The following statement, shows the probable amount of funds necessary to defray the ordinary expenses of the Government, for the years commencing 1st December, 1842, and ending 1st December, 1844. For what particular branch of expenditure. Conveying convicts to the Penitentiary Advertising delinquent lands Abstracts of lands entered in the State of Illinois Sheriff's' and clerks' fees, on lands sold to the State for Amount. $10,000 00 3,000 00 300 00 900 00 5,000 00 5,000 00 56,729 00 12,000 00 200 00 1,000 00 50,000 00 Public Printing 5,000 00 Public Binding 2,500 00 Distribution of laws and journals 1,300 00 The Judiciary 27,000 00 The Governor 4,000 00 Taxes on lands sold to State, on which county tax has been paid into State Treasury, and to be paid over to These reductions it will be seen, are not only practicable but required by the inability of the people and the wretched condition of the currency. The salaries of officers cannot be considered exorbitant now, but owing to the depreciation of State Bank paper, they have been compelled to accept less for some time past, and the foregoing amounts will af ford then something like remuneration for their services. With an abundant treasury it might be politic perhaps to encourage by bounties the growth of silk, the killing of wolves &c., but in the present embarrassed condition of the finances, such expenses can be dispensed with without af fecting the general prosperity. From the best information I have been able to collect on the subject, the public printing and binding will admit of some reduction. The laws of the session like the journals, might be bound in boards. Indeed some of the old wealthy states,are more economical than we are in this respect, as it is only their revised laws which are bound in boards. Some reduction might also be effected in the expense of collecting the revenue. Printers instead of being paid as now by the lot or tract, might be paid by the thousand ems. This would reduce the expense of advertising delinquent lands about one half. The pay of assessors, collectors and clerks may also admit of some reduction. It is not absolutely necessary for collectors to traverse their respective counties to collect taxes. A public notice at the county seat of each county or in each justice's district of the time and place of payment, would most likely be sufficient. The collection of taxes in the several counties through the joint agency of sheriffs and collectors, produces unavoidable complication in the accounts of these officers. All this could be prevented by giving the entire collection of the revenue to one class of officers. It would constitute an immense saving of time, trouble and expense, if delinquent lands could be sold without the intervention of a court: the rendition of judgment against delinquent lands is in its practical operation a mère cercmony, affording little or no protection to the rights of the citizens, and if only introduced to obviate the difficulty that might arise, from a fanciful construction of the constitution, might be safely abolished. The extraordinary loss which the State sustains by the annual sale of delinquent town lots, the most of them entirely valueless for any purpose except to swell expenses, calls for immediate legislative correction. The amount of tax levied in this State for county purposes appears very exorbitant. In 1810 it amounted in all to $202,860, while the State tax only amounted to $116,466. In 1841 it amounted to $260,337, while the State tax for the same year amounted to $210,445, thus showing that more is annually levied to maintain these local administrations than the administration of the State Government. It will be for the Legislature to determine whether a further limitation upon the county commissioners courts in this matter is not called for. The proclamation prohibiting the reception of State Bank paper took effect from the 12th day of September last. Previous to that day a part of the revenue of 1842 had been collected and paid into the treasury, amounting in all to $11,179 67. This leaves of the revenue of 1842 which has not yet reached the treasury $182,800. By a reduction of the taxes, those who have already paid, and those who have yet to pay, the taxes of the current year, could be placed on a footing of equality. A reduction of one half would make the revenue of 1842, not yet collected, after deduct ing for loss &c., $91,400 00 5,500 00 15,000 00 Three per cent. fund due on the 30th June last 37,206 39 Receivable for the distribution of the proceeds of the sales of the public lands to July, 1842 41,909 35 191,015 74 115,000 00 Reduced revenue of 1843 Total $306,015 74 Thus it will been seen that by judicious retrenchment there will be ample resources to meet the expenditures of the next two years. The revenue if reduced to fifteen or twenty cents on each hundred dollars can nearly all be paid by tax payers for the ensuing two years in Auditor's warrants. The warrants now outstanding and unredeemed amount to $28,898 26 The amount necessary to be issued to defray the expenses of the Legislature will be about To pay the interest on the school fund, and the salaries of officers, &c. until next April, about 50,000 00 50,000 00 The whole warrants in circulation next April will be about $128,898 26 The finances of the State can be placed upon a permanent footing by reducing the revenue and requiring it to be collected in current funds and Auditor's warrants. The first cffect of this policy will be to enhance the value of warrants, and render them a temporary resource to meet demands upon the treasury, and its next effect will be to furnish tax payers with a convenient medium, for the payment of revenue, which no ingenuity can divert to any other purpose. In my humble opinion every attempt to carry on the government with the notes of insolvent institutions must end in certain failure. It will not possess even the merit of present convenience, while it is likely to subject the people to the risk of aspecial session of the Legisla ture, and an additional load of taxes. It may be instructive to advert to the condition of the State towards the close of the last session of the Legislature, when the State Bank refused to redeem Auditor's warrants. The members of the General Assembly after having been in session about three months were unpaid and without means. The judges and other officers were in a similar condition and the credit of the State at the same time had sunk so low, that the public documents could not be obtained from the post office, until the officers themselves became personally responsible for the postage. In this extremity the State Bank was able to dictate its own terms to the Legislature and extort from that body whatever concessions it chose to demand. To prevent the recurrence of such a mortifying state of things, I united with the Governor and Treasurer in their efforts to preserve the revenue of 1842 for the use of the State. In this I rejoice to say we have been successful, and it is now subject to your control instead of being in the vaults of the Bank. All of which is respectfully submittted. JAMES SHIELDS, Auditor of Public Accounts. |