The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-08-19

r traordlnary influence brought to bear
: from interested sources, on few Demo
: Gratis. Moreover the motives Of th
; frieHds of I he bill were assailed. The,
were charged with being actuated a
lone by feelings of personal hostilit,
aud enmity toward the Treasurer o
State: rr' 7al -
ssAAa-these. untoward influences hat
their weight in dividing and distractins
Democratic counsels; while the compac
and united vote OF all the opposition
members of the Legislature, was, o,
every occasion, thrown directly agains
any aud every proposition to organize
the Tr asury on an independents basis
or to provide against improper use being
made of the public funds. Far be ii
from me, however, to impute corrupt
motives or wilful disregard of pablo du
ty to those who did not perceive, at that
time, the necessity for such legislation
as was proposed. They were assured
that all was right; that 70 harm would
befall the State; and had they dreamed
that such developments rs are now being
made would come to pass, | do not doubt
but they would heartily have concurred
in almost anything that seemed likely
to avert such a calamity. But the re-
suits which were predicted are upon US
A course OF official malfeasance has been
exposed to the public gaze which stands
without a parallel in the history of any
State III the Union, furnishing the fair
fame of our State, and almost bankrupt
ing the Treasury for the time being =
There is nOw RESPONSIBILITY to be
borne, and however misguided or mista
Yen men have been in their actions here
tOfore-however honest they may have
been-it canrot now be expected or per-
United that tLey shall shoulder that re-
sponsibility on others, who, more fortu-
nate, perhaps, than they, stand right Oil
the record and sounded the alarm at a
time when prompt and decisive action
would have prevented the calamity now
felt and regretted by all.
1 might here, with propriety, refer to
the report of Messrs. Morgan, Trevitt
nd Pugh, as Commissioners of the Sink
ing Fund, dated July l5, 1852; the re
ports of Auditor Moig gan of February IL
ald December &c, 1853, March % aud
December 81, 1855; and the Message
o Governor Medil, of January 2, 1854, |
in each of which Communications legis- |
lative action was recommended On this
subject, substantially such as was en-
braced in the bills to which | have re-
ferred. But my main object in this let
ter has been to repeI the charges of der
oiIction of duty on the part of the ma
jority of the Democratic members of the
leaving the responsibility to
rest where the record put it, whether
that shall be on political friends or op-
ponents.
There was another measure connected
with the financial policy attempted to be
under the new constitution,
which deserves passing notice. This
pro position had for its object, primarily,
he reduct'o- and speedy payment of
he public debt of the State; and, Sec
'ndari!y, the keeping of the Treasury
IS nearly empty as was cons stent with
prompt discharge of its liabilities
Knowing full well that while large sur
1luses were permitted TO accumulate and
'enain in the Treasury unemployed, it
vas the interest of those having their
custody to keep up taxes, and at the
anne time postpone the laymeut of the
,ublic debt, so that arge amounts of
,ublic money should remain in their
lands, on which they could speculate
Tins policy looked to the payment OF
hat portion of the Safe indebtedness ;
alliDg due December 81, 1856; and
continued reduction, exceeding tie min
mum fixed by the constitution, by the
,urchase OF the outstanding bonds in ad
nft THAR 70 aud Tins |
he State the interest tnat would neces
arily accrue by the prolopgation of the
ime of payment.
The first Legislature under the new
constitution had initiated this policy i'll
u act prescribing the duties of the Com
nissiouers of the Sinking Fund, wherein
he Commissioners were authorized and
directed to apply all moneys belonging to
hat fund to the purchasing Of outstand
ng bonds of the State, o. stocks of the
United States, Whenever they were un-
ble to procure State bonds At the
of the session of Janua- ;
y, 1854, Governor Medill, In his Mes
age to the Legislature, urged the pro-
,rIety of making provisions for the pay
nent of the bones falling due Decem Der
II, 1856, then amounting to the sum of
53 442 1873 %; the same policy having {
,een strongly recommended by Au itor
Morgan in his annual report of February
2, 1858.
The Senate Committee on Finance,
o whom the subject was referred, intro
luced bill making appropriations for
he payment of the principal and inter
st of the public debt of 1854 and 1855,
Lud levyIng a tax of three fourths OF a
mill on the dollar, on the valuation OF
1855, for the payment of principal of
he public debt falling due December
81, 1856.
The bill was accompanied by care
ully prepared report reviewing the re-
of the State, and enforcing the
correctness of the policy recommended.
See Appendix to Senate Journal, page
AZ The bill passed the Senate, but
he House did not concur in that por
ion of it, which provided for levy to
pay the principal of the State debt /; and
.fter struggle, in which the House,
after one committee of conference, de
,lined to grant second committee, but
adhered to its amendment-thus again
forcing on the Senate the alternative of
or losing that appropriation
billion the last night of the session
majority concnrring i'll the House amend
ment.
Nevertheless, the Democratic Admin
istration from the lst of January, 1852,
until the 3lst of December. 1855: was