Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-01-13

relating to public affairs has, heretofore,
proved most serious obstruction to Leg
islatiye business. congratulate you upon
the almost complete removal of this OBJ
struction under the sallftaly operation of
the act of the last session; and ] suggest
the extension of its provisions, so as to
embrace every officer and board having
charge of any department of the public
service not now included by it.
refer you to the Reports Of the State
A. I:i--..-l c4-.t- p- ---~.---- g. f-n ;,af~s
nation concerning the financial condition
of the State.
The state of the Public Debt, the
amount and distribution of Taxation, and
the uses Of revenue, will necessarily en-
gage your careful attention.
The Debt of the State had its origin in
Internal improvements. Nearly the whole
of it was contracted to defray the cost of
the State Canals, and to provide for sub
scriptions in aid of Turnpikes, Railroads
and Canals, projected and controlled by
companies. Whatever may be bought Of
the policy of these undertakings, no Q one
doubts the duty of the State to fulfil with
scrupulous exactitude. her duties to her
creditors. On this subject, happily, there
is no diversity Of opinion in Ohio,
10 pay "she interest of this debt, to re-
duce and finally extinguish the principal;
10 provide for the necessary expenses of
the State Government and Public Institu-
tons, and TO defray the charges of coun-
-tu city, township and district administra-
ar name Che legitimate objects of taxa
as7ss,v6 insure responsibility for the dis
bursement of revenue, and thereby pro-
mote economy, the Constitution strictly
enjoins that no money shall be drawn from
the Treasury exceptin pursuance ofspecifc
appropriations made by law. The faith
full observance of this provision should be
ensured by your care.
1t is the duty of the public officer to
disburse appropriations, honestly, econom-
ically, and solely for the purposes TO which
they are applicable He has no right to
60 beyond them, either by overdrafts up
on the treasury, or by contracts in behalf
of the State, for worl; to be done or sup
plies TO be furnished within the time fol
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
appropriations. The Constitution contem-
plates the payment of each years expen.
scs out of each years income. 1t sane.
tons no debts for the expenses of one yeal
to be paid by increased taxation the next.
1t will be seen by reference to the full
and able report OF the State Auditor, tha
during the last year, in the absence of the
saluary check of an annual Legislative
session, the expenditures in several depart
ments of the public service greatly ex-
ceeded the amount properly applicable tc
them and that large debts were thus con
tracted, the payment of which was cast
upon the revenues for the service of 1856
The amount of these debts has not beer
precisely ascertained. The amount actu
ally pad during the year, was $517,37
65; and the balance unascertained, is cs-
timated by the Auditor at 100000; ma
king an aggregate of debts to the amour
of $617,373 65, which should either hav'
been paid out Of the revenues of l954-5 o
should not have been contracted at all.
The effect of this anticipation of reve
nues will be clearly presented by the fol
lowing statement:
The baluncs nominaliy In the Treasury
on the 18th Nov. 1855, according to III" .
2Rcport ofthc late Auditor of State was S1e3,5'o
To Ills sum should BE- added
the Bank Taxes due in
, lS5f-5, but received In
9 Less this sum refunded as
having been Illegally col 1890
lect.d Go,lSO 43
"gS'S Ncy' ls5j t%J 'O'4' apparent ' =" w ssaa,35O
From which In o.d,r to as
ccrtlin the real casa
: means. should he deducted
r. the amOunt of debts OF
D ls5i-5 paid in 1Ej56 s5l1,3I3 90
= And also the uEasccrtaincd Olf:5'5
balance Of such debts lOO,OOO CO'
' apriica5lo 10 the service Of Is55-6 s2O5, ,O77
= Bat Of The balance reported by the
', latt Auditor, the sum of S225Sl9 80
y never came into the hGUds OF the pres
q ent Treasurer, being retained by the
late Treasurer rs paid for exchange or
: having been placed by him with dcpos-
= tarics who have used the money and
have hitherto failed to restore it TO the
II Treasury There should therefore be
Il deducted from the above apparent bal
ance, the further sum Of o25,s1o
r Showing instead Of balance Of SS23,-
u $50 IS, an actual deficit of available
t. means, as a Charge upon the revenues
of 1856 of l9,sR
|, The facts exhibit in clear light the i'll
- portanee OF guarding against expenditure
. beyond appropr;;S Stions. The Constitute
y, nermits no debt to be oii,,.;.acted, on b.