The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-01-22


proprlated for past indebtedness OF the Pcnte
J tiary' S3S,ooo, has nearly paid that indebte
ness, ana but nominal sum will be needle
u Tor That purpose. The amount appropriate
l. Tor the general support of the Prison has bee
. SO well managed that the amount thereof u,
j. expended is deemed by the Warden suffcicl
C ior the next two years, so that the amount (
a Soo,ooo, appropriated at the last regular sessio
v Tor that purpose need not be renewed in whol
= orin part. OF the amount of $4,000, apprt
prlited ut the last session for finishing and flu
. nishng the center and east wing of tic Insan
, Asylum, about $4,000 remain uncxpendet
f winch balance with $4,000, now asked for
eeemed sufficient to complete the whole built
i. ING 90 shat the appropriation needed for cor
! structlon account in that institution may b
. $o',oJo less than at the last session. TIL
{ Blind Asylum at Yinton is now under cove.
ana not liable to injury from the weather, and
you should deem it advisable not to make an
appropriation for its present completion, $40
,, Voo may be deducted from the amount of tn
appropriation of the present session rs con,
: pared with that of the last. There has bee,
paid during the last two years to Agriculture
Societies the sum of about $4,000. If yo,
think it advisable to withhold any anpropria
ton Tor this purpose for tie next two year
THIS sum may be saved. The foregoing sum
amounting in the aggregate to $l75,GOo, ar.
the expenditures for the objects named for two
years, and it withheld will be saving of $50,
oou per annum from the amount of State tax
es. Tins amount, l doubt not, may be in
creased by careful examination. Of our State
expenditures and strict economy. to Sl01, 900
ana II proportonate reduction of county anC
township expenses can be made, the entire
amount OF the tax required by the General
government can be raised without increasing
our present taxation. / commend the matter
10 your most earnest and careful examination
In order to make the revenue Of the State
more certain, recommend that the County
treasurer be required by law to pay the State
treasurer, at fixed times, certain proportions OF
the amount OF revenue due to the State, until
the entire sum for each year is paid. whether
the Oounty lreasurers have received the entire
| amount OF state tax or not. At present the
state Is wholly helpless as to its revenue. It
has to depend wholly upon the officers of coun.
ties LOT It's collection and transmission, and if
the county officers are inefficient, the State is
iemdiiess. Each county is now liable by law
10 'he state Tor the amount of State tax as.
seesed IN it, but this liability, without any
means OF making it practically effective, is
useless. II the counties were required to pay
the revenue due the State, whether collected
or not, the County Supervisors would be slim
ulated to require Of the Treasurer strict per-
tormance OF his duties and if, in addition,
you should so change the present law as to give
county lreasurers, in lieu of salary, per
ccntum on the amount Of money collected and
discussed or provide for township collectors,
to be paid in the same way, our taxes would,
IN my opinion, be more punctually 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
| oHcer, ana state an account between each Off
Ger and his county, and between officer and Off.
Ger, and also that County Treasures AMI all
| other persons who receive public monies, be
prohibited, under severe penalties, from usi,. q
| 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 Government
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, Oh condition the State
shall assume the payment of the balance of the
tax. Ihereupon arises the important question
What shall the State do in the premises 1t
must be remembered that if the State assumes
the tax, the entire amount less fifteen per cent
must be paid by the State, whether the State
collects the tax or not Keeping this in reco-
lection, let us ascertain as nearly as may be our
present position. This State has expended for
the General Government about $450, 900 and
has been repaid the sum Of $4,000. The State
has sold her bonds to the amount of about
S2O0,O00. The proceeds of said sale 1854 900
and the $oO, 900 received from the General
Government have been applied to paying the
expenses incurred by the State, leaving I'LL.
paid, and due wholly, believe. to our own peo- |
pie about 1885, 0', for which they hold, or can
receive warrants drawn Oh the War and De.
Tense Fund. If the amount expended by the
State, which is to be reimbursed by the General
Government, be $450, 900, the, e is now due the
State $4,000 and If the Federal tax should be
$3.50, 1000 and the State should assume it, there
would be due the General Governmental sum |
of $lS2, 500 being the entire amount of the tax.
less the amount now due the State, and the fil- |
teen per cent, for assumption and collections
which must be assessed upon and paid by our
people. -
But we must provide also for the payment
OF the amount due our own citizens. This must |
be done by assessing the amount as tax and |
by either actually collecting 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 them
other warrants of the amount of five dollars
each, which shall be receivable in payment of
the Federal tax. These warrants being of
the present year for taxes, would be nearly or
quite at par, and would be much more valuable
to the holders than the present ones. Should
this course be deemed advisable, it will be nee
essary, in order to meet the demand made upon
US by the Federal Government, to levy a tax
Of about 1868 500, of which $lS2 500 must be
collected in money, and $l6G,O00 may be paid
IN the warrants outstanding against the War
and Defense Fund Our State debt will have
been increased by 5000, 1000, and we will not
ave any money in our Treasury wherewith to
meet further military expenses, should they be
necessary. 1t will be observed that the sums
given are generally estimated. Absolute pre-
,ision could not in some cases be arrived at,
,ut it will be found the estimates approximate
'ery nearly the truth. II this should not be
leemed advisable, we can present our claims
lgainst the General Government, receive the
mount due the State, pay the outstanding war;
ants in the hands OF our people, and either
collect In money the Federal tax and pay it to
he General Government, retaining the fifteen
,cr cent. for so doing, or allow the General
Government to collect the whole without in
erferenee on our part. In view Of the actual
condition of our affairs, and the want OF promp-
itude with which our taxes are paid, | am in
lined to favor the plan first recommended. iii
had assurance that our taxes would be paid as
hey should be, would much prefer the Sec
md.
Intimately connected with the subject of
axation and revenue, is the question as to the
lind OF money which shall be received for tax
IS. Under our present laws, specie only is re.
'eivablc for public dues: in view of the recent
Of specie payments by the General I
Government and the Banks Of the Eastern
States, it becomes a question of great impor-
ance whether We can collect our revenue in
DIN. do not believe we can, and urgently
commend to you such change in our laws as /
will allow the payment Of taxes with U. ST. ,
Treasury notes and the notes Of the State Bank
It Iowa. 1t is true the U. S. Treasury notes
re not payable in specie, but iG is the interest
t all loyal States and Of all loyal citizens to