Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-01-12

4 "'s VI "tttuIptS w tbCuTe IN
way, private advantage from the deposit or
other disposition of public funds should be
strictly prohibited under the severest penal
~. e'vGet arG lo ee'O
Such aeystcm will approach as nearly.
TO the Independent Treasury of the FEEDER.
al Government as due regard to the well
fare OF the people will admit; and much
nearer, IN my opinion, .han the system re.
ceotly adopted. The act 1858, by the way
mat sys EN- was introduced, contains many
useful provisions; but their value Is greatly
impaired by its virtual sanction of the re.
ceiPt whatever the several County Teas.
urers may choose to take in payment of
taxes; by the absence Of all provision in
IL ton to the exchange of funds; and BY
It's omission to require bonds to the satisfac-
lion of State officers for the safe e.keeping
and transfer Of moneys belonging to the
state. In the practical execution Of the
oct the County Treasurers have generally
received for taxes whatever was current in
their counties, and in some instances, IL is
sad, checks Of individuals on Banks in their
vicinity, AMI have made such exchanges Of
the funds received for coin or other funds,
as the public interes, seemed to require.
rhat IN this action they were governed by
considers tions Of public duty. is not qestion-
ed. The action itself, however, reveals
the defective character Of the law. When
oank notes are received in payment Of taxes,
and retained in the Treasury, tho banks
ISSUING them, whether foreign or domestic,
are made the real depostaries Of the public
lunds without interest aud without security.
80, where checks OF private citizens are re-
ceived' those citizens, so long as their checks
are held, are constituted such depositaries.
lhe virtual requirement BY the act Of the
, exchange OF currency for coin, and the vir-
tual permission oeihe exchange OF currency
Tor other currency can hardly fail to give
occasion to dangerous dealing with the pub
: lie funds. The act, therefore. seems to me
TO iali OF its intent. Under 1t deposit sys.
TEN OF the most unsafe description may
grow up. and the use of piblic funds for
private benefit can hardly be prevented.
Everything most depend on integrity of the
State and County Treasurers. ..l...
i | see no way Of escape from the Difficult.
ties. except BY substitution for this system
OF Indirect and hazardous exchange, a
thoroughly qua rded plan for the direct dc.
] posit of oil moneys received, without ex.
! change, with selected depositsries, from
whom ample securities have been required
and taken; or BY the adoption, in full, of the
Federal system. providing for the appoint.
ment of Sub-Treasurers, requiring from
t them ample bonds, and prohibiting the re.
ceipt, for public dues, ol uny ything but coin
Y or, at most, specie notes Of Ohio banks
r E'en such notes could no be received with.
: out constituting the banks, to the extent o
T such receipts public depostaries withou,
Q security. OF two such alternatives a.
5 these, it can hardly be doubted that, under
existing circumstances, the former will 70
: ceive the approval Of the people.
e In former communications, I have rep eat
d cdly recommended to legislative consider
: alton the interests Of our Agriculture. o.
d the entire products of the State, two.,hrd,
| are from the farms or the entire wealth
/! OF the State, more than half is in farms. Oi
Q the entire tsxntion Of the State, much more
than half is paid by farmers. To protec,
their interests and promote their prosperity
! must necessarily be prominent objects OF
wise legislation. Sugge estons in relation
{ to these Objects, meriting careful consider
n,ion, will be found in the Agricultural Re-
, port and in ths Resolutions of the State
: Board of Agriculture. Permit me. also, TO
5 resew suggestion heretofore made, o, od.
} ditional provisions for premiums to be offer
: cd In the State and County Agriculture.
Societies. And may | not add that the re.
sumption and completion of the Geoog icul
: Survey of the State, with special reference
to agriculture and mining, could not fail to
} benefit all interests connected with the soil!
An act of the last General Assembly di.
rects the judges Of elections to reject the
votes OF persons who may appear to have
distinct and visible admixture of African
blood. 1t is not very easy to determine
what ID distinct admixture of that descrp
ton of blood Sor when il may be said to be
visible. II is quite certain, however, that
It is beyond the power of the Legislature to
enlarge or abridge the right of suffrage de-
fined by the Constitution. By that insiru.
ment II is restricted to white male citizens
The question, who ure included in the dc.
scriPtion, is not for the Legislature, but for
the Courts. An attempt to decide 1t, by
enactment must necessarily be misehievous
both in itself and as a precedent. The act
referred to is no. only such an attempt, but
1t gives to judges of elections, under loose
and uncertain rule, a large and dang erous
powercapable of being perverted to extreme
abuse. | therefore recommend its repeal.
The Constitution declares that there shall
be no slavery in this State, nor involuntary
seryitude, except for punishment of crime.
To give effect TO this provision and to arrss,
the practice, becoming common with impu-
nifty, Of seizing and taking out Of the State,
without any warrant or process of law, per
sons claimed as fugitives from service, tho
often, in fact, free, recommend the re.
enactment Of the acts repealed By the last
General Assembly, prohibiting slaveholding
and kidnapping in Ohio, and securing more
efectually the benefits OF the writ of habeas
corpus. Frg8 g'r. a..
-Four years since, the military force of
the State was thoroughly dsorganized. The
| public arms--a larae prouertv-were scat.