Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-01-17
NUMBER 80.

nshed by that department. Tor eighteen re-
giments of infantry, one of artillery and
enc of cavalry, with all articles supplied
the 1st and Sd Cavalgy. tr
AS nearly as can now he ascsrtained.
the liabilities of the state stard as follows ::
Total expenses as above, Sl,G56,659 So
Pay'ts by st. Pay NJ Gen, $40 526 43
Payt acts. au, by Sec. O; state. So, 724 so
Payments by the Gnvernon, 3e8.647 90
Pay'ts by U. s. O. Mast. di,
rect on Q Mast contracts, 357.765 rs
Payts. by Z. S. Comm'y's bill, S,743 70
Total. .Sl313,65l 20
Present liabilities of State S343. 00S 63
Some farther allowance, as is believed
not to exceed $40, 900. should be made
for salaries due to members of the Gov. q
military staff, the assistant surgeons sent
by the state with her regiments, and wa
ges due to agents and employees III ono
service or another connected with car miE
itary operations.
The U. s. Government having assumed
all further responsibility of providing for
our volunteers within as well as without
the state, the services of many persons
now in the employ of the state can be dis
pensed with Provision should at once DO
made for the means TO settle their claims
of wages or salaries T7
Provision should at once be made to
continue the payment of the aid pledged
by chapter of tho acts of the special ses-
sion to families of volunteers, and all vol
unteers in the state should be held in equal
regard in whatever branch of the service
they may have enl,sted A special tax or
temp rary loan may be necessary. Action
on this matter should bc taken at once, or
much complaint and suffering may be tho
result The statute also requires amend
ing in details, to tie end that the state be
better protected against the abuse of its
especially should heavy penal,
ties be enacted against Justices making
false certificates
BY an act of Congress passed OH the 5th
day of August last, direct tax of tweuty
millions of dollars is annually laid upon
the United States. To the State of Wis
consin there is apportioned of said tax the
sum of S519. 6S0 81, which is 1912
upon the dollar of the present valuation of
real property in the state. Tie law Of
Congress further provides, that the tax
shall be assessed and laid on the value OF
all lands and lots of ground, with their i'm
provements and dwellings.
1t follows. that, if this tax is to be coli
looted by the United States, personal props
erty will escape altogether 1t is provi-
| ded that any state may assume to assess
and pay its own quota in its own way and
manner, aud a deduction Of 10 per ceatum
will be made for expenses of assessment
and collection. The advantages to be de-
rived by the state from assuming and pny-
| ing its quota of this tax. are the large per-
centums of discount offered, and the oppur-
tunity of providing that all tie property
of the state bear its just proportion of the
| burden. In new state like ours. hnwev-
er, so large proportion OF the taxes re-
main unpaid upon delinquent lands, that
the state can scarcely afford to pay this
whole tax in money, and hold these lands
Tor redemption.
would recommend that the Cove nor
be authorized to liquidate the tax by Offset
Of claims Of the State against the United
States, to the amount for which allowance
can he obtained on such claims beyond
provision for existing liabilities against the
state; otherwise that the tax be left for
collection by the United States.
! SOLDIERS ALLOTMENT OF PAY,
A law has recently been passed by Con.
gress, and approved by tie President pro-
viding for the appointment, by the Presa-
dent, of not exceeding three persons for
each state having volunteers in the United
States service, who shall be authorized by
their commissions, to visit the regiments
from their respective states and receive
from the volunteers, ''from time to time
their respective allotAents of pay to their
families or friends" The second section
of said act provides. that such Commits
sioners shall receive no pay or employ.
ment whatever. from the Treasury of the
United States" The propriety of pro-
viding that appointments of such ap i'm
portant character, and of such nature,
shall be made by the President of tho
United States, while they are to be paid
by the States for their services, may justly
be questioned Of the necessity of sonIa
provision, under proper safeguards, by
which the volunteers may be enabled at
stated times, to send their earnings to
said families, there can bo no question -
and means should be set aside for the cx-
penses of such persons as may be ccmmis=
sloned to attend to this important duty,
OF TAXATION.
For now three successive years, our
State tax has been so trifing in amount AS
to suggest, in each instance Iionest doubts
Of good faith by the legislature in making
the levy. Yet the treasury has not failed
during these three years. to meet every de-
mand for current expenses upou presen;a.
ton, and al the end of each year a hand
some balance Las been found remaining to
| the credit of the General Fund. Notwith-
standing this the people of the State have
experienced no appreclabe relief from the
| burdens of taxation This fact suggested
the institution of some inquiries as TO the
| object and amount of taxes annually paid
| by the people Of Wisconsin.
| Pursuing these inquiries, statements have
been made the past summer and fall. from
the clerks OF supervisors of forty seven Of
the ffty-six organized counties of the State,
showing the amount levied for county laxes
in each colnty for the years 1857, 1858.
1859, and 1860. respectively. the table