The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1854-01-04


lure Of the public money. The Auditor
Of State aud the County Auditors are The
proper accounting officers Of the Govern.
men,. No one should be permitted To be
his own accounting officers, and all ave.
nues 10 the Treasury should be- required
10 pass through the proper accounting
bureau.
A practice formerly prevailed upon The
public works, III The PenitenIiary, and per
haps.in some Of the other institutions Of
the State, by which the money Of the
people was expended without The required
and necessary control Of the Auditor Of
State. II this practice has been f%lluwed
BY no frauds or serious loss, the fac, should
he attributed to the integrity of the officers,
and not the salutary restraints imposed BY
law. All direct drafts upon the Treasury
should be strictly avoided, and in every
pecuniary Transaction of the Government,
there should be in practice, as well as in
theory, an accounting and paying officer,
acting as checks upon each other. But
little is gained by specific appropriations
If there be no check upon The improper
application Of The money. fn
And in connection with this subject il is
proper to remember, that it will not be
long befure all our expenditures will have
10 be me, by assessments on The Grand
Duplicate of The State. All special taxes,
except auction duties, Pedlars' licenses
and a few others, have been suffered 10 go
out Of existence I; aud labor. as such, is
no longer required 10 contribute 10 the
burdens imposed by the Stale ia policy
so salutary, that il commends the approba.
lion of every one,
Our School, Ministerial aud Canal lands,
will soon pass into the hands Of actual
settlers the Surplus Revenue will be re.
paid / and thus nearly all sources Of
revenue will be closed, except the Public
Works, the dividends from Canal. Turn.
pike and RAil Road Stocks, and Direct
Taxation. That these extraneous revenues
should run out, is hardly To be regretted.
They never were very large, while they
mysli6ed our public accounls. Their
final disappearance, with the causes that
called them forth, will not increase The
public burdens, it will but change their
character. 7v .i.. b. H
These facts should have their due
weight in determining all financial ques.
lions. The taxing and approprialing
powers are The most important fu actions
OF Government. High taxes do not al.
ways Indicate unnecessary extravaganza,
and for many of our exaclions, at this
lime, we may plead The force of circum.
stances. s-I .l.IUlH aat uaf
We are a ! oufg and rapidly growing
people, we have every thing to create, all
our public buildings 10 erect, and large
and onerous debts Ia discharge. II is,
nevertheless, true, that our financial sys.
ten is with NJ those salutaty clerks which
experience has shown to be necessary in
all public transactions nor will il be dc.
nird, | apprehend, that a greater degree Of
economy may be attained. The recon.
mendaiions already made, will, il adopted.
do much Ia secure this end, 1DH'2
Our taxes are now levied upon a uni.
form and equitable basis;-ihey should be
expended under the %sIriclesl accountable.
~. Satisfy the people that the funds
drawn from them, are properly and erono
mieally applied, and The taxes now com.
planned Of, will be cheerIully horne. "'
The very large amouu, which has heen
drawn lnm the people Of This State, dur.
ing the past year, lor the supper, Of iht
variuus governments under which they
live, will certainly excuse The earneslnes.
with which | have pressed the subject oil
our expenditures upon your consideration.
Estimating the Revenues Of the Gener
al Government al $50 900 900. it will pro
ducc for each Member ri Congress uboul
S250,0 0
There are twonty-one Members from
this State, making about. ........ $1,000 ,00(
State, County, Up and City taxes. 1901 l6(
Fees of County Officers, estimated at .Is. H-
$4,000 per county. 500 ,Q0(
, Special taxes, as Auction Duties, 6c., 200, 0GC
Fees of Justices Of the Peace, Con-
stables, &cy.................. 100000
Making atotal oE.....,...... sl4,l0i ,lct
This an annual burden, equal 10 one-hal
The value Of the whole State fifty year
; ago, and requires a tax Of $50 on ever,
voler, aud Of nearly six dollars on every
: Individual in The State! When burden,
! become so onerous, il is proper that every