The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-01-11
Whole Number 1854

Whole Number 1854
taxes, except auction duties. pedlar's licenses ano
few others, have been suffered to go out of exs-
tence; and labor, such, is no longer required to
contribute to the burdens imposed by the State;-
policy 80 safutary. that it commends the appro.
baton of every
Our School, Ministerial and Canal lands, will
soon pass into the hands of actual settlers;-rhs
Surplus Revenue will be repaid; and thus nearly
all sources of revenue will be closed, except the
Public Works, the dividends from canal. turnpike
and rail road stocks. and direct taxation. That
these extraneous revenues should out. is hard
y to be regretted. They never were very large.
while they mystifed our public accounts. Their
final disappearance, with the cnuses that called
them FORTH will not increase the public burdsns,t
will but change their character. 's-
These facts should have their due weight in de-
termining all financial questions. The t. king an
appropriating powers are the most important fnct
ions of Government. High taxes do not always
indicate unnecessary extravagance, and for many
of our exaetions, at this time, we may ple.d the
force of circumstances.
We are young and rapidly growing people, we
have every thing to crsate, all our public buildings
to erect and large and onerous debts to discharge
1t is, nevertheless, true, that our financial system
is without those salutary checks which experience
has shown to be necessary in all public transac-
tions; nor will it be denied, apprehend, that Q
greater degree of economy MAY be attained
| The recommendations already made, will, il
adopted, do much to secure this ends a. -ts
Our taxes are now levied upon uniform and
| equitRble basis;-ihey should bs expended under
| the scrictest accountability. Satisfy the people
that the nds drawn from them, are properly and
economically applied, and the taxes now complain
| ed of, will be cheerfully borne. s1I sf.i e 'n
The very large amount which has been drawn
from the people of this State during the past year,
for the support of the various governments under
which they live, will certainly excuse the eafnest-
ness with which have pressed the snbject of our
expenditures upon your consideration. IS
| Estimating the Revenues of the General Gov
ernmeut at S58, 900, 600, it will produce for each
Member of Congress about $250,000. --7'
| There are twenty one Members from 'e'- ~a
this State, making about rs SIS Ooo, 900
State, County, Township and City tax ~ staF
es @ tz aa s@a . 7,so1,l66
Fees of County Officers, estimated at
| s1O,Oooper county 100000
Special taxes. as Auction duties, &c. 100000
| Fees of Justices of the Peace, Consta- ~- g
bles, Sc. $780, 900
| Making total of $l4 l0l, ,l66
This is annual burden, equal to one half the
value of the whole State fifty years ago. and re-
quires tax of $25 on every voter, and of nearly
six dollars on every individual in the State! When
burdens become SO enorous, it is proper that every
outlay should be examined with the strictest scru-
! tiny. ns 2.
My predecessors have had frequent occasion to
remark upon the safety and dispatch with which
the taxes are levied. collected and disbursed, by
the County and State officers. Defacations have
been of rare occurrence. Our Treasury system
has, therefore, served as a model r other States
and in many respects for the General Govern
ment. - 90 PEI -s
A practice is said to have grown up in many o
the large towns, however, of Banks and Brokers
paying interest on deposits. The State surely
has no objection to this when confined to the trsns
actions of private individuals. But it is also char
the Repositories of public officers, and that larg
sums are thus realized by speculatlng upon tn
money of the people. These representations ma,
have their origin in mere suspicion, but they hav
called forth feeling of dissatisfaction and alarm
that can only be allayed by the adoption of sucl
measures will prevent the possibility of so dan
gerous practice. The present Statutes are de-
fectiye in this particular and require revision. The
public money should be guarded with the utmos
care, and all application Of if, except to the purpo
ses for which it was raised, should be strictly pro-
hibited by law. ., ...,
An objection has sometimes been made to this
policy. that it looks up the treasure OF the people
| This objection. when examined, will be round to
be- without any real foundation. In this State, as
already observed, the revenue are chiefly raised
ed from direct taxation, for certain well known
purposes. and payable at periods entirely within
the control of the Legislature. At no period is it
necessary to keep any considerable amount on
haud. while our treasures might most OF the time,
convenveniently, be empty. Under these circum-
stances there surely can be no difficulty in so mo-
diff, ing the laws, that all danger of defacation or
improper use of the public funds will be avoided,
and the money ofthe people, at the same time, be
left in their pockets until required for public
service. .s5s -
You will perceive the necessity of these re-
marks, intimately connected as they are. with our
public debt and its fiual payment. 7 e.s- S
/ The entire debt of the State, outstanding Nov
l5Lh, 1858. was as follows: an -s4
FOREIGN.
Five per cent stock payable January sie
1st 1857 ss,' sl5o,ooo oc
Five per cent stock payable January
I Isl 1866 1,o25ooo OF
Total five per cent stock $1,175,000 OF
Six per cent stock payable January
lst, 1857 1,2sa,1ss q
Six per cent stock payable january
lst 1861 ee6e, 1856 S.
Six per cent stock payable January
!. LIST, 1871 2,I93,531 93
Six per cent stock payable January o., :,