Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-12-03


thority, may be easily compared with thIh,
obtained under Federal in the census years
while those 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 du,
ring the interval between those years
The amount Of debts, OF whatever des-
cription, State, corporate, commercial and
every other is now estimated at $240,000 600;
but Of these not less, probably, than one.
third would be cancelled ly payment OF
other debts embraced 10 the same aggregate.
The whole existing debt, constituting real
charge upon tho whole existing troperty,
hardly, it atnl, exceeds S16000O,000; abou,
one sixth Of it's value If this sum bo COM
pared, not merely with the entiro property,
but with the entire prodacts OF the State,
which according TO my estimate in 1868,
amounted in 1857 to S26l .S67 500, and
doubtless exceeded that SUN in 1859, or
with the probable net products after de,
dueting the consumption, direct and indi,
rect, of the people, the qualification afforded
BY the spectacle of our general prosperity,
will not be sensibly abated
While this review Of the progressive devels
terial resources, must necessarily inspire n just
confidence in the physical energies and finani
cial strength Of our great commonwealth, IL
will also serve, | trust, the humber purpose Of
contributing to clearer understanding OF the
relations OF taxation aud disbursement to means
Of contribution and Of the necessity of care-
fully observing these relations in levies aud
appropriations.
The fundamental principle of our revenue
system, that all property not exempted upon
oyerruling considerations Of policy, shall con
tribute TO necessary public expenses in lust
proportion to value, IL now firmly established
in the convictions of the people, aud nothing
is more certain than that they will insist on its
uniform aud universal application. If there
be any description of property which has hith
erto escaped just contribution, the Legislature
representing the people will not hesitate to sub.
iect II to the operation of the general prncS
pie.
IL is great merit of the system that it is
easily understood and that die result of any
given rate of assessment cannot materially
deceive expectation. As the Grand List
lies the basis of revenue, aad rs the
necessary means to meet all State, County
and municipal expenses are prOyided by
assessments for State purposes on the entire
list and for local purposes on the property
listed within the respective localities, legiss
latiye adjustment of leyies to the public
needs, and of appropriations to levies, can
never be diGicult. The rates of lcvy being
fixed, the revenue for the years intervening
between general valuations can always be
predicted with reasonable certainty. The
equalized valuation is the permanent, and
tho annual valuations arc the variable ele
ments Of the Grand List The eaualized
al IL ~, ,,.Isssso,s w.. a1's Arsf
Ora sf EIst sfter equalization okhIDts tue hg'
gregate subject to contribution and the
Grand Lists of subsequent years until new
valuation, will, of course, exhibit the same
aggregate, increased or diminished only by
the increase or diminution of Sannual
valuations. The Grand List of n Nex-
cept Immediately after II general ~
OF in consequence Of some legisiaf
the results Of which the LegNl1
forsee, can differ widely froIG Y.
preceding year.
The General Assembly coprened in any
year has, therefore, always at Hhagd the
means of ascertaining, with hbstsftlai sc
curacy, the revenues of that and the peNt d
hscaI yenr. Levies already Iuade on the
grand list OF the preceding year will produce
the former, and levies on the grand list OF
the current year Of rates fixed or sanctioned
by the legislature itself will produce the
latter With given basis and given rates
il is easy to compute revenue
With these observations il seems proper
to submit to you a suggestion more than
once addressed to your predecessors that
it is indispensable to every sound financial
system that appropriations be limited 10y
revenues, and expenditures by nppropria-
tions Tho arrangements that have some,
times embarrassed our finauees may be
traced, almost invariably in the absence of
crime, to disregard Of this salutary prin-
ciple Nothing but an oyerruling emergenN
cy can justify appropriations beyond reye-
nue., or expenditures beyond appropriations.
When so justified, the appropriations in the
former case should be promptly provided
for by taxation, and the expenditures in the
latter case should be as promptly reported
to the Legislature for its judgment aud
sanction
embrace this occasion to suggest the expe.
dency ofrequiring, uoder suitable penalties for
omission, all officers having charge Of works
or institutions, to state distinctly, in connection
with each anuuRl report, whether any debts be-
yond appropriations, were outstanding az the
close OF ihe year, and il any. their precise na>
ture and amount. For all such debts the offs
GERS contracting them are, under existing laws,
personally responsible, and the payment, with
out express legislative sanction, out Of any subs
seqnent appropriation, should be strictly pro-
hibited
IN this connection also renew my recon
meDdalion Il an appropriation for each year Of
a sum sufficient TO provide against unforeseen
emergencies, subject only 10 the warrants Of the
Governor 20 be drawn on satisfactory evidence
Of necessities unexpectedly requiring extra
ordinary exp nditnFes.
The public welfare would likewise be pro-
lnoted, in my judgment, If the several otfieap
Of the Exec atiye Department were organized as
an Executive Council. and required TO meet
from time 10 time, and Whenever csuvoked by
the Governor Representation aud action in
regard 10 pllbAS Interests. The sanction Of
fseoh Cppoeh 10 the drafts on the contingent
lappf6pnalioa just proposed, would constitute
ar ample guaranty against improyidenco and
abuse.
The whole amount of receipts into the
Treasury during the last year was 50, ,520i54.
an the balEuee from The preceding year WA
S226 lis The total sum subieet 10 Sffsborses
\ sieat in ] So, was 50. .746272.
!. oftuis SUN s1s,oeg was roalisod from drafts in
an,isipation.ofg ghe revenue Of iSe0, S2,0S9 .7SS
! were received from leves on tte Grand Iist OF
1885, Of one mill ana half on the dollar for Com
mon Schools, one tenth Of mill for School Lii
braries, nine tenths for sinking Fund seven. tWrn.
tieths forTeimbursemeDt Of Temporary Loan, and
seven -tsnths tor general expenses Of State dow
lemmsqts These ievies, amounting in the aggre-
4 gste ~ n. mills and a-twenteths 90 the
i dollar, sssesaed upon ths taxable valuation -ol
II $50 800 0Si exhibited BY tho Grand List oil 1858
would have produced, u faily collected s2,gsl.
$40, The difference between this sun and "a
] revenue actually reeeived-ahQut fnftyseyo th1u-
sand doiars--is attFibatabloto cosis 81 osl5atian
variations between delinqueneiss unraid and de.
lliuquenoies collected, and erron IL Fsessmeni,
The principal saurees ofAteyonue other