Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-01-26
no. 4.

TO courts, attorneys, officers, ami business
men, Rights are seriously effected. and
The laws broken, by men who have ~
knowledge and no means of KNOWLEDGE
of what they are. The attention of r.
Legislature has been frequently called -
this subject, but the public pf inter-, for
some reason, has paid no regard to i.
recommend that authority be given IN the
Secretary of State to declare the contract
forfeited hereafter, whenever the nubEc
printer fails TO fulfill his contract. and 70
ie' uie printing to some other party.
/ CORPORATIONS.
! The Legislature is emnoveroJ -
'ide Ior the organization of cities and IN
corporated villages, and it is mada ;,s H., ~
y 'ne oohsliutlon to restrict their power
VI 'aAh'-oh' assessment, borrowing money.
con'i ao'ilg debts, and loaning their cred
ny 90 as ~ prevent abuses IN assessments
anu taxation, and In contracting debts. by
such municipal corporations. Constant
complaints are made of the excesses of
taxation IN cities and Incorporated VILLAGES
ia inns State. In many of our large cities
'He purthens OF taxation nave become on
riessiVe- Loo great powers are given to-
DodIuS or trustees of villages, and to the
Common Councils of cities, in expendinr
pubic moneys; and the ease with which,
In the early stages Of Indebtedness. money
can be raised upon city bonds leads to
extfavaSant expenditures of the nubIic
funGs' and, too frequently, for other pur-
poses than IN payment of necessary ex-
penses IN making improvements. a limit
should be fixed, in every city charter TO
taxation, and a limit to the crea,:o, of
pubic debts. The debt of CITY should
never be suffered 10 reach such an amounr
as 10 brlng down It's credit more than ;
per cent below par. The faiihlessness
ana extravaganza of public officers is be-
coming Proverblal, and in Incorporated
Gi'ies' "here perpetuation of power. in
dependent OF any political considerations.
IS MADE 10 depend upon lavish exnendi.
lures of public funds for unaubor;zad
purposes and IN fulillment of oppressive
ana fraudulent contracts. il becomes i,
matter OF urgent necessity that The Leo
islature should interpose, and obey ,ba
order OF the Constitution, by plaeino a re.
strlctlon upon the power of borrovy;no
money, of taxation, of assessment of co.'s
tracing debts, and Ioaning credit Yonr
attention is invited to a careful cors;dar
alton of this snbject.
There lsanother question of serous i'm
Portance connected with this subiec, of
contracting debts by municipal and other
corporations. The State is not authoriz-
eu 10 contract public debts to exceed in the
aggregate the amount of one hundred
thousand dollars. 1t is also exnresslv
piohiolied from giving or loaning its cred.
II III aiu OF any individual, association or
corporation, or contracting debts for works
Vi il'erhai Improvements. Yetthe Leo.
isid'''iG' oy a series of acts running
throuSh number of years, has conferrad
upon counties, towns, cities and VILLAGES
power TO do that which the State has NO
constitutional power itself TO do 49,
cessity may frequently arise where for
some purposes, counties and tovps ,no,,
De Justlhed IN contracting a limited ar,oun,
OF Indebtedness, but in no c,sa sbo,,iJ
'ney be authorized, and there is no con-
s'ilutional power to authorize tbam. ~
create debt which is likely to become
puoilc ourthen, or to loan their crad;,
foT tne oeneht of, or in aid of, anv indi-
sioual' ASSOCIATION, or corporation. There
Is no salety Tor public corporation If il
LaiiS into the hands of private one
IowhS' and counties, and cities, were
never organized for the purpose of build
ing canals, railroads, or plank roads or
In any manner 10 speculate IN nriva,a on
terPrIses. Though cities NAV be autbor-
Ized to loan their credit, the Character of
the corporation being esteemed in law dif-
terent from that of a town or cm,n,v ya,
1t is. IN every case, of doubtful expadiencv
to loan 1t TO privase corporations. When
once the system is adopted, it is difficult,
to limit the extent of the liabilities -
which they may become involved There
is a uniform history of embarrassment
prostratlon of credit, and bur,bonsor,
taxation, to be written of sucb dah,s
Couhues' towns, cities, and villages, like
ui'tiuais' are In best condition when
out OF debt. No deserving private cor
poration needs such aid. Capital, every-
where Will seek safe and profitable in
Vestinent' and will be furnished as fast as
puo'lc necessity demands any given i'm
ProVeiheht at the hands of a private cor
Pora'lon- Private corporations are unsafe
repositories of public credit.
If the whole amount of bonds had hoo
issued which have been authorized bv The
Legislature, the sum in the last four year.
alone would have exceeded eleven nil
hons OF doliaas, as the following table
will show: 0
Amount
Sheboygan, gao ooo
D. N--o i''i0' 365 900
Fond du Lac, 21o0oo
Calumet, ooc, 90
Marathon 1880