The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-09-29

Gbt weekly Miunssutiun.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER -. 1856.
Rotsenness In the Affairs Of Ramsey County.
According to promise, we give below the
presentment of the Board of County Com
missioners of Ramsey county by the late
Grand Jury. By our Statute, it is made
part of the duty of the Grand jury ito en-
quire into the affairs of the county general
w." and particularly 'the manner in which
the official duties of those specially charged
with the business of the county have dis
charged their respective duties" The late
Grand Inquest has simply done its duty in
calling public attention to the gross negli-
gence and favoriteism, to use no harsher
terms, which have characterised the admin
istration of the county affairs. The people
have been hardly dealt with; and it is a mat
ter of congratulation on their part that the
corrupt proceedings of the Board have been
brought to light in this official manner. Let
every taxpayer in the county read this pre-
sentiment before making up his mind to con-
tinue the old order of things by voting for
incompetent men at the coming election.
Under the specious cry of Democracy"
our County Board has been filled with men
who were either grossly ignorant of public
affairs and of their public duties, or who
have borne the worse objection of being no
toriously dishonest. While we would not
charge any one on the Democratic county
ticket of this year with belonging to the lat
ter class, we are free to say that the former
crowd of office-seekers is very largely rep
resented on that same ticket. Let the voters
who have borne the heavy burthen of taxa
ton, absorbed to pander to this democrat
ic" rule of ignorance and dishonesty, look
to the proper corrective at the polls, and al
so devote portion of their time in seeing
that their neighbors are properly informed
upon the subject between now and the day
of election.
But read the presentment:
1--WE find by examination, that Ramsey
county now owes a debt of over 500 200;
$4,000 of which is in bonds, bearing an in
terest of ten per cent; the balance in the
shape of floating county orders, unredeemed.
The taxes assessed for the present year
amount, for all purposes, to little over $780,
600; about 1874 900 of which is intended for
county purposes exclusively. The amount
which will be collected cannot much (if any
exceed the current expenses of the year.
To redeem the public debt there is no FUNDS
except few thousand dollars of uncollected
taxes for the year 1854 and preceding years
What part of this amount can be made avail
able in paying the debt, the Jury are unable
to determine. The taxes are onerous. The
amount to be collected from the county is
much larger than the Jury have ever known
from counties of the same population in other
communities. Very little revenue appears to
have been received from other sources than
direct taxation. But two licenses have been
taken out to retail liquors outside of the linn
its of the corporations of st. Paul and St.
Anthony, while it is evident that many are
selling spirituous liquors without licenses
thus defauding the county of it's reve-
nue.. The Jury have been able to reach but
few of the delinquents for the want of such
direct testimony as it seems to require to
produce conviction. No complaints have
been made by the people or those charged
with, or paid for attending to the county bus
mess. The Jury have only been able to act
upon those cases of which they had person
al knowledge, or could refer to such persons
as had obtained such knowledge. The result
is several hundred dollars are lost to the rev.
enue of the county. We would advise all
officers of the county, as well as private citi-
zens, to be more vigilant in complaining
against those who are either evading or act
ngcontrary to law. We have in evidence
one case in which complaint was made to the
County Commissioners, the delinquent sum-
moned to appear before them. He never ap-
peared, and this was the last of the case-no
further action was taken.
"The County Commissioners are made by
law the board that manages the finances of
the county-to direct the amount Of reve-
nue. to be assessed and collected and have the
control of the disbursements on behalf of the
county.
"The amount disbursed for the support of
the poor alone was about $4,000 during the
last year. In looking over the items Of ex-
penditure, and the bills audited and paid, the
Jury think some of them were extravagant
To one particular case we think it our duty
to- call special attention-one that requires
rebuke and condemnation.
"The Commissioners last year in the exer-
else of their discretion, on the 3Oth of De-
cember, the then Board purchased 800 acres
of wild land, 10 miles from st. Paul, for the
purpose of poor-house farm. Proposals had
been invited from those having land for sale
the bids accepted, were for the 800 acres
above mentioned; portion at dollars per
acre and larger portion at $l2 per acre
We have it in evidence that land at the time