The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-29
GheQatetliQettfers,
-
RATES OF sUBsCRIPTIoN.

One Square, one time, 10 lines or less to con-
stitute q square, ................Sl W
.. .. each additional ttme,............. %
one week, 3 " ~
. Sc. two weeks, o w
-. month, 3
Onr state Expenditures Actual and
Proposed.
"a Communication in tho Wellsburg Herald
ofSatur1nyO
Editor Herald S-The policy Of the
new Stata oftWestSV fginia.was intend
ed to be of the modern kind, Its Con-
stitution Is a good one. 1T discounte-
nances extravaganza iii every shape.
the legitimate functions of legislation.
1t provides that ',no debt shall be COM
tracted by this State, except to meet
casual deficits, in stheTeyenue, toredeem
a previous liability. of the State to sup
press Instruction; Tepel invasion, or
defend tho State in time of war"-see
Sec. s, Art. 8, of Constitution.
The conditions upon which the State
may. contract debts are specified clearly
and definitely. a III y !
Nor was itintended, nor is itSvithin
the scope of legitimate legislation to
have large revenues, for the purpose OF
appropriating the excess to favorite and
pet projects. -It-was not part of the in=s
tention, nor does the Constitution war
rant the conclusion, that taccumulations
should be allowed in, the Treasury, and
then those accuninla be- parcel1ed
out to suit the purposes of particular
persons, orr terests. The IGohsitu-
lion warrants no other 1nterpretation,
than that the Legislature was to as-I
certain and provide lfot the necessa-L
nv, ordinary wants of our State govern
ment, and provide the means for car
rying it on. A fair, legitimate con-
structionr OF, that instrumeutiJcompes
the itlea, that the State was to separate
herself from that ruinous, impoyerish-
tally exploded system of constructing
roads upon State accounts or}by yimoney
drawn from the common Treasury.
Section 8, of the Constitution, is In these
words: "The Legislature shall pro-
vide for an annual tnx, sufficient to
defray the estimated expenses OF the the
State for each year; and whenever the
ordinary EXPENSES of any year shall
exceed The tincome, shall levy tax for
the ensuing year, sufficient with other
sources of income, to pay the deficiency
as well as the estimated expenses OF
each year" Now. what are we to mn nn,
the State is to. levy five times as much
revenue ascwill be qhired> to Ineetthe'
ordinary expenses and squander the
balance by throwing 1t broad cast, over
the state 10 build roads and bridges
Can any logical mind torture such an
interpretation-from the ords;usedT
The Legislature shall provide tor1an
annual tax snfIicient to defray the estl-
mated expenses, and whenever the or
binary expenses of any year shall eX-.
ceed the income shall levy a sum suth-
cient to paw the deficiency as we'll as
the estimated expenses Here the Prln-
cipal is clearly expressed, that the levy
is to made with reference to the ordina-
~ Will nfntnn6 to
tell the people and Taxpayers OF West
Virginia, that this provision of their
Constitution is obeyed and carried out,
bv levying five times as much revenue
as is necessary to pay the ordinary e1-
penses of the State, and after taxing
State purposes, squander the balance
in the shape of appropriations to roads
and bridges 2 1t is "a palpable ana
gross violation of ourfundamental law.
The sum of 100000 is sum ample
in times of peace to run the whole ma
chinery of the State; These are times
of peace, and they will continue.
Ihave nut the sumat S100, 900 because
1t is over rather than under the mark.
There are, certain military, claims That
vet should be settled no doubt. But
exclude these from the calculation ana
the enormous sums proposed TO DC
spent on roads and bridges and you
tive and judicial branches OF, our gov
ernment our expenses should notreach.
500. 600, and will not, under judiclous
management. Last yenr, from the goY..
ernofis i11essage, our receipts exceeded
S4OO, ,OOO-while he estimates the receipts
for the coming year at over S6OO,O0 SV, et;
There was balance of about S2UO,OOO
in the Treasury ut the close of the last
fiscal year--enought to run, the ordinary
expenses or the State for two years to
come. Now'let us suppose that the
present rate of taxation. is kept up for
this present fiscal yenr, and the next,
what amount will have been irece1Te9af eagS9fJ !
O00Seach added to balance on hand of
s20O, 600, gives you at the end of two
wears from date of last fiscal year y, 400
06Q-Vhereas we have now on hands,
funds sufficient to run the State for
two years so far as heh ordinary
expenses are concerned, or an ex-
OF T StaxptdonS lof $1,000, ,6Oel IN ltllss
,youilg State Or WesC V1rginin.-.
Now. what is to be done with all this
money! You have the solution of it in
the late proposed nctio9; OF the Leg sa
-t,ire. But little complaint can be MADE
as to the case ofpreceding Legislatures.
lThe heavy appropriations being made
with reference to the defence OF the
STATE: an direct right initself, and which
shonld be refund ed by the general gov
iayn meIit: although there were some ap-
'fTonriations of an objectional chaFac-y
ter. in theshape q money gs given 70 GSaa
bnt thew were LsfnalI They SneVeEtne-
les served as an entering wedge, from
which has sprung the present giEantlc
,character of the pproprintions' now
asked at the;hands of the Legislature,
which Il carried out by it, will call for
the combined power of the people 70 ad-
inst. on Friday, the 10th inst, propo-
sitions were presented TO the Ieglsla-
fure for the appropriation OF the sum OF
5000. 0O0-enough of moneys asked tor IN IN
one day to run the State two years. ears q. "
anpenrs in the INTELLIGREcER, OF Sat
nTIav. the 10th, and believe it was the
proceed diIiesl OF dRy before. Now. i
ask whether that is running the
state in conformity to the provisions
ofiour fundamental law above point
ed ont If that ig to- be the fihhrac7
ter Of the legislation of our new state,
4better it had never been born"-bettes
1t were still an appendage of that old
carcass. from which 1t was severed to
preserve its life-enough money asked
IN one day to Ennithei state two years,
and ttdt is 1evying taxes for the ordi-
{Thry expenses of the State Let 1t not
he snpposed that Cthe people of West
Virginia are so blind, SO. ordinary as
not to understandfth the Language OF their
own Fundamental law The PEoceeaSi 81
in the InteliqeHcer, show additional apE
proprfafions asked to the shnotn int Of
SO 600 more. Here Is the work chalked
ont in two days. Gonsid ernble sums
were asked, for pEeviously.a A quarter
of q million dollars Rsked IN two days
for roads and bridges enongh 70 run e1a
fhe Stafeior half years in its
att