The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-13

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advocates Of an elective judiciary. Incom.
petent Judges have, II is true, been some.
times elected, and the evils of NAL admins.
ration have been sometimes felt but the
Courts Of Ohio, considered in general, have
nothing to oPprehend from a comparison
with those Of any other Stite in respect to
Intel igence, learning or efficiency. The
amount OF their labOrs may be inferred from
the fact that the number Of civil suits las,
year was about 80 900, in $4,000 Of which
Iud Iments were rendered. The number of
suits involving serious controversy OF law O.
TACT bore, however, a small proportion to the
whole. Much the larger number were prose
cuted for the collection Of claims, and il /.
estimated that nine tenths in amount of the
debts unsecured by mortgage or 9th 'rwiss,
which class constituted three. tourths of the
whole, was recovered or is recoverable
The estimate, if at oil fs'ilble, indicates
plainly the grounds on which the high credit
OF the business men, os we'll as OF the State
Of Ohio is established. The whole debt of
her people, public and private, as took oc.
casion to show lust year, is hardly equal in
amount TO one-ffth Of the properly in the
State, and the loss by individual failure in
payment, is only two and a half per cent. OF
The debt. The rate Of commercial ha2ard in
credits, is, therefore, comparatively insiguif-
cant.
Such is the social condition of the State,
contemplated in some Of it's most important
and interesting aspects. The sketch is me-
cessoriy imperfect, for the materials are in.
adequate. II may not, however, be ultogeth.
er without value, while the provision Judi
ciousy made by you, and the preceding
General Assembly for more ample colIec-
tlon OF statistical information will supply,
hereafter, the means of more certain and
more useful comparisons and deductions,
than are possible now. .f.. t...
Passing from these general views to other
topics Of perhaps more immediate concern,
permit me to invite your attention, in the
first place, to our financial condition.
FINANCIAL CONDITION.
The Constitution requires that all proper.
ty, OF whatever description, and by whomso.
ever held, shall be listed for taxation at its
true value. The Revenues of the State, the
Counties, the Townships, the Cities, the
Villages and the School Districts, are raised
by rates levied, il for State purposes, on the
whole property listed, and if ior local pur.
poses, on the property listed within the prop.
cr territorial limits. The school laws of va.
rious years, but particularly of 1858 and
1854 the road and bridge laws Of 1854, and
other years the poorhouse act of 1891 one
act OF 1857 two OF 1858, and some other
acts of less Importance, prescribe the rates
Of taxation.
The School acts directthe levy of one mill
and six-tenths on each dollar Of valuation
throughout the State, for general school and
library purposes, and Of various rates to be
fixed by the locnl authorities, for local pur-
poses, such as the construction OF school
houses and the purchase of sites.
The Road and Bridge laws authorize rates
for the objects Indicated by their titles, va
rying from the twenty f th Of mill to nine
and half mills, to be determined by the
County Commissioners, aud an additional
rate, not over six mills, to be levied by the
County Auditor, on property adjoining roads
within certain limits on the petition of the
property holders.
| the levy by the County Com missioners o.
an indefinite rate for the erection of Infrm.
aries, and rate not exceeding one mill for
tHe support VI tHe PUOF.
The act OF 1857, requires The levy Of sew
en.tenths Of a mill for general State purpo-
ses Of nine tenths of q mill for payment OF
interest and principal of the public debt /; o.
rates for county purposes. within various
limits from two to four mills, to be deter
mined by the County Commissioners, witt
liberty to the Commissioners of Counties
whose taxgble values do not exceed So, 600,
900, to levy higher rates of rates for Town
ship purposes to be fixed by Township
| Trustees, but not to exceed one mill on thu
first 100000 of valuation, and one-fourtl
OF mill on The excess Of rates not exceed
ing four mills, fof city and viliqge purposes
to be fixed by city aud village authorities
and OF rate for city purposes, not exceed
ing six mills, to be fixed by the City Coun
Gil OF Cincinnati.
The acts of 1858, require the Auditor o
State to increase the levy for the paymen
Of the State Debt whenever it may be nee
essary, in order to make the Sinking Funt
equal in AMOUNT to the requirements OF til
Constitution and the laws, and direct th,
| levy Of seven.tWenteths of a mill in each o
the years 1858, 1859 and 1860, to provid,
meuHs for the payment Of the loan OF $780,.
900, authorized by the second of these acts
and intended to supply the deficit created b!
defaIcation.
1t thus appears that tho rate Of taxation
for General Revenue, applicable to the sup
port OF the State Government, in all its De
partments, Executive, Legislative aud Judi
ciaI, and the payment of the cost of Publi
Buildings and the expenses Of the Benevo-
Ia nt FMS titnIinns is loss thon h. If tho renarn
rate for schools and libraries, and but sever
ninths Of the general rate for the public debt
while it sinks almost to insignifcance il
comparison with the local taxation TO
County, Township, City, Village and Schoo
| District purposes.
1t would contribute much to o clearer
understanding Of our revenae system by thos
entrusted with its administration, as we'll a
by the people at large, if al rates Of taxatiui
were prescribed by single law, aud not by
many as at present; and | respectfully re
commend the expedency of such an enact
ment to your consideration.
The receipts of the fiscal year 1868 from
| taxation, tolls, convicts' earnings, and al
other sources OF revenue, properly so called
including the premium on the temporar
loan, were $2,93l,756 IL. The receipt
| from sales of school and ministerial land
and the principal of the temporary loan, an
the amount OF July interest not called for ii
New York, and therefore returned to tn
treasury--al which items constitute deb
rather than revenue-were S326,965 40.-
| The total receipts, therefore, were $3,758
I72l57. The disbursements were S3, To-,
Asa ~. 10 which should be added the ex