Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-01-07

When cheap, prompt, unbiased and sure, il
guarantees industry, promotes enterprise,
and ensures progress. When dear, dilatory,
partial and uncertain, Il impoverishes labor,
discourages useful undertakings and intro
ducos decline. In this State the people
elect their Judges, aud thus directly deter
mine, in large measure, the character of
judicial administration The results thus
far, especially in civil justice, have not dis
appointed tho advocates Of an elective ju-
dietary. Incompetent judges have, it is true,
been sometimes elected, and the evils Of
maladministration have been sometimes
felt; but the Courts of Ohio, considered in
general, have nothing to apprehcud from a
comparison with those Of any other State
in respect to intelligence, learning or eff
cheney. The amount of their la5ors may
be inferred from the fact that tho number
Of civil suits last year was about 10000, in
$4,000 Of which judgments we're rendered.
4 The number of suits involving serious con
troversy Of law OF fact bore, however, a
small proportion to the whole. Much the
larger number were prosecuted for tho col
lection of claims, and ii is estimated that
nine-tenths in amount Of the debts unse-
cured by mortgage or otherwise, which class
constituted threo-fourths Of the whole, was
recovered or is recoverable. This estimate,
if at all reliable, indicates plainly the
grounds on which the high credit Of the bus
mess men, as well as Of the State of Ohio,
is established. The whole debt Of her peo-
pie, public and private, as took occasion to
show last year. is hardly equal in amount
to onc-fifth Of the property in the State,
aud tho loss by individual failure in pay
ment, is only two and half per cent of the
debt. Tho ratio of commercial hazard in
credits, is therefore, comparatively insignid-
can't
Such is the social condition of tho State,
contemplated in some of its most import
ant and interesting aspects The sketch is
necessarily imperfect, Tor the materials are
inadequate. 1t may not, however, DO alto
gether without value, while the provision
lludiciedsly made by yon, and tho proceed.
ling General Assembly for a more ample
collection Of statistical information viii sup
ply, hereafter, the means of moro certain
and more useful companions and deduction,
than are possible now.
Passing from these general views TO 9th
or topics of perhaps more immediate con
cern, permit me TO invite your attention, il
the first place, to our financial condition.
Financial Conditions.
The Constitution require that all prop
erty, of whatever description, and by whom
lcoa,to. L ~ rbou l., ltd e., .,r.t;,., =,
its true value. The Revenues of ths State
the counties, the townships, tie cities, th,
villages and the school districts, are raised
by rates levied, if for State purposes, on th,
whole property listed, if for local purposes, oil
the property listed within the proper ter
ritorial limits. The school laws of various
years, but particularly of 1853 and 1854
the road and bridge laws of 1854, and othe
years; the poor house act Of 1881 one &C
of 1857; two of 1858, and some other act
of less importance, prescribe the rates 0
, taxation.
The school acts direct the levy of on
: mill and six-tenths on each dollar of valua
ton throughout the State, for general schoo
and library purposes, and Of various rates Il
be fixed by the local authorities, for loca
purposes, such as the construction of schoo
houses and the purchase of sites.
The road ard bridge laws authorize rate
for the objects indicated by their titles, va
yiug from tho twenty-6fth of mill TO min
and a half mills, to be determined by tn
County Commissioners, and an additiona
rate, not over six mills, to bn levied by th,
County Auditor, on property adjoinin,
!, roads within certain limits on the petition
of the property holders.
The poor house act Of 1881 authorize
.he levy by the County Commissioners @
an indefinite rate for the erection of Infru
aries, and rate not exceeding one mill 70
the support Of the poor
The act ofls57 requires the levy of sevor
tcnths Of mill for general State purposes
of nine-tenths of mill for payment of in
: terest and principal of the public debt; Q
+ rates for county purposes, within yariou
I limits from two to four mills, to be detol
l mined by the County Commissioners, wit
n liberty to tho Commissioners of counte
o whose taxable values do not exceed thrS
e millions Of dollars, to levy higher rates; c
: rates for township purposes, to be fixed b
Q Township Trustees, but not to exceed on
1 mill on the first two millions of dollars {
r valuation; and ono-fourth Of mill on tn
+; excess; of rates not exceeding four mil
for city and village purposes, to be fixed b
: city and village authorities; and Of rat
: for city purposes, not exceeding six mills,t
5 be fixed by tho City Council Of Cincinnati
# The acts of 1853 require tho Auditor {
}. State 10 increase the levy for the paymel
n of the State Debt, whenever it may be ne
r essRry, in order to make the Sinking Fun
D. equal in amount TO the requirements of tn
o Constitution and the laws, and direct tn
D levy Of seyen-twentieths of = mill
G. each Of the years 1853, 1859 and 1860,
IS provide for tho payment of the loan ofse
o. en- hundred thousand dollars, authorized /
d the second Of these acts, and intended {
/ supply tho deficit created by defalcntion.
{ 1t TINS appears that tho rate of taxatio
'e for General Revenue, applicable to Il
y support of the State Government in all !
rt Departments, Executive, Legislative, al
is Judicial, and the payment Of the cost
a. public buidins, and the expenses of the b
or novolent institutions, is less than half d
De general rate for schools and libraries, al
20 but soven-ninths of the general rate for Il
10 public debt; while it sinks almost TO
d significance in comparison with the loc
" taxation for county, township, city, villa
= and school district purposes.