The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1855-01-19
HIGH TAXES.
NUMBER TWO,

Nav Cohstitution,'in the hands Of its friends
has been more expensive TO the people ol
the State than the old. Now We desire no
one to take our word tor lis truth, merely,
but TO read ottenlivcIy the following facts.
Facts are stubborn things, and we have no
doubt ihe gorilycrs Of the Constitution will
"have good time" getting over the follow
ing orray-Lt least we hope tLcy will.
From the statistics furnished by Hon.
WIN. MedW in his message to the Lcg:sa.
ture last winter we CLEAN the following
facts:
For the eight years Immediately preceding
the adoption Of the new constitution tho
whole amount paid the Judiciary was S2O5,-
9i6, making an average anu ual cost of $685.
7l3. In the two years following the adop.
tion Of the New Constitution Il. ramount was
paid tie judiciary was $l03 .O30, an average
annual cost or $5l,5l5; in this spg'c de-
pnrtment showing an outlay it'e more than
doubled by the operation OF the New Con-
slitution in the hands Of its lricn ds." This
may not be entirely owing to the constitution
but it is owing TO tho legislation Of it's friends.
Thus in the single item of the judiciary we
see an annual expenditure OF more than $2j,-
600 over the old administration. Quite a
snug little pile we rhou'd think for one year
and any department..
The Legislature next demand our attcn-
ton. In the eight years Immediately prcce-
ding the adoption ot our present Constitution
the whole outlay for this purpose was $3ll.-
Sl3, making an average yearly cost Of $3S,-
964. In the two years succeeding the adop-
ton of the New Constitution the outlay for
the Legislature was Sl70,255. making an an
nual average of $751; Again as in the
cnoe Of the Judiciary considerably more than
double. But under the old Constitution the
State paid the Legislative postage, which is
now done away with We find that in eight
years there was expended for postage $i5,-
S5,6ij. Adding this to the S3S,0G4 We
have ayearIy outlay for the Legislature of
$4l,60o, before the adoption o! the New Com
stllution. against yearly outlay of S95, 1877
since its adoption.
As mitigating circumstance in reference
to this last outlay, we quote Gov. McdW:
"'l'hc cNprnsrs of the last General Assembly have
been made the sulI lc ol ph5!i; unlmavcr,iOn; hut
when II Is borne III mind that upon that body de-
vulvCd the responsible aud arduOus duty OF carrying
into effect the New Constitution, embracing the re-
"rgauiIann oI til entire government, much oi tbs
anlnadvcrslon falls TO the ground ns unnerted."
The above extract embraces about the on
ly excuse we have ever heard for the trr-
mrndous increase of expenses in the Lrgs-
lative department, and the friends Of the new
Constitution have rung the changes upon it
for the last three yeurs, until it has become
pc cricctIy stale. How much OF an excuse
there is in ii we will see on sitting ii. The
first Legislature under the New Constitu
ti0n raised the per diem of members fIom
50 90 to $500. The wages of clerks, SER
seanis-at-arms, messenger boys, &c, SC,
were also raised in proportion. This then is
to be placed in the language Of Gov. MeiiN
to the account ol-"the responsible aud ar
duous duty of carrying into effect the new
Constitutions" with what proprety we leave
our readers to Judge; Again The salaries Of
common pleas Judges were raised from $1,000
to $500 per nnnum-lhe salaries uf Jt dyes
Of the Supreme Court, State officers, &C.,
&c, were raised. This then is to be ultyib-
ulcd To the responsible aud nrduous duty of
carrying into effect the New Constitution"
A commission was upPointe d to revise the
codes OF practice IN our courts, by the recon-
mondnlon Of the friends OF the n. Cons,ilu-
tiun. This was another expense. 1t may
have been needed probably was, but we are
justified in charging the cost of it to the New
Constitution.
In n future number we will endeavor to
show that the loppi ng off, by the New Con-
stiluliOn, OF the three Associate Judges, SO
fur from being work o! economy, is over
balanced by the organization of the Probate
Court. We think we can do this, and thus
show that the Judiciary, while it is not rem
dered one whit more efficient, casts doHbie
what it did under the old system. Our sub
jet ("high tareS,') is a r markable prolific
one, and we will do our utmost to place in
the strongest possible light the influence by
which the taxes are being increased, aud de.
monstra,e who are riding the taxpayers
"bootcd aud Spurrcj."
Governors official Duties.
In the Ohio MdieSmdn's report of tho Sth