Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-01-13
[WHOLE NO. 1864


i ury except wha, is needed for current dis =
bufsements The act passed at your alate 81
n sessiCn, providing for the semi-annual col- ca
: lection OF taxes was, in my judgmen' "a wise d
: step in the right direction, and am glad to
: know, has given general satisfaction in its
e practical operation. The act authorizing
: drafts by the Comptrol er ufo1 the County
: Treasurers, for the taxes collected in De- -
I cember, just past, in order to their applicu.
tion to payment of the interest due on the
hrsI of the current month, was another step
towards the same end Justly obnoxious -
to censure as was the prac:ice of collecting
from the County Treasurers by similar ,as'
drafts, in advance of their regular settle
ments. large sums to be added to large bal. =,
ances already in the Treasury, or to supply
the place of large balances fraudulenslys .
abstraced, it eau nc hardly admit Of ques-s sss
ton that our safest future policy will be TO, sss
1 pay our January interest from December
and our July interest from June collections.
As far as possible, also, the expenses Of the
first two quarters OF each fiscal year should y
be betrayed from the former, and thGss Of
the two astquarters from the latter collec-
tions. recommend such legislation as may
be deemed necessary to give practical effect
to these suggest rs by providing for the -
/ prompt payment into the S ate Treasury Of
the States proportion of taxes as soon as,
Collected, and requiring earl er settlements
by the CoIny TIeasurers wi b the State
Treasurer. Such Legislation would enable
the Auditor of State to lay before the Gen 81
eral Assembly, at an early day in each ses- a
4 - eta nF fhn
from lakes in December, and the estimated
receipts in June, as well of the actual and
! estimated receipts from all other sources g1a
! during the year, and this statement would
supply basis for economical and intelli- 81,
gent appropriations for the ensuing three
] qua ters of the current and the first quarter
of tie next fiscal year.
A judicious law prescribing rates Of levy go
will tend to ensure moderation in taxation; -s7f,
the payment of turrent expenses from cur
rent income will prevent the evils of accu-
mutation in the Treasury; the restriction of
appropriations to actual receipts, and Of ex-a =
! penditufes to appropriations will restrain,
! the former, legislative, and the latter, sd-s
minetrative extravaganza. These, in my
! Judgment, are the essentials OF good fnun-
cisl SYSTEM. e' o.
i Under such system the custody Of the
pub l.; reven, would involve far less hazard
than hereto ore. Still, under any system,
while collections from taxes for all pur-
poses. State and local, cannot be expected
SOON to fall below four millions, snd NAV "a
exceed, as inls54 and in the present year est
! four millions and haf semi annually, of ID
which moiety will not be req ired for dis.
bursement until sometime after collection
and portion will remain for six months or 80 =
more,sthe point uf custody will remain one s--s
tof great importance. t.r. srE
The safe keeping Of the public money,
therefore, properly engaged large share of
the attention of your imm edate predecess-
ors, as well as of yonr own. The chief es-
.sen'ial point of difference between the
modes adopted seems to be that the latter,
while requiring ample securities from d,pos-
it .ries ior payment on demand, did not con-
template the withdrawal of ths moneys de-
posted from the transaction ofbusiness ,un-
til wanted ior public purposes, while the
latter seen to intend The actual keeping of 81
all public moneys in the hands o. s ata and g
County Treasurers until required for dis
bursement in discharge OF public obliga-
tons. lflhe safety of the public monsysis
equally insured by either mode. the former
appears to be entitled to preferences; for
money is machinery, whose work is ex-
change, and it is obvious tba. the wi hdraw-
al from use Of considerable sums for con-
siderable periods must in some measure in .
terrupt and embarrsss the operations of
business. But safety is the paramount con-
sderaion, and no mode of custody is ad.
missable which does not secure it as far s.
ii can he secured any mode.
In a former communication I thought It's
my duty to recommend to your considera-
ton plan for the safe keeping and dis
bursement OF the public moneys, which
seemed to me 10 combine security with CON-
venience. That plan failed to commend s
itself to your approval; 6tit you did not
omit to establish by law system of regula- Ia.
tions, intended to accomplish the same gen
eral purpose. Few IN 'asu-es fulfil perfect
ly the designs OF their authors: and some
defects have become apparent in the 2rac-
!ical workings OF tie act Of last session to-
which tlIiuk proper 10 direct your atten-
tion.
The act itself was doubtless designed to
incorporate into the admin uI>tralivs system
oil Onlo, tue leadlng PROVISIONS OF tecereI r
legislation on the same suj ct. There are,
h ,wever, among othrr differences between
the Federal system aud thai which has been
thus inaugurated in our own State, too
which seem to especially wor by of con-
Under the Federal laws all Of i
fcers having CUSTODY of public money are
appointed by the Federal Government, and
are required, from tine to line to give such
bonds, with such securities as the Federal
authorities NAV require. Under the act of
last session the County Treasurers through
out the State are made depostarieS Of the
State as well as the county revenues; Of
the revenues derived from canal tolls aud
other sources as we'll as those derived from
taxatiun. They are also constituted agents
fer the transfer of public funds and fiscal
agents OF the = ate, under The law. Yet
these officers are not appointed by the State
Govcrnment; are not required TO give
bonds TO the sal isiac ion OF any State off,
Ger; no state officer Is authorized 10 ascer-
,,,n ii Su ,riennv of ,bn honda ct,,ally