Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-01-15

should be limited TO dcnned number OF
institutions, or extended to all who are
willing to give the required securities and
guarantees against abuse. l have, upon
former occasions, expressed my preference
for the most liberal extension of the fran
chise, with such restrictions upon its exer-
else as will effectually protect the commu-
nifty against mere paper money currency
The act 20 incorporate the Bank of Ohio
and other Banks, passed April IL, 1856
and submitted to the people in conformity
with the provisions of the Constitution, Oh
the second Tuesday of October last moi
having been approved by majority of al
the electors voting at that election, has fail
ed to become law. More recently, the
Supreme Court of the State has unani
mously decided that the act to authorize
free banking, passed March 81, 1851, but
supposed by some TO have been abrogated
by the new Constitution, remains in full
force, unaffected by any provisions of that
instrument. Isubmit to your better Judge
ment whether sound policy does not sug
gest the expediency of observing the prac-
teal operation of this act, and of so amen
ding il, from time to time as may be neces-
sary TO protect and secure the interests oi
the community, without invoking the deci-
sion of the people upon new banking
law.
Considerable practical difficulty has aris-
en- in carrying into execution the provisions
of the act of April l, 1856, for the taxa
tion of property employed in banking. To
determine the precise rate to be levied upon
the property and means included in the
first statement, required by the act, in or
der to produce the sum which would be
produced by the general rate if levied up
on the second, and to levy that precise rate
when ascertained, prove, not unfrequently,
to be complex and embarrassing operations.
The requirement, also, that the gross
amount of property and means embraced
in the first statement, shall be entered up
on the duplicate for taxation and taxed by
different and usually much less rate than
that levied upon the property of individuals,
is calculated to produce an impression in
the public mind that property employed in
banking is not charged by the act with its
fair proportion of the public burdens
Such an impression, in my judgement, can
not fail to prove injurious. 1t is the true
interest of banking institutions, as well as
of the people, that all legislation concern
ing them should avoid even the appear
ance OF special favor. The most absolute
inparciality in the distribution Of burdens
is demanded by every consideration of pol
icy as well as of justice. l, therefore, re-
spec.fuly suggest such amendments of the
law as will require all property employed
in banking to be embraced in one schedule
and entered upon the duplicate for taxation
al the same rate as is imposed on other
property.
The constitution authorizes the establish
ment in the Secretary of States Office of a
Bureau of Statistics. Some provision for
the collection of statistical information is al
ready made. The Township Assessors are
required to make returns of the quantity of
wheat and corn produced in their several
townships each year. The District Asses
ors are required to report, under certain
classification, once in six years, the number
of acres of taxable land in the different
counties. Various acts require the collec-
ton of other statistical information, more
or less specific, in relation to production, ed
ucation, population, and crime. Under
these acts, although from want of system
and of adequate means of enforcement, they
are often very imperfectly executed, large
amount of useful information is collected
1t is scattered, however through many dis
connected reports, and consequently fails
TO yield the full advantage which might be
derived from it. To combine this and col
lect other similar information, and to pre-
sent the whole so arranged as to exhibit the
mutual relation of facts and classes of facts,
together with their general bearing upon
the public welfare, is the proper function
of Bureau of Statistics. l can perceive
no insurmountable obstacle to the collec-
ton of all or nearly all the information re-
quired through agencies already existing,
without incuring much new expense
For the present, little more would be ne
cessary than to provide for the appointment
of thoroughly qualified person to super
intend the whole work, prepare and pre-
scribe all necessary froms, and receive, clasi-
fly and report the returns. cannot doubt
that such a provision for the collec-
ton and publication of the Statistics of
the State. Agricultural, Industrial, So
cial and Educational would repay ten fold
its costs in benefits.
Under the auspices, of former legislation,
Geological Survey Of the State was COM
menced and prosecuted for some time, with
valuable results. respectfully submit to
your consideration whether the time has
not arrived for the resumption of that
work, and whether there should not be con-
bined with il such an Agricultural examin-
alton as will fully ascertain and disclose the
productive capacity of the different soils
which compose the surface of the State,
and the physical laws and influences by
which that productive capacity is determin-
ed.
In accordance with the provisions of an
act of the last session, have caused to
to be printed the Reports of the Auditor
and Treasures of State, of the State House
Commissioners, of the several Boards of
the Benevolent Institutions, of the Direc-
tors of the Penitentiary, and of nearly all
the other officers and Boards who seem to
fall within its requirements. These Reports
are now ready, and subject to your disposi-
ton, The long delay in printing the Re-
ports of the Public Officers after the assem-
bling of the Legislature, and the conse-
quent want of necessary information rela-