Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-01-17


strictly prohibited under the seyerestl
penalty
4 Such.a system will approach as nearly
to the Independent Treasury of the Fede-
raj Government as due regard to the
welfare of the people, will admit; and
much nearer, in my opinion, than the
system recently adopted. The act of
1853, by which that system was intro
duced, contains many useful provisions;
but their value is greatly impaired by its
virtual sanction OF the receipt of whatever
the several County Treasurers may choose
to take.in payment of taxes; by the alb
sence of all provision in relation to the
exchange of funds; and by its omission to
require bonds to the satisfaction of State
officers for the safe-keeping and transfer
Of moneys belonging to the State In
the practical execution of the act the
| County Treasurers have generally re-.
| ceived for taxes whatever was current in
their counties, and in some instances, it
is said, checks of indiyi luaIs on Banks
in their vicinity, and have madesuch ex-s
changes OF. the funds received for coin or
other funds, sthe public interest seemed
to require That in this action they
were governed by considerations of pub
lie convenience and public duty, is not
questioned. The action itself, however,
4 reveals the defective character of the law
| When bank notes are received in pay
ment Of taxes, and retained in the Treas
ury, the banks issuing them, whether
foreign or domestic, are made the real
depositaries of the public funds, without
interest and without security. So, where
checks of private citizens are received,
those citizens, SO long, as their checks are
held, are constituted such depositaries
The virtual requirement by the act of the
exchange of currency for coin, and the
virtual permission of the exchange of
currency for other currency can hardly
fail to give occasion to dangerous dealing
:, with the public funds. The act, there
fore, seems to me to fail of it's intent
Under it a deposit system of the, most un-
safe description may grow up, and the
use Of public funds for private benefit
can hardly be prevented. Everything
must depend on the integrity of the State
and County Treasurers. s
!, see no way Of escape from these diff
culties, except by substituting for this
system of indirect deposits and hazardous
J exchange, athoroughly guarded plan for
the direct deposits of all moneysreceived,
without exchange, with selected deposi-
taries, from whom ample securities have
been required and taken; or by the adop-
ton, in full, of the Federal system, pro-
) viding for the appointment of Sub Treas
urers, requiring from them ample bonds,
and prohibiting the receipt, for public
, dues, Of nything but coin, or, at most,
specie notes of Ohio banks Even such
G notes could not be received without con-
stituting the banks, to the extent of such
| receipts, public depositaries without Sc
curity Of two such alternatives as these,
it can hardly be doubted that, under ex-
, listing circumstances, the former will re-
; ceive the approval Of the people
In former communications, | have re-
peatedly recommended to legislative con-
sidefation the interests of our Agricul-
ture. Of the entire products of the
State, more than half is in farms. Oh
the entire taxation of the State, much
more than half is paid by farmers. To
protect their interests and promote theis
prosperity, must be prominent ebjeek
: efsswise legislation. Suggestions IN r.
) Iation to these objects, meriting careful
consideration, will be found in the Agri-
J cultural Report and in the Resolutions
of the State Board of Agriculture. Per
l init me, also, to renew suggestion here
| tofore made, of additional provisions foi
eFpremiums to be offered in the State and
County Agricultural Societies. And
: may I not add that the resumption and
| completion Of the Geological Survey Of
: the State, with special reference to agri-
/ culture and mining, could not fail to ben
t eft all interests connected with the soil!
An act Of the last General Assembly
:. directs the judges Of elections to reject
the votes of persons who may appear te
+ have distinct and visible admixture ot
African blood. 1t is not very easy te
: determine what is distinct admixture
of that description of blood, or when il
) may be said to be visible. It is quite
certain, however, that it is beyond the
power of the Legislature to enlarge OF
abridge the right of suffrage defined by
: the Constitution. By that instrument il
is restricted to white male citizens The
). question who are included in the de-
scription, is not for the Legislature, but
E for the Courts. An attempt to decide ii
5 by enactment must necessarily be mis-
I chievous, both in itself and as a prece-
J dent The act referred to is not only
such an attempt, but it gives to judges
, of elections, under loose and uncertain
7 rule, large and dangerous power, capa-
t bic of being perverted to extreme abuse
| therefore recommend its repeal.
The Constitution declares that there
shall be no slavery in this State, nor in
voluntary servitude, except for punish
ment of crime. 20 give effect to this
provision and to arrest the practice, be-
coming common through impunity of
seizing andtaking out of the State, with
cut any warrant of process Of law, per
sons claimed as fugitives from service,
! though 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 effectually the benefits of
the writ of habeas corpus.
Four years since, the military force of
the State was thoroughly disorgamzed.
The public arms-a large property
were scattered through the counties, and
in danger of total loss. No adequate Sc
; curity, in the form of bonds or otherwise,
protected the State against that hazard
The laws made no sufficient provision,
either for discipline or organization
This condition of things naturally at
traeted the attention Of the General As
sembly, and successive laws have been
enacted, designed to remedy existing
evils. Under these laws, considerable
quantities of arms have been collected,
and either sold. ii useless. or if worth re-