Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-01-17

meet together once, month, or oltener il
desired by the Governor, In Executive
Council, to receive and consitef reports
from their respective departments, aid each
other with advice, aud decide such action
as will best tend 10 protect the public in
terests in cases of delinquency or suspect
ed malfeasance.i
This Council might be authorized to in
quirc into aud personally inspect the cob-
dtion OF the Treasury at reasonable periods
and to exercise such discretionary puwers
in relation 10 the departments generaliy,as
it would be unwise and probably unsafe TO
enttu,t 10 a single Executive officer. The
union OF several Executive officers into
boards of this kind is not without precedent
in this State. The Board of Fund Com
missoners, composed of the Auditor, Secre-
tary of State and Attorney General, has
not only tested the praclicabilty, but the
advantages OF such arrangements. The peo-
pic of those States which have adopted Ex-
ecut:ve Councils in the construction OF their
Governments, regard them, am told, as
most important safeguards in the admins
traton Of their Executive affairs.
The printing and distribution Of public
documents designed TO be laid before the
Legislature, is an object of great interest
to the people. The practice hitherto pur
sued is neither favorable to Il proper dis.
patch of the pubnc business, nor q wide
circulation Of the information they contnin.
They have usually been printed very lute
IN The session and their distribution con.
fined 70 a very few persons, mostly the
friond, of the members,
| woul! respectfully suggest the passage
OF law authorizing the Governor 10 have
printed, by the organized public printer, u
specified uunbsr Of tho reports made to
him by the several departments Of the
STATE Government ia time to have the
sime ready for distribution at the meeting
OF the General Assembly. The law should,
like that providing for the distribution OF
laws and journals, specify certain officers
and Institutions to whom copies Of these
documents should be officially transmitted,
as soon as delivered to the Ilgis latsre,
leaving reasonable number tD be dstri-
buted by the members. themselves among
their constituents.
Such u law, instead Of increasing, would
certainly diminish thu expenses now incur
red, a. the matter would be printed but
once, aud the contractors have ample time
to make the Required arrangements. The
information designed to be communicated
would then reach the people much earlier,
and enable them to make such suggestions
10 their representatives, as they might think
proper.
The initistory measures which have been
adopted by the Secretary o: State to gath
er the statistics of the agricultural wealth
and Improvements of the State, render the
report of that officer for the current year,
one OF unusual interest, and demonstrates
the wisdom of that provision of the Com
slit Iton which contemp,ates the establish.
ment OF Burean OF Siatstics in lonnec-
ton with that odce. There are few per.
sons outside of Ohio whu fully real ze the
extent and greatness vi her natural re-
sources.
With the view Of developing these re-
sources, AMI OF collecting the information
of 50 much value 10 the General Assembly
as well as to the people, I respectfully re-
commend the establishment, by law, of
Burean ct Statistics, as authorized and sug
gested by the provision referred to II is
neither in conformity with sound policy
nor with the dignity Of tho State, to rely
entirely upon the deccnnial reports Of the
Federal Government for knowledge of
our own resources and progress.
The State OF Ohio is Justly distinguished
'or a liberal and enlightened system of
public instruction. Contemplate by the
territorial legislation of Congress, it was
undertaken by the people of the State as
the exigences of frontier and the ex.
posures % war would allow, and has en-
countered less obstruction and moro en-.
couragement from the public sentiment
than has usually been observed in the pro-
gress o! similar systems elsewhere. Ger
eral education is recogn zed by the Con-
sttntion OF 1881 as n duty of Government
no less than parental obligation, aud the
law OF March IL, 1853, not only furnished
ample provision for schools oc every grade,
but will bo memorable in our annals for
establishing the principle that they are
open TO all--Free or Common Schools in
he fullest sense of the term. Instead OF
a mixed State aud County tax of mill
and half for ,hei, support, the act in
question directed State School tax, aud
thGt 10 proceeds be distributed from The
STATE Treasury in proportion to .he emu.
meration o! youth of school age within the
respective counties. Every township was
constituted a district, and entrusted in a
Board of Education consisting Of repre-
sentative from each sub.district who are
authorized to make or n ter such sub.dis-
trlcti, to assess taxes for tha construction
of schoo. houses aud the extension OF
school terms, and to exercise whatever gen.
eral supervision of educational Interests may
be consistent with The duties enjoined upon
the local directors in each sub.district. Al
fund OF one.ienth oi u mill yenrly was ap-
p'opristed "for the purpose of furnishin
school Libraries and apparatus to all the
common schools OF the State" and super |
vision of tho system was ronfdcd TO n
State Commissioner elected by the people.
In other respects the present schue law is
"A digest OF previous legislation, and was
lnlRn led "A TalIpIA nA nuhii, al