Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-01-15
nation concerning the financial condition

nation concerning the hDancial condItlon
of the State.
The state of the Public Debt, the
amount and distribution of taxation, and
the uses of revenue, will necessarily engage
your careful attention.
The Debt of the State had its origin in
Internal Improvements. Nearly the whole
of ii was contracted to defray the cost of
the State Cannals, and to provide for sub
scriptions in aid of Turnpikes, Railways,
and Cannals projected and controlled by
companies. Whatever may be thought
of the policy of these undertakings, no one
doubts the duty of the State to fulfill
with scrupulous exactitude her duties to
her creditors. On this subject, happily,
there is no diversity Of opinion in Ohio.
To pay the interest of this debt; to re-
duce and finally extinguish the principle; ;
to provide for the necessary expences of the
State Government and Public Institutions ;
and to defray the charges of County, City,
Township and District administrations, are
the legitimate objects of taxation. To in
sure responsibility for the disbursement of
revenue, and thereby promote economy,
the Constitution strictly enjoins that no
money shall be drawn from the Treasury
except in pursuance of specific appropria-
tions made by law. The. faithful observ-
ance of this provision should be ensured
by your care.
1t is the duty of the Public Officer to
disburse appropriations honestly, economi-
cally, and solely to the purposes to which
they are applicable. He has no right to
go beyond them, either by overdrafts up
on the Treasury or by contracts in behalf
of the State for work TO be done or sup
plies to be furnished, within the time for
which the appropriations are made: nor,
unless specially authorized, has he any right
TO contract any other Obligations of any
description which will require future appro-
priations. The Constitution contemplates
the payment of each years expenses out
of each years income. 1t sanctions no
debts for the expenses of one year 10 be
paid by increased taxation the next.
twill be seen on reference to the full
and able report of the State Auditor, that
during the last year, in the absence of the
salutary check of an annual Legislative ses-
sion, the expenditures in several depart
ments of the Public Service greatly exceed
ed the amount properly applicable to them,
and that large debts were thus contracted,
the payment of which was cast upon the
revenues for the service of 1866.
The amount of these debts has not been
precisely ascertained. The amount actual
ly paid during the year was $5l7,373 IS:
and the balance unascertained is estimated
by the Auditor at 100000; making an
aggregate of debts to the amount of $617,-
373 IS, which should either have been paid
out of the revenues of I954-5, or should
not have been contracted at all
The effect of this anticipation of reve-
nues will be clearly presented by the follow
ing statsment:
The balance nominally in Treasu-
ry on the 18th day of November
1855, according to the report of
of the late Auditor of State was $703,570 Oe
To this sum should be -
added the Bank
Taxes due in 1875
but received 1866 Sl6096l 90
Less this sum refund
ed as having been
illegally collected 60,lS0 43
$l19,760 II
Makingthe total appa-
rent means on Nov.
ID, lS00- oZo,oCu CD
From which in order to
ascertain the real cash