Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-09-14

OUubE tnC bIObu pOWoi VI thO nv " sOss't
new lease was given to the, lessee Of a
tract of land in fractional section %, in the
4th township, LIST fractional range Of Hamil
ton county (the tract lies Immediately be-
low tho mouth of Mill Creek, and adjoining
the city Of Cincinnati), subject to'h rent Of
forty dollars per anDum, and Dispensing
,toiM all future rerolutions In 1910, when
Mr.. Brough was Auditor, that land was still
held under the lease Of forty dollars per an :
mum, when it was estimated to be worth not
less than one hundred thousand dollars
Here was double wrong. The ministerial
township was defrauded of its just rights,
receiving a bare pittance Of forty dollars per
aunum upon this valuable property, and the
State was defrauded of the taxes which the
land should justly pay. The lessee did not
see proper to surrender his lease, although
a few hundred dollars would enable him to
pessess himself in fee Of most valuable
property, and for the good reason that while
he held it he escaped a. heavy amount of
taxation by paying trihing amount OF rent.
The evils might be beyond remedy, but
he chiefly regretted the loss to the cause of
education and religion, and thought the law
makers should be admonished by the lesson
in the future. There was no wrong affect
ing the interests of the people, however in
significant that he did not look into and at
tempt a reform.
WHAT is DUE TO HIS ENERGIES.
To the financial system of the State he
devoted his chief energies. The whole body
of laws relating to our financial operations
had become involved in such confusion, and
the frequent patching and changing Of the
system had given it so many forms and
shape, that a correct and perfect admins
tration of the public finances was matter
Of utter impossibility. There were no less
than three financial departments: The Ca
nal Fund Commissioners, the Board of Pub
lie Works, and the State officers, and all
acting,n perfect independence of each other.
The truth was, that frem all the informa-
tion and records of the Auditors Office, it
was net possible to arrive with accuracy at
the Indebtedness of the State, and the dis
bursement of the most important and ex-
tensive portion of its funds. The Fund Com
missioncrs were authorized TO loan money
they did so, and reported the fact and gross
amount to the Auditor; but those funds,
instead of passing through the Auditors
Office into the public treasury, were deposit
ed in the banks and agencies; and in place
Of being disbursed upon the drafts of the
Auditor, passing through his books, where
perfect system of accountability could be
kept up las is the case at the present time),
they were paid out on the checks of the
Fund Commissioners, and no trace Of them,
save the fact Of their loan, as reported by
the Commissioners, was to be found upon
the fiscal records of the State. Again, while
this branch was thus Independent of the
fiscal officers of the State, the Board Of
Public Works was Independent of both
Their requisitions for public funds were
40 la E,nI Al
amounts were furnished and placed in the
banks, subject to the unrestricted checks of
the Acting Commissioners. The vouchers
for their expenditures were returned to
themselves, in their aggregate capacity of a
Board and the accounts of one member
were audited and settled by his colleagues,
when he in turn became a judge in settling
theirs the auditor having nothing to do
but to record these settlements as fnal!-
This, to the citizens of Ohio participating
in political affairs twenty-six years ago is
nothing new, but to the younger class it will
show how slowly safe system Of finances
is formed and comparing the recommenda-
tions of the Auditor then with the admir-
able financial system we now have, they will
understand better what the people Of Ohio
owe to John Brough.
HIS FINANCIAL REFORMS.
He earnestly devoted his energies to re-
form, and by unremittingly pressing his
theories from year to year upon the Gen
eral Assembly, and laying them before the
people, he effected it. H.,
The management of the finances was
changed system Of accountability be-
tween the departments of Government was
adopted; new revenue laws were passed
and put int operation, and the county Of
fcers held to rigid accountability for their
execution, so that even as early as l84l one
million and twenty thousand acres of land
were added to the taxable list ineficienoy
in the discharge of public duties, corruption
and defalcatiOn on the part of subordinates
which had been frequent before, were pre-
vented or corrected economy In the ad :
ministration of Government and expendi--
lures for public improvement was observed;
those political mountebanks, whilom freest
in sqaandering the public revenue, who
broached the policy Of repudiating the pub
lie debt, were defeated and politically buried;
the State was relieved from, financial en-
barrassments, and her credit gradually re-
stored. 1f"T q . Tr '.af b; ur'CS,r4
| Eb4g. HE ATTENDS TO THE PUBLIC DEBT. ?
The heavy amount Of the public debt, and
its rapidly increasing character, was source
OF great anxiety to Mr.. Brough, and he
addressed himself to the task of reducing it
and adopting the means for its final redemp-
tion. u He discussed in public the financial
question in all its bearings Perhaps what
| he had to say 10 l840, in regard to tho debt
of Ohio, may not be uninteresting or pn-
profitable, if read in the light of the present
day. ie,d -. cij NJ -.f.'r .g q
| + lie referred to the thesry of an English
statssman,y ,rhata Irrational debt was a,
national blessing = for the reason that, the
interest and identity which it created be-
tween its citizens, the wealthy and powerful,
and the Government, was the safest guar
anty against the revolution that involved
encroachment or destruction. Mr.. Brough
held that the remark will hold directly an
inverse position, when applied to the form
of Government which we enjoy; and is en-
forced 10 that position by the very reversed
circumstances that surround our public debt.
Although Jay Cooke has shewn how our
4 public debt has beenisndImay continue to be
q blessing for . time, yet the argument of
i Mr.. Brough will be affirmed as embracing
the safest theory for Government like
} ours He said ;.,a 2, 1g-i. I. r.essd11nu +.