Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-01-07


Ing DE general valualcbs Of real estate, aner
The next, 10 be made once 10 Eve years 90 that
the results oBtaiaod under Strte authority,
ma ybe easily compared with those obtained
under Federal ia the census, years while
those obtained by the general valuaiiop 10
the intermediate years. aud the annual es-
Inmates, will supply the means Of determining
the ratio Of growth aud progress each year dur
ing the interval between those years.
The amount Of debts, Of whatever description,
State, corporal, commercial and every other, is
now estimated at S240.OO000O; but Of these
not less, probably, than one-third would be can
celled by payment OF other debts embraced in
the same aggregate. The whole existing debt,
constituting real charge upon the whole exist
ing property, hardly If at ALL exceeds 81 ,OOO,-
600; about one.sx h Of its value. Ii this sum
be compared. not merely with the entire prop
erty. but with the entire products Of the State,
which according TO my estimate IN 5S, amount
ed in 1857 to S26l $4,000, and doubtless ex-
| ceeded that sum IN lo59, or with the probable
| mel products after dedncting the consumption,
! direct and Indirect, Of the people, the gratif-
cation afforded by the spectacle Of general pros
perity, will not be seDsi6ly abated
While this review Of the progressive devel-
opment Of our revenue system and Of our ma
ierial resources, must necessarily inspire just
confidence in the physical energies and financial
| strength OF our great commonwealth, 1t will al
so serve, trust, the humber purpose Of con
iributing TO clearer understanding of the rela-
tious of taxation and disbursement to means Of
contribution, aud Of the necessity Of carefully
observing these relations in leyes and appro-
| priations.
! The fundamental principle of our revenue sys-
tenn, that all property, not exempted upon over
ruling considerations Of policy, shall contribute
to necessary public expenses in just proportion
TO value, is now firmly established 10 convictions
Of the people, aud nothing is more certain than
that they will insist on its uniform and universal
application. If there be any description of
property which has hitherto escaped just con-
tributiun, the Legislature representing the peo-
pie will not hesitate to subject it to the opera.
ton Of the general principle
II is great merit OF tue system that it is
easily understood, aud that the result of any
given rate Of assessment cannot materially de-
ceive expectation. AS the Grand List supplies
the basis of revenue and as the necessary means
to meet oil State, County and municipal expen-
ses are provided by assessments for State pur-
J poses on the entire list and for local purposes
on the property listed within the respective 10
calities, legislative adjustment of levies to the
public needs, and OF appropriations 10 levies
IL
! fixed the revenue for the years intervening be-
: tween general valuations can always be pre-
dicled with reasonable certainty. The equaliz.
ed valuation is the permanent, and the annual
valuations are the variable elements of the
Grand List. The equalzed valuation once made
remains unchanged until the next valuation
) year. The first Grand List after equalization
exhibit, the aggregate subject 10 contribution
aud the Grand Lists of subsequent years until q
: new valuation, will, of course exhibit the same
aggregate, increased or diminished only by the
Increase or diminuton Of the annual valuations
The Grand List Of no year except Immediately
after general valuation, or in consequence o
some legislative action, the results Of which the
Legislature must of course foresee, can differ
widely from that of the preceding year.
The General Assembly convened in any year
has, therefore, always at hand the means of as
certaiuing, with substantial accuracy, the reven
ues of hat aud the next fiscal year. Levies al
ready made Oh the Grand List of the proceed
ing year will produce the former and leyies or
the Grand List Of the current year, OF rates fix
ed or sanctioned by the Legislature itself, will
produce the latter. With given basis ant
given rates it is easy to compute revenue.
With these observations it seems proper to
submit to you a suggestion more than once ad-
dressed to your predecessOrs:--th it is indis.
pensable to every sound financial system that
appropriations be limited by revenues, and ex.
peuditures by appropriations. The derange
ments which have sometimes embarrassed ouI
finances may be traced, almost invariably, in the
absence of crime, to a disregard OF this salutary
principle. Nothing but an Overruling emergen.
: cy can Justify appropriations beyond revenue
or expenditures beyoud appropriations. When
so justified, the appropriations in the former
| pne chn no Ia Jo1 for bry
alton, and the expenditures 10 the latter case
should be as promptly reported to the Legisa.
!, ture for its Judgment and sanction.
= ! embrace this occasion to suggest the
Z expedieney of requiring, under suitable pen
I alties for omission, all officers having charge
! of works or institutions, to state distinctly
in connection with each annual report
$ whether any debts, beyond appropriations,
) were outstanding at the close of the year,
: and, if any, their nature and amount. Fol
all such debts the officers contracting then
are, under existing laws, personally reSpon
= sible, and their payment, without express
legislative sanction, out of any subsequent
appropriation, should be strictly prohibited
8 In this connection | also renew my re
: c1mmendation of al appropriation for eacl
d year OF sum sufficient to provide agains
n unforeseen emergencies, subject only to the
u warrants of the Governor, to be drawn oil
5 satisfactory evidence of necessities unex
: pectedIy requiring extraordinary expendi
!, lures.
/ The public welfare wonld likewise be pro
b noted. in my judgment, if the several off
d GERS OF the Executive Department were or
a ganiZed as an Executive Council, and re
d CURED TO meet from time to time, & when
! ! ever convoked by the Governor, for consul
i tation aud action in regard to public inter
i, esIs. The sanction of such Council I,
i the drafts on the contingent appropriation
d just proposed, would constitute an ampl
}. guaranty against improvidence and abuse
c The whole amount of receipts into tn
5 Treasury during the last year was $500,
l54, and the balance from the preceedinl
+ year was $226,ll8 The total sum sub
a jeet TO disbursement in 1859, was $3,746,
! 272.
!. OF this sum s22, 900 was realized from
drafts in anticipation of the revenue o
e 1860; 50, 939, 1888 were received from leVies