Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-01-14

obligations Of any description which will
require future appropriations The Con-
>'lsul'on CONCENTRATES the payment of
each Years expenses out Of each years
income. IL sanctions no debts for the
Expenses of one year to be paid by in
or a'ed taxaIinn the next.
1t will he seen on reference to the full
and able report Of the State Auditor. that
during the last year. in absence Of the
salu a'y check of an annual legislative
session. The expenditures in several de-
parimrnts of the Public Service greatly
exceed the amount properly applicable
To them. IN that large debts we're thus
contracted, the payment Of which was
east upon the revenue for the service Of
1866.
The amount Of these debts has not
been precisely ascerlained. The amount
actually paid during the year was $751;
3I3 65; and The balance unascertained
is estimated by the Auditor at SIOO. 600;
making an aggregate Of debts TO the
amount of s6l7 373 65, which should
either have been paid out of the reve-
nues of l854-5. or should not have been
contracted at all.
The effect of this anticipation of reve-
nues will be clearly presented by the
following statement
| The alance nominaIy in the Treasury on
1 the 18th November. 1855. according TO
the Report of the late Auditor Of State,
was. --.-...-.-.---.......... S703,590 OS
! To this sum should be aidel
/ the Bank Taxes due in I-54
] = hut received in l-5J-6.. $50 96I 90
| Less this sum refunded as hay-
| ing been illegally collected GO.lSO ~
sII9.76O -
Making the total apparcat
means Nov. Is. ISL. s23 $50 S.
I From which, in o-i, TO ascer-
tain the real cash means,
| should lie deducted the amt
of debts Of ls5I-5. paid in
Is5j-e.....-...-.- .-.-.-.-..- 5IT,3:3 6j
And also the unascertaned ha-
lance Of such debts IC0,Oo0 90 Gl7 .3.3 G.
Making the balance Of means apparently
aPbiica le 10 the service of S2t5 81 %
But of the balance reported by the late Au-
dtor, the sum Of sss5.sI9 3Bnever came
I irtu the hands Of tie present Treasurer,
being retained y the late Treasurer
| paid for exchange or having been placed
| hy him with de; osit.ri-s who have used
| the money and have h ithrrtV failed to
/ store il to the Treasury There should
I therefore he deducted from the zhoVea APP
parent balance the further cf. S925 sI9 ~
Showing. instead OF a balance of '.3.3JO
! s5. an actual deficit Of availal'le n.eaus,
as chars- upon the revenues Of is55-6
7 of--.---- --..-------------.----.... Si9S42 II
4 The facts exhibit in a cleaI light the
importance of guarding against expendi.
lures hey yond appropriations The Con
strution permits no debt to be contracted
on behalf OF the State, without express
! Il tru Mt IL fI. 81
amount Of all Indebtedness TO supply al
deficits and failures in revenue or txpen
ses not otherwise provided for, to the
sum Of $3.50, 600. As security against
unauthorized debts. it expressly declares
that no money shall be paid on any
claim, tie subject matter of which shall
not have heen provided for by the exist
ing law. unless allowed by two thirds OF
the members elected 10 each branch oil
TIE General Assembly. Experience has
demonstrated that even these provisions
are not adequate guarantees against the
unauthorized Contracting OF debts within
a single biennial peIio1. TO an amount
exceeding three. ourIhs of the total in
d, btedness which can be incurred for
such purposes by the Legislature itself.
! Ii Is proper. 10 say here, however,
/ that there was transferred TO the Sinking
Fund OF Public Works Income, on the
Is h of November, 1855, The sum OF
500 600. 1t this transfer had not been
made, The Public Works Expenses for
1915. would have been paid out Of the
Public Works Revenue Tor tine same
lime; and the apparent balance of the
Sinking Fund would have been $780,
OUO less.
1t is due, also, TO the late State Audi
tor 10 say. that the balance OF 1855 was
correctly stated from the books in his
flee, and thai The unauthorized debls
and Liabilities which absorbed il were
contracted against his earnest and re-
peated Iemonstrances. | respectfully
invite your attention to suggestion
made by him, of provision by law, that
parties, by whose Unauthorized acts
debts of this character may be hereafter
created, shall be held personally Iespon
sible for them.
The following table will present COM
parative view Of the Eecelpis and Dis
bursemenls of the Two last fiscal years
RECEIPTS