The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-02
COLUMBUS.


|
oi three persons as 8 committee to assist
in disposlng Of the business now on the
Supreme Court dOckets.
In the Senate % members answered tC
the roll call. The annual message from
Governor Allen was then read In each
house. The Governor suggested thai
among other wise and sslutary provisions
OF the State Constitution he deems as
specially important Rt this time the pro-
vision that makes II not discretionary bul
imperative upon the General Assembly Il
establish sinking fund for gradual but
certain ultimate payment Of the State
debt. On this point the Governor says
that the Convention which adopted the
Constitution fully realized the necessi'
ty oil providing forever against
the creation OF a public debt Of indefinite
duration, 60 far as the payment OF the
principal oil such debt Is concerned. 1t IA
Tor this reason that desire to call your
attention TO the condition OF the sinking
fund.
Section 5 ol article l2 Of the COnslilu-
tion provides that no tax shall be levied
except inpursuance oflawS and that every
law imposing tax shall state distinctly
the object Of the same, 10 which only it
shall be applied. In cOntravention Of this
provision Of the Constitution, the General
Assembly at Its sessions Of 1928 passed
acts authorizing the temporary transfer oil
money from one fund TO another, and in
pursuance Of these laws large sums were
transferred from the sinking and common
school funds 10 the revenue and asylum
funds. There still remains oil these trans.
ierred funds, which have not been re.
turned the sum Of $3.50 900 due the sink.
ing fund, and the sum Of $2l 900 due the
common school fund.
Last winter the Attorney General in
response 10 resolution oi the House Of
Representatives, gave an elaborate opin-
ion respecting these transfers, and de-
claring the laws authorizing them to be
unconstitutional. Since then the public
funds have been held sacred for the pur.
poses for which they have been collected.
These unconstitutional acts are still on the
statute book, and should they be repealed d
It viii be necessary Tor the general as
semblY at the present session 10 make q
provision Tor the return OF the transferred
funds TO the sinking fund, and 10 make q
further provision for the payment OF the
interest on the principal oil our State
debt, which falls due in January and July
1875 and in JsnusryIlS7G 0nithe first Of
January, 1876, there will be due on the
principal of our debt, payable at the
pleasure Of the State, the SUN of 81 ,409,-
sos; there will be due the interest upon the
debt, including the interest on the ire
ducible debt, in January and July, 1875,
and in January, 1876, the sum OF about
81 200, 600, making total Of $2,G94,SGj
of principal and interest. To meet this
there is at present q surplus IN
the treasury Of 4S0.5G0082, COL
lected for 1875, which will be
applied TO the sinking fund; as estimated
the present levy will be about 81 $685.
600, making total Of $1,7l2, 500 SO,
which will leave deficiency 10 bo pro-
vided for Of $9S2,20G The principal
falling due is payable at the pleasure OF
the State, and it IS Tor you TO determine
whether il shall be met when due or psid
as the accumulations OF the sinking fund
may warrant. But would suggest that
the credit Of great State, like that Of an
individual, is better preserved by being
ready TO pay its debt promptly at mstur-
ity. The local Indebtedness Of the State
on the lst day Of September, 1874, was
as follows: Debts Oi counties, SO 49,
575 G2; debts OF townships, including
debts created by Boards OF Education
other than for separate school districts,
1920 $3.50 0S; debts OF cities, first aud sec.
ond class, SIS 1899, ,1l2 49, debts OF incor-
porated villages, $SS4,855 Is. Total,
$2l, ,SSG,007 SO. Meigs county has not
reported. Amount Of reimbursable debt,
therefore, is: State $79sS. .2O5 30; local
$2l ,SSG 0O7 80; total $2O, ,S74 ,2l2 Go; ire
ducible debt $4,l22,90l Sc; aggregate
debts in Ohio, State, local and trust funds,
1873, ,O07, 1904 SO; taxes levied in 1873, COL
lectable in 1874, aggregate SEE, ,474 ,459;
taxes levied in 1874, collectable in 1875,
aggregate $27,Gl4,720. The taxable val
ustions in Ohio, as shown by the grand
duplicate OF 1874, are: Real estate in
cities, towns and villages 1851, $40, 100;
real estate not In cities. towns or villages
$697, ,4O8, ,53S; personal property $685..
l2l ,5SS; total 81, $50, $40, ,324, which is an
increase over the grand duplicate Of 1878
Of $l3, ,104 GS5.
The Governor says from personal in.
spection OF the benevolent institutions he
Is satisfied that in tho main they are well
managed, and that much good has arisen
from the recognizing acts Of last year.
Tho Governor merely refers to the
troubles in the mining districts last sum.
mer in few words, stating that at the
critical moment the prompt interposition
Of the moral authority OF the State was
found sufficient to restore harmony, with.
out resort to the material power OF the
State.
Concerning railroads, the Governor says:
Railroads are not only of great utility but
have become necessity 10 the country.
They should not be hampered by vindict.
i've and vexations legislation, but as ser
wants Of the people, enjoying peculiar
franchises, they should be held strictly
amenable 10 judicious legislation that will
prevent them from becoming masters OF
the people. Their rights should be fully
protected by law, and the rights Of the
people should be protected against such
cucroachments as tend 10 make them vic
Tins Of monopoly. He commends the
Agricultural College and the militia 10
the fostering care Of the General Assem-:
bly,, and urges such additional legislation
as Is necessary for the proper protection
Of the lives and health OF tho coal miners,
BE reviews his suggestions Of last year ss
to economy IN public affairs, and closes
with the following words: It Is ques.
tion for your serious consideration wheth.
er the compensation Of our county officers
Is not diSproportionste to the salaries Of
other public officers and OF persons in
private life. Public servants should be
reasonably compensated, but salaries and
fees should not be so high as 10 make the
getting Of Office profession and 10 ena.
Die candidates and applicants TO buy their
way 10 public places.
In the House this afternoon resolu-
I