Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-01-23

The Commissioners appointed to revise
the laws have been engaged with great in
dustry upon their duties. The ability anc
character Of the gentlemen composing the
commission inspire confidence that the re
vision of our laws will be wisely and salts
factoriiy made. I am assured that ttei
report will be made to yon in the earl,
part of the session.
LOCAL LEGISLATION.
NV predecessor called the attention Of
the Legislature to the excessive local legis
%lation which has been INDUCED in since
the organization Of the State Government
| must call your attention earnestly to the
necessity of a reform in this respect Sec
ton | of Article II of the Constitution Of
this State is as follows:
"Corpora:ions, without banking powers
or privileges, may be formed under gener
al laws, but shall not be created by specia
act, except for municipal purposes, and il
cases where, in the judgment of the Legis
%lature, the objects of the corporation can
not be obtained under general laws"
Nearly all the local legislation of the
last ten years, which has flied large vol
umes, and cost the State, in time spent by
the Legislature, and in expense of printing
at least one hundred thousand dcllars
might have been dispensed with, and al
the benefits derived, or expected to be de
rived, might have been realized under gen
eral laws provided for the purpose, OR from
the action Of Boards of County Supervis
ors, or by proceedings in courts. Econo
my in public expenditures, in this time o
financial distress, would be your sufficient
warrant for abandoning this system ofLeg
~islation, if the Constitution did not prohib
it it.
ASSESSMENT Avs.
Our assessment laws are full of inper
f~ections, and the attention OF the Legisla
ture is earnestly invited to the necessity o
a change in the present system. The law
should compel the assessor to assess al
property liable to be taxed, both real anf
personal, at its actual value. There il
now, in towns and counties throughout the
Sttte,a competition among assessors in tht
art of making low assessments, far below
the value of the property assessed. Eacl
seems to fear that his district will be com
PEELED to bear too great a proportion Of the
genera burthens. But by the inequality ane
want of uniformity Of the system, grea'
numbers escape the payment Of their JUS
proportion of the taxes, and great mum
bers are forced TO pay too much. The
law should insist that every tax payer give
in to the assessor an accurate statement o
the amounts estimated real value OF pro
perty. Other defects Of a serious charac
ter are found in the detail of our pre>enI
laws, and as the Importance of the altera
tion of the law is very great, | commend
it yoar attention at an early day of the
session, before the pressure of other bust
ness shall prevent It's careful and deliberate
consideration.
TREASURY n SCHOOL LAND FFICE
The Investigations that were made two
years ago into the condition of our public
offices, and into the manner in which the
business of the several State Departments
had been conducted, disclosed the fact thai
grave offences had been committed, and
gross frauds perpetra'ed by men intrusted
with the administration ofpublic affairs
Money had been embezzled from the
public treasury to a large amount; illega
fees had been taken by officers in the
School Land Department; frauds had beer
practiced in the sale of school aud nniver
sity lands, and money paid out of theSlat'
Treasury without appropriations made by
law authorizing the same. No adequate
law had been passed providing suitable
punishment for such offences, although al
effort had been made in the legislature t.
do so. To prevent a recurrence Of sucl
evils in the future, l recommend that law
be passed, imposing heavy penalties 70
their breach, to prevent any money being
paid out Of the Stale Treasury, except il
pursuance Of appropriations made BY law
to prevent money changers from control
ling or in any wise interfering with its de
posites; to prevent frauds in the sale 0
School and University Lands, and to con
fine all persons having charge Of any 9
the great public interests of the State t.
The discharge Of their legitimate duties
The Committee to be appointed by tn
Legislature to report upon the condition Q
the State offices should be under instruc
! tions to ascertain and report the expense
of the School and University Land an
Swamp Land Departments for the pas
year, and how these expenses have bee
paid. Each Of those Departments shoul'
be made to support itself, withou, drawing
) upon the General Flu d.
SALES OF STATE LANDS.
There is no good reason why men VIII
desire these public lands for settlement an
cultivation should be compelled TO purchas
them at second hand from spectators
There is no necessity for any haste in tn
sale and disposition of those lands. l rec
ommend that the School and Universit
; lands hereafter sold and such of the swan
lands as are suspectible Of cultivation an,
improvement, be sold in quantities, not t.
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