Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-01-15

ere asked to give a little oi our su"''""'e
to the same good cause.
| have caused 10 be prepared from doch-
meut, in the office oi the Aualtor OF state
a table. hereto appended, giving some inter
e.tipp informal touching the taxes paid |
Nv eur people. 1t will perhaps be matter
j. surprise TO many that the taxes Tor the
airport OF the State Government bear 70
,nlll proportion to the entire amount o'
taxes paid. IL appears from this table that
the whole amount OF taxes for oil purposes
Tor loGl was ST. 100 900, and that OF this
amount only 100000 were expended from
the State Treasury for State purposes lille
81 10000 were expended IRON the several
eou,ty treasures Tor county and other pur-
po.cs. regard this table as useful, for this
among other reasons, VIZ: that The people
nave been led To believe that the great onik
4 our taxes was caused By the expeDdi-
lures II tic State Government under ap-
preparations made by tie General Assembly,
md they have ueen taught - look 10 re
laction of State expenses as thc means VI
r,l,ef from TAXATION. tbs table shows
clearly and cOncu-vely that oil every S'.oo
paid by the people Of the State a. taxes,
! out : 90 reaches the State treasury OF Is
Used for State purposes, while Tue o'ne,
~ &C are retained in the counties and used
Tor county and other purposes. "ouio
not desire our people 10 relax their s'5'i"h'
! supervision 10 the expenditures VI 'he'! re-
spcctive counties, where equal vigilance Is,
IN my judgment, equally needed. It's e'i-
lent from an inspection Of the table, sho"
M tie amount Of taxes paid and the pur-
ao.es for which paid, that # it be deemed
iesifable 70 decrease our present expendi-
lures by an amount equal or approximatihe
% the amount Of taxes required by the
General Government, much the greater
,opnnnt Of such reduction must be made In
the taxes levied for other than State pun
poses.
In some particulars the expense OF the
State NAV be materially less for the next
than for the la-ttwo years. TIE approPri-
atom Of $40 $40, for the Revised Statutes
was temporary and will not be again re-
qnircd. The amount appropriated Tor past
Indebtedness OF the Pcritentiary, S3o, oOo,
la. ncarly paid that Indebtedness, and bat
4 nominal sum will be needed for that pur-
Dose. The amount appropriated ior the
General support Of the Prison La, been 50
ge,l managed that the amount thereof I'M
expended is deemed by the Warden sum
cient for the next two yeas. 50 thai tue
amount OF p35 900 appropriated at tee last
regular session for that purpose need not be
renewed in whole or in part. VI the
amount Of S75 900, appropriated at the last
session for finishing and furnishing the
Centre and East wing Of the Insane A'y
lum about Sis 900 remain unexpended,
which balance with $50 O0O,now asked TOR,
i deemed sufficient 10 complete the whole
G. hut ln
81 Tor construction account IL that institu-
t!on nay be $50 900 less than at The last
session. The Blind Asylum at Slnion J.,
n1w under cover, and not liable to njui !
from the weather, and il you should deem
10 advisable not 10 make any appropriation
for its present completion, Slo 900 may be
deducted from the amount OF the appropii'
alton Of tie present session as cpihpaFea
with that oi the last. There has been pald
during the last two yea's 70 A2ricultuFal
| Societies tue sum ot about Sio,OOo ~
gou think it advisable to withhold any ap-
preparation for this purpose tor tue aext t"o
4ea!s this sum may be saved. HE ioreg0-
iug sums amounting IN the aggregate ~
SIG 600 are the expenditures 1or the 90
l+cts named for two years. and il withheld
will be saving OF SSS 600 per annum ion
tLe amount of state taxes. This amount,
doubt not, may be Increased by careful
examination oi our State expenditures ant
street economy to 100000, and il pro
: bortionate reduction Of county and town
sup expenses can be maze. the entire
amount of the tax required 10y the heheSa
. Government can be raised without incFeas
~ our present taxation. | commend tx
matter to your most earnest and careful OK
;. animation.
. la order to make the revenue Of tht
StAte more certain, | recommend that tht
, county treAsuIers be required by law t
pay the State treasurer, at nXed tunes
citain proportions OF tne amount OF revc
Euc due to the State, until the entire sun
tor each year Is pad, whether the county
treasurers have received the entire amount
# State tax or not. At present the State
, IS wholly helpless as to its revenue. !,
has TO depend wholly upon the officers g
counties for It's collection and transmission
and il the county officers are inefti cient
tie State is remcdlless. Each county II
now liable by law to the State for The
amount Of State tax assessed in it, but thi:
liability, without any means Of making il
practically effective, is useless. If Tho
|
due the State, whether collected or not
the county supervisors would be stmuIat
ed to require Of the treasurer strict per
rormance OF his duties; and il, in addition
YOU should SO change the present law as t
, give county treasufers, in lieu OF salary,
percentage on the amount Of money col
lectcd and dsbursed, or provide for town
ship collectors, to be paid IN the same way
our taxes would, in my opinion, be more
punctuaiiy paid.
also recommend that it be made the
, duty Of the Board Of Supervisors Of eacl
county to employ competent accountant
once IN each year to examine the accounts
{ OF each county officer, and state an account
between each officer and his county, ant
, between officer and officer; ard also tha
county treasurers and all other person
who receive public moneys be prohibited
9 under severe penalties, from using them il
: any way or placing them with Others to b'
1 used for their private benefit.
t The law of Congress imposing o diIec
: tax for the support Of the General Govern
$ ment gives to any STATE the privilege .
: collecting the amount Of tax assessed upOi
its people, aud allows such State to retain
0 fifteen per cent. of the amount, On condl
: ton tie State shall assume the pa, ment o
5 the balance Of the tax. Thereupon arises
/, the important question: What shall til,
g State do in the premises Ii must be re
G membered that If tue State assumes th,
d tax, the entire amount, less fifteen pc
r cent, must be paid by the State, V hethr
II the State collects the tax or net. Keeping
Is this in recollection, let Us ascertain a, near
: ly as may be our precise position. TIL