Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-01-13

=
tom legislative provision for meetings.
from time to time, of the Superin,endents
OF the ssfious Benevolent and ReIormatory
lasiisnaisds Of the State for comparison and
Improvement Of plans of administration.
meihoda of reporting. ana systems of &C.
counts. eeaRnof doubt that much good
woald result frog such conferences.
ssgreei, sAo, that the time for making
The reposts nok directed BY !sw to be made
by tho Goth Of November, be extended to
the 6rst of Dsseinber in each year. and
that the provisions of law applicable to these
documents be so extended a. to embrace all
reports required to be laid before the Gen.
erai Assembly. Such regulation, uniform
in operation and duly enforced. would es-
sentialiy aid the Executive in preparing a
proper statement of the condition of the
State, and greatly facilitate the dispatch Of
business BY the Legislature. Such reports
as have been prepared and printed will be
promptly. laid before you. -
No financial interests more important
than those connected with the Public Works
dem.ad your care. The immense sums in
vested in them; their extent and thei- mag
uitude; their business relations, and the
large revenues collected and disbnrsed In
their administration, justify the solicitation
always felt BY the people concerning their
condition and management. The Consti-
tuition confides their superintendance and
control 70 Board of,three members; and TO
secure ~ econstsnr atva ntage of judgment
improved by experience. through the con-
stan, presenence Uf some msmbsrs who
haze served for considerable periods, assigns
three years ss their term Of Office; and re-.
qaires the election Of one member eaci wear
Ths authority, entrusted to the General
Assembly, to prescribe the powers and
duties Of the B osrd and its several members
must, in my judgment, be limited neeef. +.
safily BY its nature and objeet. So limited,
it is. an authority to prescribe the powers
and dsties of the Board in general superin-
,ebdence and control, and not an authority
to divest the Board Of these constitutional
functions; it is an authority to prescribe the
powers snd duties Of ito several members in
subordinainn to the Board, and not an
authority TO constitute each member an in
dependent Board, in separate and substan.
TALLY uncontrolled charge of the whole or
part of the Public W orks. ff no, so Iimi
ted , the, su,horitv of the General Assembly
over the Public Works is clear y unlimited.
Il may TeetriS5 ihe ssPefint esdance Of the
Board - the Walhoudisg csna; with it.
insigniacsnt revenue of seven or eight hua-
dred dollars year. and give to some one
member the entire management Of the rest;
IL may abrogatej the Constitutional Board
Of three, members, and substitute three
Legislative Boards of one member each
giving in charge 10 each just as much and
just as little OF this great and important
property as It may see a.. cannot think
that such eonstruetinn of the Constitution
can commend itself to your Judgment, and
I therefore venture to recommend the re-
consideration of those provisions Of the act
of the last session.which divide the Public
Works into three sections, and, excluding
virtually all superinte ndance Of the Board
commit each. section 10 appointment of
officers, disbursement Of moneys. and gen.
lerslmanagsment to single member.
! In this coans 6 ton, the system o. repair,
aud payments on these works should receive
consideraiiaa. UIder the net Of the -la,i
session, the member iE charge of each sec.
ton. appoints the Engineers assigned to it
These Engineers certify claims for work
and materials to :he member in charge; the
member in charge upon these certificates
draws his check on the Auditor for payment;
and the Auditor is required. without further
evidence of the claim, TO issue his warrant
for the amount Upon the Treasurer. No
fact has come to my knowledge exciting
suspicion that ihi, large discretion in the
expenditure of the large sums appropriated
for the Public Works has been abused, but
it. is eertsiniy worthy of consideration
whether the principle Of checks and limta.
tions upon disbursements which has been
applied in other departments of expenditure
NAV nc, be properly introduced into TIL
The extraordinary floods of last summer
were sttended BY disastrous consequence
to the caHfls.; SO numerous and ex,e nsrve
were the.injuries to the southern portion OF
the 0hlp Canal and on The Hooking Canal
tina, it Sas inPossible- to make the repairs
necessary to navigation, and consequently
to revenue, without considerable expendi.
turei bevon the sums appropriated to that
purpose In this emergency did not hest.
tate 10 advise Whist the interests of the
State clearly required. prompt repairs and
payment as tar as the money could be
spared from the Treasury, by drafts in ex-
tess of the appropriations. LIDO not doub,
your approvA Of wiat was then done. or
that provision will promptly be made for
the drafts drawn in this emergency; but to
guard .sgsin,t the recurrence of similar
exigercies, recommend that q continp e mt
fund be provided by law, from which ex.
pensss made indspensably necessary BY
Unforeseen contingencies of this character
may be regulstly paid.
The expenditures on the Public Works
have during the past year, again exceeded
the revenues, and the question Of their future
disposition, must necessarily demand your
attention. Ny own views upon this subject
have -bssosSsfhcisnsiy ssaied in formercom.
municatiofs. The policy Of sale in proper
sections, for adequate prices, under such
guards and restriction. ss will ensure the
continued use oftbe canals for the purposes
they were designed 20 serve. and exclude
the control OF the interests now com petins
with them VIII probably best fulfil the
wishes Of majority of the people. Neither
public sentiment. however. nor sound pol.
icy recommend = sale for less than their