The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-01-14


o ton, nethods OF reporting, aud sys-
items Of accounts. ] cannot doubt
3 that much good would result from
Q such conferences. q
!. | suggest. also. that the time for
d making the reports now directed by
4 law to be made by the Goth 'of No
} vember, be extended to the fret oI
{, December in each year, and that the
!. provisions OF law applicable to these
/. documents be so extended as to EN-.
! brace all reports required to be LAID
9 before the General Assembly. Such
a regulation, uniform In opperation
e and duly enforced, would essentially
d aid the Executive in preparing q pro
Y per statement Of the condition of the
n state, and greatly facilitate the dis
n patch OF business by the Legislature.
r Such reports as have been prepared
and printed will be promptly laid
before you.
3 No financial interests more i'm.
3 portant than those connected with
the public works demand your care.
The immense sums invested in them;
their extent and their magnitude;
their business relations, and the
large revenues collected and dis
bursed in their administration. just
: iiy the solicitude always ielt by the
people concerning their condition
and management. The Constitution
conf les their superintendance and
control to q board Of three members;
and to secure the constant advantage
3 eIof judgment improved by experience
through the constant presence OF
some members who have served {. 7
e considerable periods, assigns three
years as their term Of office, and re-
. quires the election OF one member
I each year. The authority, entrusted
to the General Assembly, to pre-
8 scribe the powers and duties of the
! board and its several members must,
: in my judgment, be limited necessa
o rily by its nature and object. Sc
q limited it is an authority to pre-
J scribe the powers and duties Of the
!. board in general superintendent
and control, and not an authority tc
:. divest the board Of these constitu.
y tional functions; It is all authority to
r prescribe the powers and duties o
y its several members in subordinatior
e to the board, and not an authority Il
IS constitute each member an indie
;, pendent board, in separate and sub
J. stantially uncontrolled charge OF til,
public works. II not so limited, tn,
= authority of the General Assembl,
L over the public works is clearly un.
c limited. it may restrict the superin
= tendency ofthe board to Walhondns
J Canal with it's insignificant revenu,
: OF seven or eight hundred dollars q
u year, and give to some ono member
y the entire management of the rest
n 1t may abrogate the constitutions
e boarl of three members, and substi
o tute three legislative boards OF on,
membar each, giving in charge tc
e each just as. mnch, and Just as littl,
= Of this great and important property
It NJ it may see fit. ! cannot thinl
q that such construction OF the Con
) stitution can commend itself to you
Judgment, and | therefore venture I,
e recommend the consideration O
r those provisions OF the act of the las
40 session which divide the publ
'r works into three sections. and, ex
r. c!udi g virtually all superintendent,
Of the board, commit each section il
e appointment OF officers, disbursement
d ofmoneys, and general management
to single member.
'r In this connection, the system Of re
. pairs and payments on these work
Il should receive consideration, Unde
the act Of the last session, the membe
n in charge of each section, oppoints tn,
|, Eng gneers assigned to il. These En-
gineers certify claims for work and ma
# terals to the members in charge; tn,
n member in charge, upon these cer,iG
Gates, draws his checks on the Audito
Tor paym ment; and the Auditor is re
Qulred, without further evidence OF the
claim, to issue his warrant for the
II amount upon the Treasurer. No fac
q has come to my knowledge exci'in.
o suspicion that this large discretion il
'' the expenditure Of the large sums ap
= propria,ed for the public works ha
Il been abused, but it is certainly worthy
Il Of consideration whether the principl,
!. Of checks and limitations upon dis
n bursments which has been applied ir
o other departments OF expenditures may
= not be properly introduced into this.
a The extraordinary floods OF last srm
y y mer were attended by disastrous con
= sequence to the canals. So numeroui
: and extensive were the injuries to the
" Southern portion Of the Ohio Cana
, and on the Hooking Canal that it wa,
, impossible to make tho repairs neces
sary to navigation. and consequently
e TO revenue, without considerable ex
9 penditure bey the sums appropri
s a.ed TO that purpose. In this emergen,
!. Icy did not hesitate TO advise what the
a interests OF the state clearly required
II prompt repairs and pay ment as far a.
Il the money could be spared from the
d treasury, by drafts in excess of the ap
% propriations. | do not doubt your ap.
a proval OF what was then done, or thai
d provision will promptly be made fol
a. the drafts drawn in this emergency
{ bu. to guard agains, the rsocc urre nee
Of similar exigencies, reccommenl
:, that contingent fund be provided by
u aw, from which expenses made indis
pensably necessary by unforeseen con
d tingencies OF this character. may b,
J regularly paid.
" The expenditures on the public work
have. during the past year, again ex
! ceedod the revenues, and the question