Assembly will, il strictly obser-
we'd, obviate all future cause OF complaInt.-
The unnecessary abSense Of members has been
checked. sinecnres have been abolished. an
waste Of public time and means has been
guarded against, aud thus a most salutary
spirit will be impaired 10 The whole Govern
nient. ,-e.4 1-. ~ -
The new Constitution very properlyfelieves
The General Assembly from many powers and
duties that were formerly supposed to disturb
its deliberations, and unnecessarily to consume
its time. The people henceforth expect q
steady devotion to the duties now imposed blythe
Constitution, within as brief space OF time as
is consistent with well matured and well con
sidered legislation.
The supreme law OF the State imposes, in
positive terms, upon the General Assembly the
duty OF inqniring into, and determining upon,
the receipts and expenditures Of every branch
Of the Government. Specific appropriations
nnst precede every publicexpendiiure and on
money can be collected, except in pursuance
OF law.
For series-of years the public works and
public debts ofthe State, have been managed
by executive boards. The Board Of Public
Works determined upon the amounts Of tolls,
and the accruing revenues were expended
partly by the same Board, and panty by the
Commissioners OF the Sinking Fund, without
due legislative authority. Their proceedings,
subsequently reported, as they were, TO the
General Assembly, were seldom very closely
Scrutinzed, since their examination, after the
transaction, could be Of little public benefit.
As might have been expected, the public
mind was frequently disturbed by charges of a
very serious character, which were, on several
occasions, inquired into by special eommls-
sions. The Boards and their incumbents were
frequently changed, but the impression was
never removed from the people, that these
Boards possessed, or at least exercised, powers
that were liable to be abused, and that, there
fore, like all other executive offices, they
shouldbe brought under the proper control of
the representatives of the people
A want Of certainty preyaded our financial
system; THE nett revenues ofth public works
fuctutated from year TO year; expenditures
were concealed by after dating, and through
mere transfers upon the account of trust and
similar funds, the pecuniary transactions OF the
whole Government were mystifed, deiying
alike legislative and popular scrutiny.
All this forced upon the people the convc-
ton that there was some inherent difficulty IN
system which made the members of the
same time. Their executive duties were, ard
are. in themselves onerous enough to re-
ouire their undivided attention, and it was cer-
tainly wrong to impose upon them the deter
mination Of questions of policy, which had
bearing far beyond the appropriate sphere OF
their duties, and which none but the General
Assembly, composed OF representatives from
all parts Of the State, should determine.
This public desire found liberalization in the
most stringent provisions of the new Constiru
ton, which we've, in part, Garfield into effect
by subjeetfng, for the first time, during the past
! fiscal year, the expenditures upon the public
works and their hett revenues to legislative
appropriation. This policy must, however be
( followed up by requiring at an early period OF
the session, specific and detailed estimates Tor
the various Public Works of the State, and
their sub divisions, and by appropriating there
| fore such amounts as, upon legislative exam
tination, will be found proper.
/ In surmountable difficulties are sometimes
said to be in the way; but, have no donbt,
/ they will, on close examination, be found with
out any tangible existence. General and mere
wholesaie estimates, may fail to approach ex-
.actness, and, consequently lead to embarrass-
lment; but estimates made in detail, by the
present able Board, acquainted as they are, by
personal inspection with every part ofthe pub
lie works, and assisted as they will be, by ex-
perienced engineers, superntendents and col
lectors, must prove very nearly correct. Such
estimates and corresponding appropriations
would affect in each case, only very small
lpart o: the public works, and specific contin.
gent appropriations would, as is done in Con
Egress, provide against extraordinary failures II
revenue or other unforeseen events.
The following tabular statement exhibits the
receipts and expenditures on the public works
since their completion;-that estimates made
for them the year previous;--and the deficits
in the interest fund that had to be made VI
by taxation, as near as the latter can be ascer
b. IN;