Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-03-22
Ohio Galphinism.

Ohio Galphinism.
Report offhe majority Of ths Select Com.
mittes on that portion Of the; Gouer.
nor's Message relating to The Land
Claims Of sJohm w Alien, mid before
the House Morch 9th, 1862.
The najorlty ef the committee 10 which
was referred tha, portion ofthe Governor's
message relating to the claim Of John w.
Allen, to certain lands in the north>wes,-
ern part OF the Staie, by virtue of q con.
tract entered into by the said Allen, with
Gov. Ford, on the 25th Of February, 1850;
also, the petition Of Jacob Bigelow and S :.
A. feugh, to be remunerated for services
rendered the State, FOR first ascertaining
the rights of the State to the lands in ques.
ton, and discovering the same to the Au.
diior OF State, mike tie following
ss REPORT.
The act Of Congress, approved May "a,
1928, entitled an act to aid the State Of
Ohio in extending the Miami canal from
Dayton TO Lake Erie, and TO grant quun.
thy of land TO said State to aid in the con-
siruclion of the csaal authorized by law,
provides, tina, the sid lands hereby granted
10 the Slate Of Ohio, 10 be subject to the
disposal Of the Legislature Of said State,
and for The purpose Aforesaid, and no other.
Under certain conditions named in the
fifth section. Of this act, 100000 acres OF
Uniled States lacds. ia Ohio, were granted
TO the State TO aid her in the construction
of certain canals, and the act required the
lands 10 BE selected within two years, un.
der the direction Of the Governor Of the
Stele.
The seventh section further provided,
that, unless the Legislature should express
an assent 10 the provisions and conditions
of This grant, al the first session thereof,
The act should be wholly inoper alive. A
subsequent act. passed April 2, 1880, pro-
yides that, II the Stale Of Ohio shall apply
the said lands, or the proceeds Of the snle,
or any part thereof. to any other use what
ever, Than in the extension of the Miami
canal, the grant for all lands unsold shall
thereby become null and void, and the
State of Ohio shall become liable and bound
10 pay 10 ,he United States, the amount for
which said land, OF any par. .herenf, may
have been sold, deducting the expenses in
Cured in selling the same, &c.
On the 2i of March, 1887, Congress
granted one-haif OF Eve miles in width on
each side oflhe Wabash and Erie canal.
10 lho Stale Of Indiana. 10 aid in the con.
struclion Of snid can,l; and 90 .he 2ilh Of
May, the year following, Il,diana was aus
tho-ized by Cong ess, To reliIqnish 10 tho
State Of Ohio The lands within her limits;
and on the 9Th Of February, 1884, o 10
accepted oi the REIMBURSEMENT by Indiana,
and received a conveynnce of The lands.
under The conditions and s,ipala,ions Of the
or rieinai grant Of Congress
The Sac Of Ohio thereby came into
possession Of severa. hundred thousand
acres Of land, lying adjacen, 10 The can. Is,
TO u.d IN the construction Of which, they
Ne;e given. .=.==.
1t will be seen, that the United States,
in the grants Of l,nds 10 tle State o, Ohio,
had two objects in view: FIRST, 10 enobe the
State to Construct valuable md permanen,
improvements silhin her limits; and, sec.
ondiy. 10 afford fecilities for The shipmen,
OF the properly Of the Uniied States, over
these improvements. free Of Cost; and this
policy has been adopted in all, or nearly
all, ihe States Of the Union.
ltrnay be said, that these canals being
now finished. The object sought 10 be nc.
complished BY Congress, in providing ti,a,
The lands could moi be implied to any othe,
purpose than in the construction Of these
cannls. had ceased 10 exist; and, therefore
the lands themselves, or the money arising
fromsheir sale, may be applied to .pnrpo
ses oiher than those contemplated by the
law comforting The grants.
This might be true. ifihe debts contract
Led for The construction Of these cnnals were
| paid. Unfortunately for the claim Of Mr
| Allen, such is not the case. The State is
| al this moment, indebted to the amount o
several millions Of dollars, for Their con
struciion; and this very Indebtedness wa
/ incurred by the Siale, TO aid in the construc
ton ofihese canals, for the part, upon th,
basis Of these grants to the State; and cap
itallsts ol the country were induced to pur
chase The bonds Of The State, solely on lb,
ground, Thai these lands could moi be divert
ed BY the State, from the objects of tn,
grant; bu. were forever pledged to the fna
payment OF the State debt.
different policy would overthrow III,
whole system heretofore adopted by Con
gress ii, making grants oiland 10 the seye
| raj States. as well as the policy uniforml,
pursued by the State Of Ohio.
The Legislature Of Ohio, on the 9Th Q
/ February, ls47, passed an act. The frs
section ofwhich provides, that all lands be
longing to the State Of Ohio, by virtue G
The several ac,s Of Congress making appre
prialions Of lands to the State, 10 aid in III
construction and extension OF the canals
and IN the payment Of The canal deb
with Interest thereon, together with sue
as are ye. hsid by the State, under the &C
Of Congress granting lands 10 the State 9
Indiana, ST., shall be disposed Of IN th
manner palDted on. by laws now in force
The acl ais, provides, .haI the lands shal
be sold 10 actual settlers, in quantities nc
10 exceed i6oacres 10 each purchaser.
i The history Of the attempted fraud upc
The State, oy Mr. Alleo, 50 far as The sam
ren,ainS m f,to IN tho nfffcA nj The Audito