The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-01-21

either in stocks OF the United states or ID
the best stocks of interest-paying States.
In case you shall deem it proper to adopt
this or . similar policy, it will be advisable
to vest in the officers to whom the money
shall be paid, in the FIRST place, discretionary
power to grant indulgence Of time to those
borrowers whose loans are amply secured,
ESQ US not to cause unnecessary hardship or
distress, during our present financial diff
culties.
would also suggest to you the proprety
of careful examination OF our revenue
system, with view to ascertain If it cam
not be made more certain and efficient.
Any system of revenue which permits large
amounts Of taxes to become delinquent and
to be ultimately lost to the State, must be
defective, and must operate unjustly and
unfairly upon our people. The deficiencies
thus creared in the revenue must be pro-
yided for by additional taxation upon those
who have already discharged their duty MS
citizens by paying the taxes assessed upon
them, and they are thus compelled to bear
more than their due proportion of the public
burden. The laws should provide fer the
most rigid and exact accountability of oil
officers charged with the collection, control
or disbursement Of the public money. Any
vagueness of the laws which permits an
officer to to retain in his hands, without de-
lection, any portion of tue public moneys.
or to use them for his private benefit, not
only defrauds the revenue, but introduces
among officials a laxity of morals highly
dangerous to the public interest. The
Governor is authorized by law passed at
the last session of the General Assembly,
| to institute a careful examination of the
accounts Of the State Officers once in each
year, and have not any doubt the law will be
found beneficial in its operations. But the
amount of money paid by our people into
the State Treasury, is but q small proper
| tion of the total amount paid by them in
the shape of taxes. A much larger amount
is paid for county and other purposes, and
in my opinion the existing laws are de-
fective in not requiring more careful
scrutiny of the accounts of those to whom
this money is paid and by whom it is dis
bursed. | therefore recommend to your
consideration, in addition to any other
measures your wisdom may suggest, the
passage of q law requiring the Judge OF
each Judicial District, to appoint once in
year skillful accountant in each county of
his District, whose duty it shall be to ex-
anime carefully the books Of each county
officer, and to state and record an account
between such officer and his county, and
when necessary, between officer and officer.
Such examinations by disiuterested persons
would, in my opinion, have q decidedly
beneficial effect; the expense attending
them would be very small, and have no
doubt the people Of the counties would
cheerfully bear this expense for the salts
faction Of knowing that the large amounts
of money they pay as taxes, are applied to
the proper object.
/ | apprehend it is scarcely necessary for
me to recomm mend to you as close and rigid
an economy in the matter of appropriations
as is consistant with a proper administra-
ton of the affairs of the State. The sarcity
of money, consequent upon the financial
revulsion of 1850, and the failure of our
crops to a great extent since that time, has
cause the payment of the taxes necessary
to the support Of our government, to be felt
as a sensible burden by our people, and
they have the right to demand and think
do demand at our hands, that until the
present pressure is somewhat removed,
and financial affairs have become some
what more easy and prosperous, we
shall limit the expenses of the State to
gard to the public interest.
An event has recently occurred in our
sister State Of Virginia, causing in tina,
State an intense excitement, which to o
greater or less degree extended Throughout,
our country. l allude, of couse, to the late
. unlawful invasion of that State by John
Brown and his associates. The moving
causes that led these misguided mea to tina
I oA Aoft nj in m m ha a
and certainly found. On the 4tb of March
1888, President Pierce was inaugurated as
the chief magistrate of happy and united
people. The administration Of his prede
, cessor had been marked by a settlement o.
growing out of the acquisition of territory
from Mexico. as the administration Of Mr.
Monroe had been marked by the settlement
! of similar agitation in connection Will
the territory purchased from France durinI
the Presidency of Mr. Jefferson, and as thes
, two settlements covered all the territor
{ then belonging to our Government, ou
Q people fondiy hoped that for a long perio'
' of time, this vexed and INITIATING question
: would be kept out of our councils, and tha
the angry and embittered feelings alway
/ arising from its discussion, would then di
e out for want of food. As an additiona
basis upon which to rest this hope, on
: people had the solemn pledge of honor o
t the political party then dominant in all tn
Q branches of our national government, de
5 libera.ely given at the time Mr.. Pierce wa
; nominated by them for the Presidency, tina
G if placed in power they would resist, to tn
!. extent of their power, the agitation Of tina
/ dangerous question, both in the Congress o
: the United States, and out of it. Unfor
: tunately for the peace of the country, an
n for the preservation Of those. kindly an
e fraternal feeling which should always exis
among our people, Mr.. Pierce and hi
: political friends did not redeem that pledge
I. On the contrary, the first important ac
of his administration was the passage of tn
s Kansas Nebraska bill, by which the settle
: ment made during Mr.. Monroe's adminis
{ .tration of the question of slavery in tn
/. territory acquired by France, was set aside
i and the fountains OF strife so recent
closed, again opened to pour forth anon
t our people their bitter waters. The excus
!, offered for this wanton, uncalled-for an
!, most unfortunate act was the alleged desir
J, on the part of those who did it, to settle th
t question Of slavery, then in state OF per
r feet quietude and rcpose, and this was I
It be done by introducing into our legislatio
Q a new policy which denies to Congress
It power claimed for it by the founders Of ou
! government, and exercised by it from th
c beginning; which declares that to be uncon
Y stitutional which the makers Of the consti
i tuition declared to be constitutional, an
which rests upon the strange assumptio
i that the government of the United State
f cannot set up and maintain in the territoris
n of the United State form of governmeu
: demanded by majority of our people, an
/. identical in the disputed particular, wit
b the form of government of majority {
q the States Of our confederacy. If the me
IS who did this thing, did not know that the
v action would again produce among US ag
d tation, heartburning, jealousy, and ill-wil
l. they were so wholly ignorant Of the temp,
70 and feelings Of our people, as to make thei
10 unsafe public servants. II they did know
" they we're unfaithful. In either view the
% were faithless to the pledges they had give,
sr as the inducement for placing power
1t their hands. The Kansas Nebraska bi