The Empire County argus., 1856-09-27
Appropriations Made by the Legislatures oi
1855 and 1856.

AS there has been considerable controversy among
speakers and writer's of the two parties, to which
of the Legislatures of 1855 and 1856 made the larger
appropriations and expended the most money, for or
binary and extraordinary purposes, we have concud-
ed to publish statement Of the exact amounts for
each year. Our exhibit may be relied upon, as the
figures obtained from the books of the Controller,
and furnished, at our request, by that officer 1t will
be seen that the appropriations for ordinary and eX
traordnary purposes and those for Deficiencies have
been so classified US to show at glance the amount
of each account This is done with the view of so
simplifying the statements as to present to the ord
nary readers a balance sheet, which can be readily
and easily comprehended The reader will remember
that under Constitution the fiscal year begins on
the ls Of July and ends the 30th of June of each
year. The annual reports of the Controller and
Treasurer made to correspond with the fiscal year;
they begin on the lst of July and end on the 30th of
June of each year. Whatever may be included in
their reports from those dates to the succeeding Jan
uary, at which time the Legislature convenes, must
appear in the form of a supplementary report. The
constitutional provision is very awkward one and
ought to be changed. Our fiscal year should begin
and end on the lst of January each year it would
then correspond with the sessions of the Legislature
and our fiscal and legislative, appropriation year
would then naturally be the same, the dates would
correspond Our appropriation year is calcula-
ted from the ls of February to the 3lst of January
whereas our constitutional fiscal year commences on
the lst of July.
1t will be understood that the term deficiency means
appropriations made by the Legislature to pay debts
against the State which had accumulated the year
previous, because the Legislature of the preceding
year failed to make its appropriations large enough
to cover the expenses. In all cases where the appro
priation is found insufficient and debt accumulates
against the State in consequence thereof said ndebt-
edness is classed deficiency Hence the term de-
fcency appropriation is employed to designate all
appropriations made to pay debts which previous
Legislature had failed to provide for.
Appropriations made for objects other than the Or
dinary expenses Of government, cassed extra
ordinary for the purpose Of distinguishing them from
those made to pay the ordinary expenses Of the State
government. TO Illustrate we may name the item Of
$l8,420 paid A. L. Melvin, as charge not coming
properly within the limits of the ordinary expenses of
the government for such charge cannot occur an
nualy. The appropriation for building State
House is another Illustration of what is to be under
stood by the term extraordinary appropriation. Such
another appropriation may not be needed for cen
tury; it is therefore, properly classed as extraor
dinary appropriation
| APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1855.
Whole amount specifically appropri-
Of the above amount, the following are
for deficiencies and extraordinary ex-
penses:
Deficiency appropriation $3l1 $50 80
Compensation of Clerk of