The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-01-22
Governors Message.
Gentlemen IF the Senate and House
Representatives

A.SSSS6O'
Gentlemen IF the Senate and House ,
Representatives
You have had conferred upon you, and yo
have accepted, the duty of caring for, guar
ing and promoting the interests of the Stat,
This duty, at all times responsible. is at pre
ent much more than ordinarily 80, for th
reason that the Nation of which we are
part Is engaged in civil war, most wantonl
and wickcdly thrust upon us by bad and d,
| signing men. l doubt not you will adtlrc.
yourselves to the discharge OF this duty, cala
iy and earnestly seeking wisdom and strengt
| from him who is King of Kings and Lord Z
Lords.
The Constitution requires that shall CON
| mun'cate to you the condition of the State, an
recommend such matters as may deem cxpe
dent, and lnow proceed to the perform .ncc o
that duty.
REVENUE AND TAXATION.
The expenditures of the last two wears 70
| all State purposes have been about 5000, OO
for each year. This includes both ordinar
and extraordinary expenditures-the amount
expended for the Insane Asylum, the Peni
Tertiary, the Blind Asylum at Vinton, IN,
printing Of the Revised Statutes, and other OK
traordinary objects, as well as the amounts OK
pended in carrying OH the ordinary operations
OF the State Government. The expenditure
has not i'll any case been permitted to cxcee,
the appropriation, and is materially less boil
Tor the Pcntentiary and Insane AS, lum, an,
has in all cases that have come under nv oh
seivation been carefully and economical,
made. In my judgment, there is not another
State in the Union in which the protection Of
the Government is extended to as large pop
ulation, SO widely scattered, more economical.
than our own. But while this is true, it i
equally true that our finances are not in q
healthy condition. The Report of the Audito,
OF State dscloses the somewhat startling fact
that OF the State tax for 1860 and preceding
years, there was Mt the date of his Report-the
4th Jay OF Nov, ls6l-delinquent and unpaid
the large sum Of $500 0O0-l sum more than
sufficient to cover the entire expenses of on,
State Government for one year. This large
delinquency has occurred within the last four
years, and the same Report shows there were
at the same date warrants drawn on the Treas
ury to the amount of SlO3, GAS, which were
unpaid for want of funds, most of which are
drawing interest at the rate Of eight per cent
per annum.
From these facts the following conclusions
are inevitable: lst That during the last four
years there has been levied a State tax larger
by about $3OO,OOO, than the necessities of the
State required End. That this was rendered
necessary by the fact that only portion of our
people paid the tax due the State. 81. That
the State has been compelled yearly to paw
large sums by way of interest on warrants,
which need not have been paid had the taxes
been collected promptly and the Treasury kept
supplied with funds to meet all demands upon
it. 4th. That the State, being compelled to
purchase its supplies with warrants, has had to
pay higher prices th1n if it had had the cash
to pay. 9th. That the tax-payng portion of
our people have thus been compelled to pay not
only their proper share Of the public burthens,
but also the share of those who did not paw
their taxes, increased by interest and high
prices. These things should not be so. They
reflect discredit not only OH those of our citi
zens who seek to avoid their Just share of those
burdens which are imposed upon all for the
benefit of all, but also upon the laws which pcr.
init them to do so with IMMUNITY therefore
very earnestly recommend to your attention
careful examination of orr revenue laws for
the purpose OF ascertaining if they can be made
more effective in enforcing the prompt payment
Of taxes.
The leading features of a good revenue law
in my Judgment are lst The imposition of
such penalty for the non-payment of taxes
when due as will make it Enthusiastically the in
te , OF every taxpayer to pay promptly. Cd.
The assurance to the purchaser of property at
tax sale of a valid title at the expiration of a
liked time. There Is in my opinion much mis-.
apprehension in the minds of many persons on
his subject. some seem % think they receive
10 value Tor the money paid by them IS taxes,
ind that they are therefore not culpable in
wedding payment if they can. Others, whilst
hey admit there is some kind of doubtful obi
,ation upon them to pay their taxes, if con-
'cnient, yet insist that any stringency in the
avs to compel payment would be unjust and
oppressive, and that no greater penalty should
'e imposed for non-payment than the interest
flowed by law between citizens. These are
ad'cal errors. Every citizen is protected by
he State in life, liberty and property in all he
las and all lie may acquire, and in all his hon
st efforts for further acquisition, and in return,
e is bound rs a good citizen to render obedi- |
nee to the laws, to pay promptly his share of |
he taxes necessary for the support of thegovern-
nent, and in time OF war, if need be to defend
he government with his life, Ii lie fails to
erform either of these duties of a good citizen,
e is liable to punishment, and the amount ad-
ed to his taxes for failure of payment at the
me fixed by law, is not the interest due upon
debt, but fine or penalty for the nonper-
'rmance OF duty. Nor can any one justly
Dmplain of this. Why should any one of our
eople claim that he should enjoy all the bene.
is OF civil government and be exempt from its
he should have all these adyan-
'ges at the expense Of his neighbors
1t may be said that some are unable to pay
lcir taxes. This it seems to me is erroneous.
he amount Of tax each one has to paw is in
to the property he has, the greater
re tax the greater the amount of property
om which to raise means of payment. am
ell convinced that taxes are paid most prompt.
by our farmers and by men of comparatively
nall means, and that there are very few Of us
no do not spend yearly for articles of luxury
hich do not promote either our health, our
'stenty, or our happiness, more than the sum
quired from us as taxes for the support of the
'vernment that protects us. The subject of
venue and taxation assumes gravcr interest
I'd importance at this time for the reason that
If State is called upon for the first time since
J admission to pay direct tax for the support
the General Government. We may expect
be called on to pay during the present year
Federal tax from 100000 to $500, OOO.-
his is rendered necessary by the heavy ex-
mixtures incurred by the General Govern
ent in preparing to put down the rebellion in
rtain States OF the Union. A resort 20 loans
IS been and must continue to be necessary to
Get these expenses, and prudence and sound ;
onOmy require that the General Government ,
all not be compelled to borrow money to pay
e interest accruing upon its loans The in
rest upon loans made, must be met by actual
yment, and not by mourning further indebted
AS. The capitalists Of the country have thus
r responded nobly to the calls made upon
EN- by the Government, and have given it as
stance and support as necessary as that rem
red by the soldiers in the field. Six hun
ed thousand gallant men, of whom twenty
ousand are from our own State, are in arms,
wing their labor, their health, and their lives,
r the country, and now the call comes to us
no are at home, and We are asked to give
tlc OF our substance to the same good cause
have caused to be prepared from docu-
ents in the Office of the Auditor OF State a
BILE, hereto appended, giving some interesting
formation touching the taxes paid by our peo-
e. 1t will perhaps be matter of surprise to :.
any that the taxes for the support of the State