The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1858-01-30

sup asscSsoi, was any liiipioN SinShl upoH
the former method of assessment. Judg-
ing from my own observation, | do not
hesitate to conclude that many millions
of dollars worth of property was overlook
cd at the last assessment, and is this year
untaxed. | recommend the old law, 10
this particular to be restored. Sound
policy requires that administration as well
as legislation should be brought as direct
ly home as possible. There must ulti-
matoly be thorough township organiza-
tion throughout the State, and the soon
cr the people become accustomed to the
ess difficult and burdensome it will be-
come, and the more perfect and satisfac-
tory will be the transaction of public af-
fairs. a.
1t In believed, that an assessment Of
real estate is not required more than oaice
In two or three years. Ii this be SO, a
large aggregate county expense might be
saved. Biennial or triennial assessments
might have tendency to stimulate i'm
proyemcnts aud cause money, credits and
personal property to pay their proportion
OF taxation, which at present is not the
case
The constitution requires the General
Assembly to provide for taking an enu-
meration of the inhabitants Of the State
in 1859, and every two years thereafter.
As the law stand, at present, this emu
mcration must be taken by the county as
SCISSORS. No onc need be told that it is
utterly impossible for these officers to
perform this duty, and discharge the
other duties imposed upon them. Be
sides many of them are incompetent to
perform it. If it is important tnat the
census Of the State be taken,it is impor-
tant that it be accurately taken and thor
oughly compiled. | know no way in
which this can be done, but by authori-
zing the census board to appoint officers
for the purpose.
The people of this State have Indicated
their opinion, that 50 long as banks Of is
sue are tolerated IN other States, our in
tcrests require that similar institutions
be established here If we must have a
paper currency, it is infinitely better that
it should be issued, secured and redeem
ed at home, under our own laws, than
that it should be issued under laws of
which we are ignorant, and controlled BY
men with whom we have no community
of interest.
The constitution authorizes the Gene
raj Assembly to establish, with the sub
scqucnt approval Of the people;
/. 4 State Bank with branches, to
be founded with an actual specie basis,
and the branches to be mutually liable
for each other.
;. \ general free banking Law with
the restrictions aud limitations imposed
by Art. :, Sec s, of the Constitution.
In acting upon this subject, it vii
doubtless be ever borne in mind by the
General Assembly, that banks are to be
established to secure the puJltc 1Cc,fare,
aud not to promote the purposes of stock
holders aud capitalists; and that it is far
better that banks should realize small
profits, than that the public should be Ii,
able to injury by their suspension Or fail
urc.
The system Of common school organi-
zation, contemplated by the new constitu-
ton, will, no doubt, result to the asvan-
taga Of the State, if fully aud properly
carried into execution. Under this sys-
TEN, the members of the Board Of Edu-
cation arc to be elected in the several ju-
dicial districts in the State. 1t is presu-
med that they viii be elected on account
of the peculiar fitness for the positions
thsy arc to occupy. They will bring to
the Board their experience rs education-
lists, and they will be able to represent
the true condition and wants of every
part Of the State. They will stimulate
the zeal Of the people in their several dis
triets in behalf Of education; they will
instruct the subordinate school officers
in the discharge Of their duties, and thus
secure the uniform execution of the school
laws throughout the commonwealth.
1t would be very desirable that the
members Of the Board Of Education
should have a general supervision Of the
acts Of the county school fund commits
sioncrs, with authority to require addl-
tional or new official bonds when deemed
necessary, and with powers Of substitu-
ton in cases of malfeasance or incompo-
tency on the part Of the incumbents.-
The fact il notorious, that many Of the
school fund commissioners lack the cleri-
cal ability to properly discharge the du-
ties of their Office. The affairs Of some
of these Offices are in almost inextricablc
confusion, and reform must be effected
in their management, or considerable loss
will be sustained by the State.
In compliance with the provisions Of
an act entitled 'an act concerning school
MONIES" approved January 2sth, 1857 i
appointed agents to examine 1.-The books,
vouchers. securities, and Jthcr document"
of several Of the county school fund com
missioners, selecting for the most part
those Offices to be examined where it had
been reported that the business had been
loosely done, or where the officer had
charge of the proceeds Of part Of the
five hundred thousand acre grant, as
well as Of the sixteenth section grant. -
The reports show that in the majority of
cases the books are tolerably well kept,
and that there j. no immediate danger OF
loss, though there is a suspended debt in
nearly every county. In some counties,
however, the fund commissioners have
accepted as security for money lent, mort
cages upon land not within the county,
and in some instances upon ideal tracts
of land. ln many instances, mortgages
are improperly drawn and acknowledged,
and iu some cases they stand as the sec.
ond or third incumbfances. Some Of
the commissioners accepted the records
and papers belonging to their oace from
their predecessors, without inquirlng in
to their character or correctness, and