Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-01-10

+, AAo PulluCul tSenOS Oh lle Yea
! have been of the most important ant
! exciting character; and whilst ever,
patrist must deeply regret that fna
solution has not yet been reached TO
all the disturbances in our nationa
Government caused by the late re
bellion, We may justly take pride il
declaring that the order, self centro
and intelligence concerning public
affairs which have marked the CO n
duct of the citizens of this State in
deciding NEST critical Issues at the
polls, give new assurances of the
safety and stability Of the republican
government
FINANCEs.
The reports Of the financial Off
GERS Of State present a condition oil
affairs which you will view with cat
isfaetisn. The receipts of the Trea
sury for the fiscal year ending 18th
of November last, including the bal
ance Of 1856, OS5 go unexpended in
the previous year, were ss,455,74
Il.
THR TREASURY.
The examination made under nv
order by w. t. Bascomb, special ex-
aminer, in connection with the prop
er State officers (whose report is at
tached hereto, as well as the regular
examinations of the Auditor and
Cemptreller, indicate that the man
agement Of the Treasury during the
year has been in strict accordance
with law.
VALUATION OF PROPERTY.
The total valuation of property
subject to taxation in 1867, as it now
stands on the tax duplicate, is 81,
LOG, ,20S, ,92l, sum on which the
whole outstanding State debt
amounts only to one per cent
Over thirty-six end a half millions
have been added to the amount of
this valuation during the past year,
of which however, more than nine
tenths is upon personal property,
the taxes upon real estate being levi
ed upon estimates, which are sub
stantially the same as they were at
the beginning of the war. This in
equality between the two classes of
property has no good foundation, for
nothing is more notorious than that
tie value of real estate has nearly, if
not quite kept pace with the enhanc-
ment Of personality. The Auditors
report discusses this subject with
care, and l respectfully commend to
your attention his suggestion as to
the necessary remedy. His labori-
GUS efforts to equalize and systema.
tize the valuation of personal proper
ty, shsuld be credited with NO small
part of the increase effected in that
respect, but Legislation seems indis-
Pensable to correct the inequality to
which l have referred. / heartily
agree with him in urging the neces-
sity of revision of all the financial
laws of the State, the inconsistencies
and irregularities of which are vivid
ly set forth in his report.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
The report of the trustees Of the
several asylums, which are submitted
to you, show all these institutions to
be in good condition, and, to the ex-
tent OF their capacity, doing thorough
ly the good work committed te them
by the State.
PENITENTIARY.
The resignation Of the fsrmer
Warden, in the early part of thesI
year, imposed upon the Directors of |
the Penitentiary the necessity Of
selecting new man for this import
ant position. Gen. G. G. Walcutt
was appointed, and the present con
ditioR of the prison shows that |
good discipline, firmness, system,
humanity and economy have been
exercised in its management.
The expenses Of the institution
have been little less than in the
preceding year, but they still ex-
ceed the receipts from the lsher of
the cOnvicts by the sum Of SIG, ,239,
SO. This is owing to the fact that
the existing contracts for thelabor of
the prisoners were, under the law,
nearly all made when the value of
labor was much lower than it now is,
and, therefore, while the Penitentia-
ry has the increased cost of feed and
to meet, it has not the bal
ancing advantage Of the increased
price Of labor.
MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.
By the provisions of the statute
passed last winter, the care of the
arsenel and State arms was trans
ferred from the Quartermaster Gen
eral to- the Adjutant General. The
latter sfiicer's report shows that due
diligence has been used in the col
lection and care of those arms which
had been issued to the National
Guard, and in the sale Of such as
were ordered to be disposed OF.
The distribution of the medals OF
honor to the veteran volunteers has
been q mere laborious task than was
anticipated, but for some msnths
past about one hundred per day have
been mailed to the claimants, the
United States having remitted the
postage upon them, and the Adju-
tant General hopes short time will
fipish all that can be done in this
manner. The remainder of the
medals will have to be kept waiting
the individual elsims which may be
made.
The record of the Ohio soldiers
enlisted during the war has been
completed, and your attention is
again called to the prepriety Of fol-
lowing the example of nearly all the |