Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-12
: ,hat question between themselyes; hut |

tie that question between themselves; but
do propose, sir, to say few words with the
perm iseion OF the House upon the practical
importance which the passage of this bill
will have upon the interests of the people
of the State.
acknowledge myself, sir, ignorant, en-
tirely 60, of the science of geology, as ap-
Piled 10 the analyzation of soils, marls, &C.
for which this bill provides, but / am well
convinced that, independent OF the scientific
value of the proposed survey, proper
knowledge of the mineral and agricultural
resources OF our State, would bring hither
increased immigration and Increased wealth
1t is comparatively Of but recent date tina,
these sc;ences hare entered into the practi-
cal affairs of human life-nOw The, are in
dispenssble--we cannot ignore them, we
cannot do without them. Why, sir, it is
but few years since some of the citizens
Of The couu,y in which reside. fancied that
our hills contained bitnm nous. coal; but
upon applying to an eminent Geologist,
Chen perhaps tie only man in the State
who could inform them) they were told that
to dig for coal. they would have to dig up.
ward, in the air. about three thousand ieet
the blue limestone upon which our county
is situated being about that distance geo log
icalv below the coal formation.
What worId be said, sir, of man who
proposing to open farm, should not first
examine his Iand, with a view to The best
location of his orchard OF his curn fields
the best exposure for his vineyard, or the
best sheltered and heathiest spot for his
dwelling! Yet, sir. gentlemen are acting
on that very principle, in opposing the bill
under consideration, leaving our citizens to
grope in the dark 10 establish themse Ives in
the various industrial pursuits of life, igno.
rant OF the very ground upon which they
cad, and xishin whsee bos snt they are
finally to be buried.
1t is objected by the gentleman from Ross
that the amount asked ior. tretse thousand
dcllars per an"um for four years. is to'
small to accomplish the object proposed by
the bill, and he opposes i: upon the grount
that it viii be but al entering wedge fol
further and greater appropriations in the
future.
Now, sir, | have conf dence in the com
mittee which reported this bill They hav,
not acted unadvisedly, and know what they
say. | am willing to trust their estimates
although they are certainly very modest for
the end proposed to be accomplished, which
consiGer 10 bs more practical than scien.
t;6c. A further sum will doubtless be re-
quired her the work is completed, for ,
proper publication of the result of their la
bors. But, sir, were larger appropriation
asked for now, would still cheerf lily vote
for it, believing as do, that the measure j.
of great importance TO the welfare and pros
perity of this great State of Ohio.
Why, sir. We occupy, by the gree of God
the finest country in the world; lying as i
were in the verv lap of the Union-saf'
from nvasion--protected on all sides, ant
m dway between the extreme cold Of TIT
North and the pestiential diseases of the
South, with u mild climate, (aecording t.
phers)-the last two winters, how
ever, hardly sustain the claim; our Northern
boundary giving US access to thousands o
miles of lake navigation, while the beautiful
Ohio hich skirts our Southern border at
lords us other thousands of miles of rive
commerce, stretching from the Aleghanie'
on the East, almost to the Rock Mountain:
on the West, and from the far North to the
Cuff of Mexico. This promised land, sir
besides, is rich in all he agricultural pro
duciipns of the temperate zone; its bosom
bursting with mineral wealth, and in every
respec, favo ably situated for manufacturin!
enterprise, and for commerce. The Unior
is great giant, but our Stale is the heart
A State So fuvorabiy situated offers grea
inducements to the emigration OF the oil
world, as well as to the thrifty, overAowins
popu alton Of the olAsr States 4f The nee
and every emigrans that is induced to settle
within our borders adds to the public wealth
for labor is wealth, as labor creates wealth
am one OF those, sir, whe believes thai
a white man is quite as valuable as col
cred chatlel, and as bur Southern friends
reckon their wealth BY the number of in
habitants there may be upon the squar
mile at one thousand dollars each, by III
same rule, it would not be difficult to esli
mate how much the State of Ohio would bt
the gamer, if by thorough Geological Sur
vey, properly placed Before the world, al
increased emigration Should fill her vailie
and pc ople her hillsides.