Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-04

and trust that your action in regard to it may be
wise and efficient.
In this connection think it my duty to re-
commend to you the establishment of an Asy
lum for Inebriates. Much evil to individuals
and society may be averteJ, and much positive
good accomplished by means of such an Insti-
tuition. If established on the State Reform
Farm, upon judicious plan and scale, It's cost
need not be great.
The administration of civil, not less than
that of criminal justice is intimately related to
social condition and advancement When cheap,
prompt, unbiased and sure, it guarantees indus
try, promotes enterprise, and ensures progress.
When dear, dilatory, partial and uncertain, it
impoverishes labor, discOurages useful under
takings and introduces decline. In this State
the people elect their Judges, and thus direct
ly determine, in large measure, the character OF
judicial administration. The results thus far
especially in civil justice, have not disap Joint
ed the advocates of an elective judiciary Iu-
competent judges have, it is true, been some
times elected, and the evils of mal-administra.
ton have been sometimes felt; but the Courts
of Ohio, considered in general, have nothing to
appreheld from a comparison with those of any
other State in respect to intelligence, learning
or efficiency The amount of their labors NAV
be inferred from the fact that the number Of
civil suits last year was about 10000, in Is 900
of which judgments were rendered The num-
Der of suits involving serious controversy of
law or fact bore, however, a small proportion to
the whole Much the larger number were
prosecuted for the collection of claims, and it is
estimated that nine-tenths in amount of the
debts unsecured by mortgage or otherwise,
which class constituted three fOurths of the
whole, was recovered or is recoverable This
estimate, if at all reliable, indicates plainly the
grounds on which the high credit of the busi-
ness men, as well as of the State of Ohio, is
established The whole debt of her people,
public and private, as l took occasion to show
last year, is hardly equal in amount to one fifth
of the property in the State, and the loss By III
dividual failure in payment is only two and
half per cent of the debt The rate of COM
mercial hazard in credits is, therefore, compare
lively insignificant.
Such is the social condition of the State, con-
templated in some of its most important and in
teresting aspects. The sketch is necessarily in
perfect, for the materials are inadequate 1t
may not, however, be altogether without value,
while the provision judiciously made by you, and
the preceding General Assembly for more am
pie collection of statistical information will cup
ply, hereafter, the means of more certain and
more useful comparisons and deductions, than
are possible now.
Passing from these general views TO other top
les of perhaps more immediate concern, permit
me TO invite your attention, in the first place. to
our financial condition.
The constitution requires that all property, OF
whatever description, and by whomsoever 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
y L L
State purposes, on the whole property listed,
and if for local purposes, on the property listed
within the proper territorial limits. The school
laws of various years, but particularly of 1853
and 1854; the road and bridge laws of 1854 and
other years; the poorhouse act of 1881; one act
of 1857 two of 1858; and some other acts OF
less Importance, prescribe the rates of taxation.
The School acts direct the levy of one mill
and six-tenths on each dollar of valuation
throughout the State, for general school and IL
brary purposes, and of various rates to be fixed
by the local authorities. for local purposes, such
as the construction of school houses and the
purchase ofsites.
The Road and Bridge laws authorize rates fol
the objects indicated by their titles, varging
from the twenty-ffth of a mill to nine and
half mills, to be determined by the County Com
mills, 20 De IeVieti-0 1saSs s1SaneJ --.==ss7 =
property adjoining roads within certain limit
on the petition of the property holders.
The poorhouse act of 1881, authorizes th
levy by the County Commissioners of an indeii
mite rate for the erection of Infrmaries, and
rate not exceeding one mill for the support {
the poor.
/ The act of 1857, requires the levy of seven
tenths of mill for general StIte purposes c
nine -tenlhs of a mill for payment of interest an
principal of the public debt; of rates for count
purposes. within various limits from two to foU
mills, to be determined by the County COmni:
sioners, with liberty to the Commissioners
{ Counties whose taxable value do not excee
$4,000, 600, to levy higher rates; of rates fC
, township purposes to be fixed by TOwnshl
Trustees, but not to exceed one mill on the fir
$4,000 900 of valuation; and one-fourth of
T.. mill on the excess; of rates not exceeding fOJ
mills, for City and Village purposes, to be ixe
BY city and village authorities; and of rate {,
: CITY purposes, not exceeding six mills, to
f fixed by the City Council of Cincinnati.
The acts of 1855, require the Auditor OF Sta
: to increase the levy for the payment of the Sta
e Debt, whenever it may be necessary, in ord
y to make the Sinking Fund equal in amount
J, the requirements of the Constitution and 81
It laws, and direct the levy Of seven-twentieths
d a mill in each of the years 1858, 1859 and lS6
TO DTONluc VI ehO Ao+Ai-
C S7UO, 900 authorized by the second Of these aci
and intended to supply the deficit created
e defaIcltion,
L. 1t thus appears that the rate of taxation
J. General Revenue applicable to the support
at the State Government in all It's Departmen
re Executive, Legislative and Judicial, and
ID pavment of the cost of Public Buildings and
to expenses of the Benevolent Institutions, Is Il
of than half the general rate Tor schools and lib
- ries. and but seven niuths of the general Il
s. for the public debt; while it sinks almost to
to significance in comparison with the LOCAL tal
li0n for County, Township, City, Village, a
e. School District purposes.
cd II vould contribute much TO clear und
o. standing of our revenue system by those
r. trusted with its administration, as well as by
On people at large, if all rates of taxation were
v scr1bed by a single law, and not by many as
es present, and respectfully recommend the
nd pediency of such an enactment to your cons
on Grafton
of The receipts of the fiscal year 1858 from t
ne alton, tolls, conyicts' earnings, and all OF
NJ sources of revenue properly so called, includ
he the premium on the temporary loan, were
,ut 93I. .756 II. The receipts from sales of sch
lst and ministerial lands and the principal of
of temporary loan, and the amount OF July In
de est not called for in New York and tberei
mt returned to the Treasury,-all of which itt
lu- constitute debt rather than reEenue,-v
he ss26, 1865 40. The total receipts therefore "
,u- S3. .75s,7 ,72I 81. The disbursements were
en- 5l5.45s II, to which should be added the
he cess of the defalcation over former appar
hat balance, which was Sl7, l43 IS, making t
of 50 532, COZ g. The balance in the Treas
red therefore at the commencement of the pres
at fiscal wear, was 1926 lis 95.
ion The levies of each year produce the rece
lch of the next year. The receipts and dIsbu
and ments of the current year, therefore, cal
ad- present be only estimated the levies Q
- mhioh ,r-ere r,,ade in nart under the acts of