The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-15


State more certain, recommend that the
County Treasures be required by law to
pay the State Treasurer, at fixed times,
certain proportions of the amount of rev.
enue due the State, until the entire sum
for each yeaiis paid, whether the County
Treasurers have received the entire
amount of State tax or not. AT present
the State is wholly helpless as to its rev.
enue. 1t has to depend wholly upon the
officers of counties for its collection and
transmission, and if the county officers
are inefficient, the State is remediless
Each county is now liable by law to the
State for the amount of State tax assessed
10 it, but this liability, without any means
Of making it practically effective, is use-
less. If the counties were required to
pay the revenue due tire State, whether
collected or not, the County Supervisors
would be stimulated to require Of the
Treasurer strict performance Of his du-
ties; and if, in addition, you should SO
change the present law as to give County
Treasures in lieu of salary, per centum
on the amount of money collected and dis
bursed, or provide for township collectors,
to be paid in the same, way our taxes
would, in my opinion, be more punctual-
ly paid.
also recommend that it be made the
duty of the Board of Supervisors of each
county to employ competent accountant
once in each year to examine the accounts
of each county officer. and state an &C.
count between each officer and his coun-
ty, and between officer and officer, aud
alse that County Treasures and all ether
persons who receive public moneys be pro-
hibited, under severe penalties, from
using them in any way or placing them
with others to be used for their private
benefit.
The law of Congress imposing direct
tax for the support of the General Gov
eminent gives to any State the privilege
of collecting the amount Of tax assessed
upon its people, and allows such State to
retain fifteen per cent Of the amount, on
condition the State shall assume The pay
ment Of the balance Of the tax. There
upon arises the important question: What
shall the State do in the PREMISES 1t
must be remembered that If the State as
sumes the tax, the entire amount, less iif-
teen per cent, must be paid by the State,
whether the State collects the tax or not
Keeping this in recollection, let us ascer-
tain as arly rs may be our precise posi-
ton. This State has expended for the
General Government about S450, 600, and
has been repaid the sum of ssD,00U.-
The State has sold her bonds to the amount
of about 100000. The proceeds Of
said sale 1854 900, aud the $50, 900 re-
ceived from the General Government have
been applied to paying the expenses in
CURED by the State, leaving unpaid and
due wholly, | believe, to our own people,
about $4,000, for which they hold or
can receive warrants drawn en- the War
and Defense Fund If the amount ex.
pended by tie State, which is to be REIN
bursed by the General Government, be
$3.50, 900, there is now due the State
1910, 600, and il the Federal tax should
be s650,000 and The State should as.
sumo it, there would be due the General
Government the sum Of sls2, 500 being
the entire amount of the tax, less the
amount How due the State, and the fifteen
per cent fer assumption and collection
which must be assessed upon and paid by
our people.
But we must provide also for the pay,
ment of the amount due our own citi
xens This must be done by assessing the
amount as a tax and by either actually col
Letting the money and paying it to the
holders of the warrants, or by authorizing
those holding warrants to surrender them
to the Auditor, and receive in lieu of then
other warrants of the amount OF five dol
lars each. which shall be receivable il
payment of the Federal tax. These war
rants being of small amounts, and bein.
all receivable during the present year fol
taxes. would be nearly or quite at par
and would be much more valuable to tn,
holders than the present ones. Shout,
this course be deemed advisable, i. will b,
necessary, in order to meet the demane
made upon us by the Federal Government
to levy tax of about 1868 500, of which
1872, 800 must be collected in money
and $4,000 may be paid in the war
rants outstanding against the War an,
. Defense Fund Our State debt will hav
been increased by 5000, 900, and we vii
not have any mercy in our Treasur.
wheFewith to meet further military ex
penses, should they be necessary. 1t vii
be observed that the sums given are gen
orally estimated. Atsolute precision coul
, not in some cases be arrived at, but
, will be found the estimates approximat
very nearly the truth. If this should no
be deemed advisable. we can present GU
claim against the Ganeraf Government
receive the amount due the State, pay tn
outstanding warrants in the hands of ON
i people, and either collect in money the Fed
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