Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-30
Treasurer's Report.

urer WORTH submitted to the General Assembly on
tho second day of the present session.
The condition of the State finances are at all times
subject of interest to the people, but is especial
ly so now, when We find ourselves not only becom-
ing poorer every day, but moro heavily burdened
than ever heretofore by taxes, both State and ma
tional
1t will BE- seen that the det;cit in tho Treasury is
now fraction over three millions five hundred thou.
sand dollars that the increase Of tho State debt for
the last fiscal year is five millions sTo hundred and
sixteen thousand nine hundred sni five dollars and
thirty cents; that the amount of the State debt,
leaving out of view the stocks of certain corpora
tons belonging to the State, is twenty seven mil
lions five hundred and seventy seven Thousand nno
hundred and forty dollars and twenty cents; and
that the estimated expenditures on the present
scale, for the next Fl seal year, amount TO eleven
millions nine hundred and six.y-tw thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two dollars and forty-sisht
cents.
The State must, therefore, If the operations Of the
Treasury to be continued the present scale,
raise for the ensuing fiscal year within fraction OF
the enormous sum of taoslue millions, to meet the
existing deficit and provide for the charges on the
Treasury How is this to be done? By taxation
Can our people bear it? 1t is estimated that they
have PAID, or will pay, this year, some forty mil,
lions Of dollars into tho Confederate Treasury and
we cannot hope that a>less amount will be called
for next year. If we add to this State tax Sf
twelve millions, and some five millions for County,
taxes, we shall have the sum of from fifty to sixty
millions to be raised for 1855! Well may our
thoughtful and sagacious Treasurer express the ap
prehenson that the value of all State securities
will be affected and warn the Assembly, he does,
against further increase of the State debt
Bat the Governor of the State, if We may judge
from his recent message, does not seem to he much
impressed with the fear OF a heavy State debt
though he expresses the opinion that the taxes
will have to be considerably increased for the next
fiscal year." He goes out of his way to assail the
Treasurer but he does not show that the estimates
Of that officer not correct, nor does he sug ,ess
any plan, but that of direct tax.tion by which pro-
vision can be made for the enormous expenditures
which he insists shall be continued. We venture
to say that this is the first instance in the history of
the State in which the head of the Treasury, eject
ed by joint vote Of the two Houses Of the General
Assembly, has been assalicd in an Executive mes
sage his views and positions as Treasurer msrepre
sented and perverted, and an attempt made to cast
ridicule upon his suggestions WHICH evince com
mendabe desire to retrench expenses and thus light
en- the burdens of the people The message assumes
that there are persons in the State opposed to the
running of the blockade, unless as means Of ma
king money; and then holds up to the-ridicue and
contempt of the public those who oppose the only
means Of utng shoes the feet Of the bare Dotted
| soldier unless the State make money by it
Now, no one has ever opposed the running of the
blockade in order to supply our troops No one
has insisted on the State making money by the
operation, though mlny have doIhted whether this
operation was j udicioasly conducted. Every body
wants cur soldiers have shoes, whether they
! procured at sacrifice or not; hut all sensible men
want them procured at as little cost rs possible
! Many believe that the blo-kadc business has been
! klessly conducted. For instance, WREN it came
| to the knowledge of the public that the State was
paying, in England one dollar and seventy live cents
in gold for pair of shoes AMI after Incurr!n the
expense and hazard Of importation, selling then,
for ten dollars in Confederate money to the Coned.
| rate governme nt when it took twenty dollars in
this currency to buy one in gold and when at the
same time it was known that the Confederate gov
eminent was paying to private importers more than
four times the price for the same article which
paid to this State, there were PERSONS who complain
ed that the State Treasury depleted and eur
people unjustly burthened by such blockade opera
TONS. Oar troops are in the service CT the Confcd
eracy, which is bound to pay the expenses "r the
wsr, to which tins State contributes her full pro-
; portion in the way of taxes. u hen she undertook
the business of clothing her own troops, under some
Executive contract not authorized by law ard never
yet seen by the public many complained Of the in
justice dore the State, bu: no One complained that
! she was not making money by the operation. N"
! enc wanted to make money by it, and no wOuli
have complained if necessary loss had resulted from
it. The managers of the business say it has been
| source Of profit. Where is the proof of this? The
Governor, IN one OF his messages about year ago,
recommended that two millions of dollars be appro-
| priated 6support soldiers families, and paid out
of the profits of blockade running. Where those
two mlions2 The Public Treasurer does not &C.
! count for it. 1t is not pretended that it has gone
into the Treasury. We have heard it alleged that
the managers have ayaied themselves of their posi-
tons to make expectations and importatons for their
own personal benefit they may have protited by
the business, but there is evidence in the Treas
ury, in the Treasurcrs Report, that the State has
made any money by it.
The truth is, the Governor assais positions never
assumed by any one, and comes toa logical conclu-
| sion
The State debt is large, and constantly ncreas-
ing. The General Assembly looked to the Treas
urer for the cause Of this increase, we'll as for
the best means of meeting and diminishing the
debt. Certainly it was his duty, as it was his right,
to refer incidentally to the main cause to wit the
States large military establishment. He refers al
so to the expense which the State is mourning in
arresting deserteis, and says this expense Should
be met by the Confederate authorities. 1t seems
to US that these suggestions are not only proper in
themselves but that the views of the Treasurer OH
these subjects are sound and sensible. There is
no just foundation for the insinuaton made by the
Governor, that the Treasurer has travelled out Of
his sphere. Nor is there, in his Report, the least
color for the further nsinuaton that the Treasur-
er's.plan would allow deserters to go at large and
maltreat and nlundar the neonlc He has simrlv'