Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-02-11

A Comparative View of the
Cost of Supporting the Ma
tional and the State Govern
ments.
The cost of supporting the federal
Government when compared with the
cost of supporting the thirty-one State
governments, as given in the annexed
table. is perfectly astounding. Here
are thlrty.one State governments sue
cesstully carried on at cost of s6,46l,.
600 annually, or at about so cts. per
head. on an average, while that of the
Federal Governments cost about $500
per head, according to the administra
ton figures. When we examine the
large number of persons composing these
State governments, the amount of service
performed, the large amount of legisla-
ton accomplished, &c, the result is a
matter of wonder and amazement. In
these thirty-one States, there are thirty
one Governors, (some states have Lieut..
Governors also Judiciary, averaging
about sly Judges to the State; Council
Tors; Secretaries of State; the law off
GERS, Bank Commissioners, &C., &c. land
Legislatures, the aggregate of members
of which, amount to 1907 persons. All
of this vast, complicated, diversified, mall
titudinous and l4borous service, in the
Legislative, Executive, Judicial and
Military departments Of these thirty-on
repu lies, is performed with as much
ablll y, and to as good satisfaction, to
say the least, as the same kind of servic G
Is performed by those in the service OF
the federal Government and compare
lively at but trihe of its expense.
The constitutional powers, and the nee
essary duties of the federal government
are so limited, that it would seem that
the cost supporting it would be but
tritiing; and wnen We consider that some
of these powers are rarely exercised, for
instance, the one "to lay and co.tec t
taxes,-' one invoking large expense,
i, does seem that ours is the most ex-
pensi, government on the globe. While
the administration and its party haze ex-
pended most of their talent in giving eff.
feet to that one, among the enumerated
powers granted to Congress, of borrow :
ing money on the credit of the United
States only still they hav increased the
annual expenditures of the nation to an
alarming extent; and while the cost oil
supporting the State governments for a
decade of years has only increased about
one million of dollars, with new States
enough added to the number to make up
about all this increase, the expenses Of
the federal Government have increased
one hundred per cent during the SAME
time.
The California State government is the
most expensive one III the Union; and
that of Indiana is the cheapest. In ex.
amining the annual expenditures of the
several States, as we have, to see if We
could obtain an insight. into the great
discrepancies in their cost, we comics
that we have not had much success il
arriving at satisfactory results. Bienni
al or annual sessions do not SATISFACTORY
ly account for it; although the two mos
expensive ones hold annual sessions
The amount Of population does not offe
a full solution; nor the extent of terrific
ry; nor whether they be slave or free
old or new States.
1t is evident that many circumstance
operate to make up large annual expen-
dtures Of the States. besides frequen
sessions of the law-making power; ant
while one can hardly repress the belle
that some communities take TO law max
ing as naturally as ducks take to water
it is also true, that legislation beget
Legislation, as there will be more law
making in States where there are FIRE
quent sessions of the Legislatures, thai
where the sessions are fewer and far
Their between The supposed necessi
ty for the revision Of existing laws, offer
a better reason for annual sessions, thai
any real demands for new ones. Th
only valid and substantial argument ad
| vanced against changing our policy, i
+ the one OF carrying the elections farthe
from the people. Every one will admi
that frequent elections is the true polio
of our government; and at the same tim
it is difficult to see what great necessit
there is. or was, for the present sess on c
The Maine Legislature, excepting to ohoos
} U. States Senator. But we did no