The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-07-04

counting at the proper State department
for its expenditure. has been entirely
stopped. Under the new law, no mo
rey for these purposes, is now drawn
from tho Treasury, except upon vouch
ers giving the names of the persons te
whom the money is due, and full state
ment of the nature of the claims. A
similar change hes also been made in the
disbursement of moneys set apart for the
use Of the New State House. Not q
dollar of this fund is now paid from the
State Treasury, except on the Auditor
warrant, and this is allowed only on the
presentation of the claim on which pay
mcnt is demanded, duly certified and
approved by the Superintendent and
Architect. In like manner, the month
lyscarnings of the Ohio Penitentiary
are now required to be paid directly in
to the State Treasury, instead of being
retained, as formerly, in the custody of
the officers of the prison, and by them
disburscd witho1t placing on file in the
proper State Office the vouchers neces-
sary to verify the payments, and explain
the nature of the claims on which they
were made. Since the passage of the
new law, the payments of Penitentiary
earnings into tho State Treasury have
been at rate equal to the entire ex-
penscs of the prison actually occurred
during the same period, and this too,
inclusive of the salaries of officers and
guards, which have heretofore been a
charge on the tax revenues of the State
to the amount of sixteen or eighteen
thousand dollars annually. From these
happy results, attending the changes
made in the revenue laws by the last
General Assembly, it is hoped cncour-
agement may be taken for prosecuting
the reform as much farther and in what
ever direction the public interest may
seem in the future to demand.
Besides the amendatory acts above re-
ferred to, the Legislature at its last scs-
sion, deemed it proper to place in charge
OF this Office, the execution of the new
law q" To regulate the Agencies of In
s3rauce Companies not Incorporated by
tn. State of Ohio" which took effect in
Jlic, 1851. 1t affords me pleasure to
say That the operation Of this law has
proven highly salutary, and that its pro-
visions have been complied with by
nearly all the solvent Companies which
had established agencies in Ohio, pre-
vioas to its passage. Several of the
New York and New England Comra-
mics, which have gone within the past
year i,.to avowed and hopeless bankrupt
e., lad been doing large and profta-
Ole business in Ohio, and it was not un-
til the new law required thonl to furnish
evidence of their eolvency,
that the ceased to issue their policies of
insurance on Ohio property, and draw
the handsome revenue to which they
were entitled by the misplaced coaf-
dencc of their victims. The amount cf
money paid by the people of this State,
to Foreign Insurance Companies, du-
ring the year ending in May, 1854, was
las is amply indicated by the assessment
Of personal property but little short of
one million of dollars. The outlay of
Sd large sam-more than equal to the
interests on the foreign and domestic
debt of OHIO, demanded from tho Gen
eral Assembly whatever guaranty and
protection home laws could secure to
those from whose pockets it was drawn.
In the first effort made to afford this
it must be gratifying to the
to know that the statutory
provisions which may be adopted, have
already SO far commended themselves to
res. ect and imitation, that they now oc-
;upy place among the laws of Indiana
md Illinois.
To these general remarks, principally
n explanation of the condition of the
inances Of the State, and the operation
md results of the laws for the assess
ncnt of taxes, much more might be ad-
led, hut the length to which my COM
nents are already extended, renders it
,xpedient to reserve for my annual re-
bort to the next legislature, such suges-
ions in regard to notifications of the
AK law, as experience and proper re-
yrrd 20 public justice, shall seem to de-
maid. Respectfully submitted,
WIN. u. MORGAN, Auditor.
AUDITOR OF STATES OFEIcE,
Co1UNBrs, March %, 1855.