The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-01-22
WHEELING w. yA WEDNESDAY, MORNING JANUARY %, 1868.

Treasury for the current year, over the
ordinary expenses of the State. Yet /
suggest that strict economy be observed
In making all appropriations, and es-
pecially such as may not be regarded as
absolutely indispensable.
The message here discusses the queS-
tion of high taxes and official e1trav-
agance and attributes the whole trouble
to the bountics and the Free School
system. 1t assert that for these patti
otie and philanthropic purposes" the
people have taxed themselves, and that
the State is not responsible therefor.
It argues that the rate of taxation for
general State purposes2tbirty cents on
the one hundred dellars-is less than
that in many States and greater than
the rate in any; that the war pre-
vented the collection of even this much
in many localities, and that the Legisla-
ture "in laudable spirit of magnanim-
ity" had released the taxes chargeable to
the rebellious counties from 1861 to 1864
inclusive, thus throwing an undue pro-
portion of the burden upon the "loyaP
localities. Furthermore in the duty of
carrying on the State Government, pIo-
Itecting citizens and constructing pub
lie buildings it has been necessary to
jncnr such extraordinary expenses as
The following.
100000 paid fer the services, trans
portation and supplies of the militia and
other State forces, during the war, and
in defrayiBg expenses of recruits for the
United States volunteer service, which,
litis expected, will soon be reimbursed
by the United States; about $500, 600 for
the Hospital of the Insane, at Weston;
100000 for the Penitentiary; near S5O,-
| 900 for expenses Of lunatics in the Assy-
Inns of Virginia; and others of like
character may be seen by reference to
the Auditors Report.
Citing the facts that the State has
created no debt, that the valIo of pro-
lpefty in the State is assessed ten per
cot higher than it was in 1866, and that
ltte number of capitatioh tax payers has
INCREASED fvsi thousand within d year,
the Governor is gratfied, and calls at
tention; to tie Auditors report in regard
to certain defects in the revenue laws,
which need apendment.
KaUALIzATION OF ASSESSMENT OF LAND.
/ las REQUIRED by an'Act, passed Febru-
lary4a8, 1867, appointed Board, con-
IsigtipC of one member from each Sena-
koriaI District, to equalize the assess
lment of the valtIe of the lands of the
Estate as between the several counties,
kwho met in the city of Wheeling at the
thine prescribed in the Act, and proceed
4 ed to discharge the duty required to be
performed by them conformity; and after
fthey, lad concluded their labors they
filed their report with the Auditor, and,
as may be seen, he has Incorporated the
same into his Annual Report to the Leg
islature.
Willis this Board performed the duty
tenioiped upon them, and, no doubt,
fairly and satisfactorily equalized the
assessment of the lands as between the
counties, yet it was not within their
Fprotince, under the Act comforting their
authority, to equalize the assessment rs
between the different proprietors of
lands situate in the same county, and of
course they did not undertake to do so;
nor is there any provision of law under
which such equalization can be effected.
YOU will see from the Auditors Report
THAT he calls attention to this sabiect,
and recommends that county boards of
Ieanalization be provided for at the
pfesent session.
4 The act of February II, 1866, under
(which the reassessmcnt of lands was
made in that year, provided that any
person feeling himself agSrieved by the
assessment of his lands, might apply to
the board of supervisors for redress.
OF course no person applied to have the
valuation of his lands increased; and
my information is, that this provision
of the law has been perverted from its
original purpose, and the authority con-
ferred by il on the supervisors has been
much abused in some counties, by the
reduction of the assessed value of lands
far below what it should be for the pur-
pose of taxation; and, in some in
ihtances, below the valuation on which
Fit has been taxed for many years. | call
your attention to this matter, and sug-
gest that it be inquired into and the
wrong corrected. Evidence on the sub
ject may be found in the Auditors Of
fee.
I The message expects an early decis-
Jon of the case from Marshall county
now bSfore the Court of Appeals in re-
gard to the right Of the State to tax the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, sees no
reason why the amount due West Viz
ginia, fer military expenses may not
soon be paid, inasmuch as the Commits
have reported, and states that the Com
missioners 20 treat with Virginia in re-
gard to the public debt of that State"
have not been appointed because the
question ofjurisdiction over the counties
of Berkeley and jefferson has not been
decided, and because "in the present
condition of affairs IN virginia set
Element could hardly be had.
HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.
You will have before you the Report
of the Beard of Directors of the Hospital
for the Insane, at,Weston, accompanied
/ by the reports Of the other officers of the
/ institution. This document contains a
full and intelligent expose of the pro-
gress of the construction of the build
ling, and of the expenditures therefor,
aud Of the internal management and ex-
penses of the Hospital for the last fis-
cal year. 1t seems to me that its peru
tsaI should afford much satisfaction to
tsvery unprejudiced mind that takes an
Interest in the melioration of the condi-
Ition of the condition of that most af-
lfiicted class of our citizens for whose
benefit the institution is designed.
EThis report details the matters connect
Eed with the construction and manage
Iment of the Hospital up to September
hSO, 1867. At that time no portion ot
hhe building, in addition to that
heretofore used, had been com
lpleted, but | now have the sat
I