Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-12-14

quarter TOWNSHIPS, in the United States mi
litary school land, of four hundred and eight
acres, as found on actual survey, which
Congress would, no doubt, make good upon
proper application. There were large
number offractional townships in this state,
having no section sixteen, and unprovided
with school land under the original law. In
eighteen hundred and twenty seven, Con-
gress passed law giving to each township
and fractional township, for which no provi-
GUS provision had been made, school lands in
proportion to the size of the township, to be
selected in the respective land districts,
where the townships unpvovided for were
situated. The amount of school lands due
this state under this act, was about thirty
thousand acres. What proportion of this
has been selected, | am unable to state, but
no selections have been made, as am in
formed, in the Chlicothe land districts,
where great number of these fractional
townships are situated, ON the ground, that
there is no suitable land within the district
subject to be selected. In all cases where
suitable selections cannot be made under
the law within the land dstrtcs, Congress
should permit the selections to be made
from other government lands of the district.
This is SO obviously just, that upon pro-
per application to Congress, presume they
would not hesitate to authorize selections
to be made from any government lands
within the state. would respectfully sug-
gest the policy of submitting the whole
r,,h;a,f IN ho
and asking that body to pass a law, provi-
ding for those fractional townships, which
have been deprived of school section SIX
teen, and to authorize selections to be made
under the act of Congress, of eighteen hun
dred and twenty seven, from any lands be-
longing to the General Government, within
the state. The only lands owned by the
United States within the limits of Ohio,
that are considered of much value, are the
reserved sections embraced within the Inn
its of the Wabash and Erie, and Miami Ca
nal grants. These lands, it is expected,
will be brought into market, and sold the
ensuing year; and unless Congress can be
induced TO act Immediately on the subject,
their interference hereafter, can be of little
use to :he state.
. Our school fund and the means of educa-
ton have been permanently impaired by
that improvident system of legislation,
which authorizes, under certain circumstan-
ces, the sale of our school lands. 1t seems
to me our true policy IS, to retain these
lands for the benevolent and wise purposes
for which they were intended, and to au-
thorize their sale in no case unless under
very peculiar circumstances, and when the
interest of our school fund would be obvi-
ously promoted.
During the past year great embarrass-
ment has existed throughout the country in
moneyed affairs, and especially in the east
ern cities. In this state our citizens have
felt the pressure to considerable extent,
and are aboring under its unfavorable in
fluence. 1t has not, however, fallen with
the same force on us as on the citizens of
some other portions of the Union. This is
owing to the fact that we are more an agrl-
cultural, than a manufacturing or COM
mercial people; and, comparatively speak
ing, but little in debt. The embarrassment
and pressure among our business men in
Ohio, am convinced, will be of but tempo
rary duration. Their business habits, ener-
gy of ofcharacter, with the great and lncreas-
ing resources of the country, will soon ena-
BILE them TO recover from their present diff
culties. The mechanical and agricultural
portions of the community being generally
out of debt, have not experienced the same
embarrassments that have been felt by the
merchants, and those engaged in heavy bu-
siness, demanding large capital and exten-
sive credit.
The contraction of the banks, and the
consequent scarcity, when compared with
former years, of a circulating medium, have
had tendency to increase the embarrass-
ments among our citizens in moneyed af-
fairs. In May eighteen hundred and thirty
seven, the discounts of the banks in this
state were nineteen millions five hundred
and five thousand six hundred and sixty
two dollars. On the .hirtieth of Sep
tember last, they were eleven millions, two
hundred and sixty eight thousand one hun
dred and twenty-five dollars. Showing a
reduction in the discounts of the banks
since May, eighteen hundred and thirty
seven, of eight millions two hundred and
thirty seven thousand five hundred and thir-
ty-seven dollars. Their circulation has
boen diminished since the 3Oth Aarll to the
3Oth September last, one million eight hun
dred and twenty -four thousand four hundred
and nineteen dollars and twenty three cents.
Under this contracted circulation, our citi-
zens are now called upon to meet their en-
gagements entered into under our extended
and highly inflated circulation when money
was plenty, and credit easily obtained, and
when they had every reason to believe that
they would be able to meet their engage
ments without any difficulty. This Illus
trates the injurious consequences to the
community Of a currency capable Of great
and sudden expansion and contraction.
The prominent causes, however, Of the
present difficulties under which the country
labors, are to be sought for in the large a
mount of interest annually paid to foreign
capitalists, tvariously estimated at from
eight to twelve Millions for money borrow
ed by the States and Corporations, and IN
the great and excessive Importation of for
eign goods into this country, and the debt
thereby created. Our imports for several
years have annually exceeded our exports
to large amount, leaving a heavy debt a.
gainst us to be paid in coin. This debt is
now called for and must be paid. The coin
necessary to pay our foreign debt belng
principally distracted from the banks, they
are forced to curtail their circulation and
al, =. L,, r<f txflri irh