The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-03-13

Auditor MOrgan's AnnumI Report.
The Cincinnati Enquirer condenses this
exhibit from Auditor Morgan's Annual Re-
port for 1855. But two officers charged with
the collection and disbursement of the State,
revenue, 1855, have not fulfilled their trust
and in one OF them the cause was fatal i'll.
ness. This fact speaks well for the honesty
Of the State officials. The receipts Ito the
Treasury in 1866, from all sources were S4,.
I2l5,s54,28, and the disbursements S3,5l2, ,4s4.
90, leaving balance in the Treasury on the
10Th of November last, of S7O3, ,97O,os. Of
the Disbursements the heaviest items were the
State Common School Fund, apportioned,
and paid to counties, $l,2l7,ll9,64, payment
of interests on the State debt, 1854 ,O69 90,
and the cost ofthe State government, which
amounted to $446,972 80. The legitimate
cost Of the latter is, however, much less, as
S234,S64 96 was paid towards the support
of the FIVE benevolent institutions of Ohio,
and toward the erection OF the new State
house. With these proper deductions the
expenses of the State government were but
$l43 ,5l5,75, or less than six cents per head
to each individual within the State. This
may be called, with propriety, an economical
State government. s
The total amout Of taxable property in the
State is $780, 0,S77, ,354, of which $23S,Ols,sl5
is in personal property, money ard credits.
In 1850 the total taxation was only $780,
100000, which shows that it has doubled
within the last five years. The total amount
of taxes levied in 1855 in the State, for all
purposes, was $8,954, ,5lI 80, being about
$l36,000 less than the taxes 1854. Con-
siderably more than two-thirds OF the taxes,
or SIS, ,l99, ,704, are levied for local purposes
by local authorities. This fact the people
should remember when discussing the cause
OF high taxation. Since the lst of January,
1854, the principal Of the public debt Of
Ohio has been dmniahed the very consider.
able sum Of $1,6l6,46l 7S. This is in &C.
cordance with Democratic policy, which ia.
vors the liquidation oil State debts, holding |
them to be curse TO the body politic.-
$S44,000, is in the State Treasury, applica.
Bile to the retention of the debt in 1885,
in few years, at this rate, and under the
policy which has been inaugurated, Ohio
will be entirely free from debt
The Auditor recommends very sensible
reform in the keeping Of accounts in the
State benevolent Institutions at Columbus.
He says that the expenditures for the unfor.
unate inmates are so mixed up and con foun-
led with those incurred for the personal and
amily comfort of the officers, that the for
ner are not distinguishable from the latter.
t is manifest that the accounts for each ,
should be seperate, and that it would result
o the benefit OF the State. In speaking OF
he law authorizing the erection of new lu.
'atic aasy ylums at Dayton and Newburg, the
Audltor complains that the trustees have
made much larger outlay than was de-
igned or authorized for those buildings and
ecommends that in future laws of that char.
cter clause should be inserted rendering
arties by whom unauthorized expenditures
re incurred responsible therefor in their
ersonal capacity.
We learn from figures given in the Audi.
'r's report that the population of Ohio du.
ng the last eight years has maintained a
out the same ratio of increase as that which
revailed during the eight years preceding.
In respect to the tax law the Auditor
lakes some suggestions, which, if adopted,
'ould render it even more stringent tn an it
now. ~