The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-01-12

b. and the FIRST General Assembly undc
, the new Constitution, provided for
, general valuation and equalization Of
real property in 1853, and every sixth
year thereafter. In pursuance of thi
act, the fifth general valuation tool
place and was equalized in 1858. Tht
aggregate Of tho equalzed valuation
was S559, ,725,5I2 The personal prop
erty listed the following spring wal
valued at s207O61,572. The Grant
List for 1854, including with these val
ues those Of the lands and new i'm
provemonts listed in the spring, was
1856, ,929,952. The increase in seven
years had been again startling. 1t was
S45G, ,1GG,822.
The appraised now more closely ap.
preached the real value, and no such
apparently rapid augmentation Of the
list could be in future expected.
/ The sixth valuation took place during
the past year, under an act of the last
! General Assembly, and its equalization
is not yet completed According to the
returns made by the county Auditors,
under the act of April last, the aggre-
gate number of acres taxed is 25,314,-
28O; the average value of each acre,
! Sl7 As; and the total value of the whole
real property SG4l,9l8,I51. The lists
Of personal property included in the
spring valuations, are not yet made
Should they show an increase during
the year proportioned to that of the
real property during six years, the
amount will not be less than 1851, ,OOO,-
900; and the general aggregate, assum-
ing that the total valuation Of realty
will not be reduced by equalization, will
be about S900,0OO,0OO The increase
for six years will be about S33, 900, OOO
The Grand List Of 1860 will doubt.
less show, with reasonable accuracy, the
true amount of taxable property in the
State. Returns of exempt property
from all the counties, except Hamilton
and Fayette, exhibit an aggregate Of
SlO,57S, 85S These returns are doubt
less imperfect. The real amount of this
description of property, in all the coun.
ties, including chattels, does not, proba
bly,, fall much short of $4,000, ,6OO.-
The Commissioner of Statistics, basing
his opinion on reports of actual sales,
estimates the entire property in the State
at 81 ,O5O,OO ,OOO
The population of the State is now
about two millions and a half. Such a
population, grown up from the twenty
five thousand of sixty years ago, edu-
Gated, energetic and indefutigable, and
possessed of such a mass of means,
created by the skill and industry Of two
generations, presents a striking picture
Of progress and power.
l venture to suggest the ezpcdiency
of directing the general valuations of
real estate, after the next, to be made
once in five years; so that the results
obtained under State authority, may be
easily compared with those obtained
under Federal in the census years;
while those obtained by the general
valuation in the intermediate years, and
the annual estimates, will supply the
means Of determining the rate Of
growth and progress each year during
the interval between those years.
The amount of debts, of whatever
description, State, corporate, CONNER
oial and every other, is now estimated
at S24O, 600, 600; but of these not less,
probably, than one-third would be can.
celled by payment Of other debts en-
braced in the same aggregate. The
whole existing debt, constituting a real
charge upon the whole existing prop,
erty, hardly, if at all, exceeds Sl60,,
600, ,OO0 about one-sixth of its Value
If this sum be compared, not merely
with the entire property, but with the
entire products Of the State, which ac-
cording to my estimate in 1858, amount.
ed in 1857 to 1851 ,SG7, 500, and doubt
less exceeded that sum in 1859, or with
the probable net products after deduct.
ing the consumption, direct and indi-
rect, Of the people, the qualification af-
forded by the spectacle of our general
prosperity, will not be sensibly abated
While this review Of the progressive
development Of our revenue system and
Of our material resources, must ncces-
sarily inspire a just confidence in the
physical energies and financial strength
of our great commonwealth, it will also
serve, 1 trust, the humber purpose of
contributing to a clearer understanding
of the relations of taxation and dis.
bursement to means of contribution,
and Of the necessity Of carefully OBJ. |
serving these relations in levies and
appropriations.
The fundamental principle of our rev.
enue system, that all property not ex-
empted upon ovorruling considerations 4
Of policy, shall contribute to necessary
public expenses in just proportion to /
value, is now irmly established in the
convictions of the people, and nothing
is more certain than that they will in |
sist on its uniform and universal appli- !
cation. If there be any description of |
property which has hitherto escaped lust
contribution, the Legislature represent. |
ing the people will not hesitate to sub. /.
ject il to the operation Of the general
principle.
It is a great merit Of The system that
it is easily understood, and that the re
suit Of any given rate Of assessment
cannot materially deceive expectation.
As the Grand List supplies the basis of |
revenue, and as the necessary means 10
meet all State, County aud municipal
eVDeugog are Drovided hv ,seoes,,, a. = a. |