True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-01-07

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
reduce and finally extinguish theprincipal;
to provide for the necessary expenses Of
the State Government and Public Insti-
tutions and to defray the charges Of
county, city, township and district admin
istrations, are the legitimate objects Of tax
alton. To insure responsibility for the
disbursement Of revenue, and thereby pro-
mote economy, the constitution strictly
enioins that no money shall be drawn from
the Treasury except in pursuance of spe-
cifc appropriations made by law. The
faithful observance of this provision should
be ensured by your care.
tits the. dutyof the public othcer to
disburse appropriations, honestly, econo-
mically, and solely for the purposes to
which they are applicable. He has no
right to 60 beyond them, either BY over
drafts upon the treasury, or by contracts
in behalf of the State for work to be done
or supplies 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
&c onv descr;ntionwhich will require fu-
ture appropriations. The Constitution
contempiates the payment Of each years
expenses out of each years income: 1t
sanctions no debts for the expenses of one
year to be paid by increased taxation the
next. -,
It will 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 legs,
lative session, the expenditures in several
departments Of the public service greatly
exceeded the amount properly applicable
to them, and that large debts were thus
contracted, the payment Of which was
east upon the revenues for the service Of
1856.
The amount Of these debts has moi
been precisely ascertained. The amount
actually paid during the year, was Sol7,
373 65: and the balance unascertalned, L
estimated by the Auditor at 100000
making an aggregate of debts to thu
amount of s6i7,373 65, which shoulc
either have been paid out Of the revenue
of lS54.5, or should not have been con
tractsd at all.
The effect of this anticipation of rev
enucs will be clearly presented by tn
|, following statement.
The balance noninay in the Treasury m
the 18th Nov 1856 according 70 the report ,.o
of the late Auditor CT State, was"..... $IVSoIo
| To this sum should be added
the Bank Taxes due In H.
5l-5 but received In 1880 SlSOoOi ~
Less this sum refunded as
having been Illegally eolec- .,s. 40 >,,a-m,
| ted, 0''AoN ~
Making the total apparent means on 18th AGO, ,,o
: Nov. .'''''''"'''''''''''' Vi
From which, In order to ascer-
: tain the Iea cash means.
, should be deducted the a.
mount OF debts OF l6oi-o,
4 maid in lS55.6,.."..,"....... Soiiio'o w
! And also the unascertained e,- $50
l balance Of such debts,...... 100000 90 6l7S1S
y, Making the balance Of means apparently ap- o--
t pIicaLle tn the service Of lS55-6,.. SzVov"
nut of the balance reported by the late Au'
ditor ths sum Of s225,Sl9 80 never
i came into the hands Of the present Treas
urer. being retaiped by the late Treasurer
u NO nnid for exchange, having been p'A-
l.. ced by him with depostares who nave u
Eed tho money andhsv hitherto failed 70
e restore IL to the Treasury There should
r Therefore he deducted from the above ap-
u parent balance, the further sum of''''' Z.o'ols
Showing lr stead Of balance o! ss93,S5O IS,
e an actual deficit Of available meaDs. as o,,
charge upon the revenues Of lS55-Gof... 1887
y The facts exhibit in q clear light Il
y importance Of guarding against expend
h lures beyond appropriations. The 70
q stitution permits no debt to be contracte
N on behalf of the State, without EXPIRE
,s legislative warrant. 1t restricts the to-
,s amount of all indebtedness, to supply
;r deficits and failures in revenue or expo
. ses not otherwise provided for, to the 81
~ of $3.50, 1000. As security against
a. authorized debts, it expressly declares Il
or no money shall be paid on any claim,
ii subject matter of which shall not h'
h. been provided for by existing law, uni
or allowed by two thirds of the memb
n elected to each branch Of the General
of sembly. Experience has demonstra
in. that even these provisions are not adequ
"a. guarantees against the unauthorized c
" tracing of debts within single bienr
,ot period to an amount exceeding tn
a. fotrths of the total Indebtedness VIII
of can be incurred for such purposes by
ial Legislature itself.
it's It is proper to say here, however, t
~ there was transferred to Sinking Funt
m Public Works Income, on the 10th
ros vember, 1855, the sum Of $500, 900.
me this transfer had not been made, the I
,b. lie Works Expenses for 1916 We
Ihe have been paid out Of the Public W.
of Revenue for the same time, and the
oot parent balance Of the Sinking Fund We
Iral have been 100000 less,
md It is due also to the late State Auditor
the say, that the balance of 1855 was corr
nee " stated from the books in his Office,
md that the unauthorized debts and liabil
ma. which absorbed it, we're contracted aga
Z his earnest and repeated remonstrar
ap respectfully invite your attention
to suggestion made by him, of provision
and law, that parties, by whose unauthOI
om. acts debts of this character may. be !
the after created, shall bc held PERSONAL.
tors sponsible for them.
the The following table will present a
70 parative view of the Receipts and
RI. bursements for the two last fiscal year
,o,,,. RECEIPTS