same
year, and three sessions in their term of two years. They were in
session two hundred and sixty days--longer than was ever before
known in Ohio, and at an expense of $250,624.10--more than double
that of their Republican predecessors.

They created between thirty and forty new offices at a cost to the
people for salaries, fees, and expenses of at least $75,000 per
annum. They added to the State liabilities for various purposes
about $1,500,000. In order to avoid an increase of taxes levied for
State purposes they diminished the sum levied to pay the State
debt, and increased the levy for other State purposes almost
$600,000.

The acts of the last legislature in relation to local debts and
local taxes are of the most extraordinary character. These acts
relate to raising money for county purposes, for township purposes,
for city and village purposes, and for special purposes. These
taxes or debts are levied or incurred under the direction of county
commissioners, township trustees, or of city or village councils,
who derive their authority exclusively from State legislation. The
State legislature has therefore the control of the whole matter.
Now, the general statement which I wish to make, and which I
believe is sustained by the facts, is, that the late Democratic
legislature authorized greater local pecuniary burdens to be
imposed upon the people of Ohio, without their consent, than were
ever before authorized by any General Assembly, either in peace or
war, since the organization of our State government.

Sixty or seventy different acts were passed authorizing debts to be
contracted, amounting in the aggregate to more than $25,000,000. A
large part of them bear eight per cent interest, and a very small
part bear less than seven and three-tenths per cent interest. And
they passed seventy or eighty acts by which additional taxes were
authorized to the amount of over $10,000,000.

Now it is to be hoped, as to a considerable part of the local debts
and local taxes authorized by the late Democratic legislature, that
the people will not be burdened with them. It is to be hoped that
county commissioners, city councils, and other local boards, will
show greater moderation and economy in the exercise of their
dangerous and oppressive pow