The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-01-11

1t Is expected that the rooms intended for the
Supreme Court, the Library, and the various
State Offices viii be finished and ready to be oo
cupied early in the ensuing fall. and that the whole
building vii be completed in time for the next
session of the General Assembly.
1t will be large and beautiful edifce-com-
porting well with the magnitude and increasing
| wealth of the Siate.
But little attention has been paid for some time
past to the Militia System of this State, and in
some places, it has been suffered to go entirely
down. No returns. it is believed. have been made
for several years, and the State has thereby faed
TO receive her just proportion of the public arms
Many of the Divisions, Brigades, and Regiments
are without officers, and there is some doubt as to
the manner in which they should be chosen.
The Constitution requires that all white male
citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty
five years, shall be enrolled in the Militia of the
State. and that provision shall be made by law for
the protection and safe keeping of the public arms
Il has been found necessary in all Governments
to keep mp some kind of military force. In ours
the reliance is chiefly upon citizen soldiery.
I There may be occasions when the civil authori-
ties are unable to perform their appropriate dutes
and when the Governor is expressly required Is to
call forth the MiIitia, to execute the laws of the
State, to suppress usurrection and repel invasion"
The pubic arms. as will be seen from the
Quarter Master Generals Report, are in most
unsafe condition. 3.
These circumstances, it appears to me, render
it imperative on the General Assembly to provide
for more efficient organization OF the Militia OF
the State.
/ The reduction of the price of our Canal Lands
has increased the number of acres upon the grand
duplicate, and contributed largely to the settle
ment of one of the most promising regions of the
1 State. tssr aa1z
The area of the whole State contains 25,576,-
900 acres of which there will be brought on the
grand duplicate for the ensuing year, 24,8l1.455
acres, leaving balance of 765. sos acres, the
grea, part of which still belongs to the General
Government. zr-
The United States continue to demand the
former prices of from $l.25 to So so per acre
while the State sells her lands. in the vicin-
ity, at greatly reduced rates. This necessarily
retards the settlement of these lands and proves
very serious Inconvenience to the people in thai
section of the Staie.
The General Government should at once sur
render the remainder of its lands to the State &C
that they may 60 into the hands Of actual settlers
at graduated prices, and be brought, with all the
other lands of the State, on the grand duplicate.
> This would be no more than just. The whole
? quantity of land at frat held by the General Gov
eminent ia this State, appears from the actua
| surveys, was l6.770.9s4 acres. The procesd
|, already realized by the National Treasury. smoun
? to nearly S2l.00o,ooo, which is an average o
than 81 S25 per for the entire quantity.
3 / deem the present an appropriate and favorable
time to press this matter upon The confederation
t the General Government. since the early settle
ment of the public domain is the ayowed policy o
. the present Administration.
8 Our Federal Relations-both at home ant
3 abroad-ha been conducted, during the pas
a year, with signal ability and success. =fa
The principles and policy announced in the In
augural Address and Message of the Chief Magis
trate of the Uuion, refe ct the sentiments ant
opinions of the people, and afford ample proof tha
the honor and high interests of our country, viii
be fully and scrupulousy maintained.
r aa.1zs7 H-s WILLIAM MEDILL.@