The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-01-11


vas disbursed during the year $1s2,5s5.
Bat as the receipts did not exactly repre-
bent revenue. 50 neither did the disburse-
nents psecisely represent expenditures.
For example, the sum Of 1884 is j
sharged as disbursed, when the real trans
.etion was the placing of old claims,
ncrninslly Of that amount. in the hands of
the proper officers for collection; and the
sum Of $50. 400 was similarly charged
VIXEN the whole amount was paid, not for
gsneral purposes, but on account of Pub
le Works, under the direction of your
predecessors The actual disbursements
for the Executive, Legislative and Judi
cial departments, aud oil the benevolent
sRd. reformatory State Institutions, in
ciuding the Peuitentiary, were. therefore,
$62e,s3S. The balance remaining was
4l0l, ,59l.
q For the expenses Of the Public Works
there ives received, from tolls and water
rents on the Ohio Canal, s7l ,442; on the Mia
mi and Erie Canal, STA, ,237; on tho Muskin-
gum Improvement $1s;274; on the Hock king
Canal Sl7,3ol; ON the walhoning Canal
$476; on the Western Reserve and Mau-
NEE road 81 18l; on the National Road $55,51,
from sales Of Canal lands $516, and from other
sources S9,921; in all $246,7S1. The disburse-
ments were $33e,9s2 The apparent excess of
outlay over income was, therefore, $50, 200,
and this amount was paid from the General
Revenue, as has just been stated. OF this
sum, however, $84. .o34 was expended in pay
mont for thS Lewistown Reservoir, and for
other special purposes, outside Of the proper
repairs for the year. The real excess Of cost
over receipt was $6,170. s 81
For common schools, there were collected
on the grand list, $1,24s,7e7. There were
also collected on the Grand List, for schools
but as part Of the levy for Sinking Fund,
$l53,69s 60. This sum was the interest on
the Irreduoibls Debt, oreatad by the appropria-
tion Of the proceeds Of the school lands to
general State purposes. The two sums, with
the balance from the preceding year, formed
an aggregate for school purposes Of 81 I,4ls,-
o47. Of which were disbursed II ,S66,92s leav-
Ing : balance of $52,7l9.
The amount collected for School Libraries,
already stated, with the balance of the pre-
ceding year, was $s0,173. The amount dis
bursed vas $7s,579 leaving balance Of
$sss.
Fer payment Of debt and interest, there were
collected from levies, 81 l,o2s, ,124; of which
e740, ,970 were for the general purposes of the
Sinking Fund, and $685. 154 were for the re-
imbursement Of the Temporary Loan. There
were also received fer the Sinking Fund, from
Surplus Revenue deposited with counties, from
sales of School Lands, from Canal, Turnpike
and Railroad dividends, and from a few other
comparatively unimportant sources, $l45, 5,952
and there were returned to the Treasury, Of
money drawn for the payment of interest
S2S.1l2. These sums, with the balance oi
t67,050 from 1858, amounted to 1870, 23s
which was the amount applicable to Sinking
Fund purposes in 1859. OF this amour,
$685. 3,070 were used to pay interest on the
Foreign Debt; SlS,2l6 on the Domestic Debt
sel55,s09 on the Irreducible Debt; $l2,7 ,759 were
spplisd in payment Of the expenses Of the
Fu0d Commissioners, including the cost of {
vault for their Office; 1890 in discharge of 8
claim ordered to be paid by the last Genera
Assembly; and $62,52s in purchase of bond:
,of the Temporary Loan, and other bonds to b.
uasd in its payment The aggregate expen
diture was 81, ISL ,6s4, and balance was lef
In the Treasury of $l2s,b54.
H viii be seen that the revenue provided b,
law for the payment Of interest on the Public
Debt, not including the Temporary Loan, wa!
insufficient for that purpose. The amoun
wanting was about $114,o00. There being
however, in the treasury large sum belong
ing to the Sinking Fund, derived from the
levy for the Temporary Loan, but not needed
for its payment until next March, it wa
thought better to supply the deficient amour
; from that source than to resort to the powe
50 impose additional levies, vested by the las
General Assembly in the Auditor Of State
The public interest was perhaps best consulted
IN this action: but 1t involved departure from
chat provision Of the Temporary Loan Act
which requires the proceeds of the levies 70
its payment to be absolutely reserved from al
ether applications; and 1t may we'll be ques
toned whether any advantage gained by sucl
departure ought to prevail over the considera
lions which enjoin strict compliance with tn
Law. Il is obvious, however that the addition
NJ leyies necessary to provide for the interes
Of the debt should have been imposed by tn
General Assembly itself, fully advised as
was, - to the amount Of interest and the In
Adequaoy Of the provision made for it. Th
responsibility of the necessary taxation shoul
have been assumed by the Legislature instea
ofH being imposed upon the Auditor.
tabular statement appended to this CON
munieation, and numbered H. exposes at on
view the number Of acres Of land on tn
Grand List, their value, the value of taxabl
Town lots and chattsls, the several aggregate
,of State, county and local levies, and the rate
Of levy for State purposes in each of the Ia.
.,eight years, It will be seen that the averas
rate Of taxation in the FIRST half Of that tim
sxeeeded considerably that in the last hal
While the aggregate revenue of the last ha
exceeded that Of the frst:. This result wa
produced by the larger average basis of tax
tion In the last period. More than the who
excess Of levies was for school purposes ar
the payment Of debts contracted in the fir
period
i Another tabular statement numbered IL,
will show the yearly disbursements for Legi
lative, Judicial and Executive expenses; for Il
expenses of the Benevolent and Reformato
: fJnstitutions, and en- account of the Publ
Works for three periods of four years each
the Grst Immediately preceding, and the tv
sthers Immediately following the adoption
the existing Constitution. 1t will be see
sapon inspection Of it, that the expenses we
J,lsrgely increased after the adoption of Il
Consultation; bat that they have been oonsi
erabiy less during the third than during Il
. second Of these periods. The average year
texpenditure from 1S4s to 1851 was $73s,77
ssfroin 1852 - 1855 inclusive, adding to the a
parent amounts tho unauthorized debts 90
tracted within those years and subsequent
paid 81 095. .s24; from 1856 to 1S59rirclusiy