The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-01-14
Governors Message.
Felloao-citizens Of she Senate,

| OeV-SsSe%ctS " SfcS ocNtetcy
and Of the House Of Representative
I welcome you, with great plsasur
to the first session of the General A
sembly in the New State House.
In simplicity of Design, in harmon
of Proportions, and in massive solidit
| of Structure, it stands, and may il Ion
stand, = monument and symbol of th
dear Faith, the well ordered Institu
tions, and the enduring Greatness Of th
People whose House it 10. e7 -T.f
The year which has just closed, ha
been marked by the steady advance o
the great State, whose interests, for th
present, have been confded to our care
in all the clements of wealth, honor an
power. i.-r s,s5
The returns of Agriculture, thougl
less abundant than in some more favor
ed years, have yet been sufficient to sup
ply abundantly our wants at home, an,
to furnish large surplus for exporta
tion. The products Of Manufacturing
Industry have been steadily and great
ly augmented. The transactions o
Commerce have multiplied in number
and increased in Importance. Vas
mineral treasures, hitherto compare
lively inaccessible, have been brought
by the extension of Railroads, within
the easy reach Of enterprise and made
tributary to the general progress.
While the development and enlarge.
ment of our material resources have been
ensured by these and similar agencies,
other instrumentalities have been 40.
lively employed in the promotion of the
moral and intellectual welfare of the peo.
pie. Public order and private rights
have been maintained by an enlighten.
ed and impartial administration Of jus.
tice. Institutions of Education have
difused among the masses the power Of
knowledge; Institutions of Benevolenes
have ministered to the children of sor-
row the wise and noble charity of the
State; Institutions Of Religion, sus-
tanned by the voluntary contributions
and sympathies of the people, and made
efficient by the self denying labors of
teachers and ministers, have lent their
powerful support to public virtue and
order, while they have enforced the OBJ
legations of private duty, and cherished
the aspirations of individual faith.
Nor are these the only benefits which
demand our grateful Acknowledgements
Peace is the opportunity of progress,
aud peace, unbroken has prevailed
throughout our borders. The Pesti-
lence, which, in former years, invaded
and desolated so many homes, has not
been permitted to approach us. Health,
in unusual measure, has cheered our
homes and animated our labors.
From this pleasing survey, it is my
duty to proceed to . more detailed
exposition of the condition of the
State.
The primary interests of Ohio con-
meet themselves closely with the owner
ship and cultivation of the soil.
The whole area of the State, accor-
ding to the computations of the Federal
authorities, contains 39,964 square
miles, or 25, ,576, $50 acres. A little
more than half q century ago not an acre
of this area had been cleared for cult
vation or even reduced to private own
ership.
The Federal Government asserted an
exclusive proprietary title in the whole,
except that portion included in the Con-
necticut Reservation. The hardy pio-
neers, who pushed forward into the
wilderness, were compelled to buy of
the Government or its grantees the very
soil which they subdued. The whole
burden of contributions for the support
of the State and its Institutions, was
cast upon the land thus purchased
The land of the Government was wholly
exempt; and the contributions of the
Government by grants of land in aid of
public Improvements were Insignificant
in comparison with the enhanced value
of the ungranted lands. .-.
Notwithstanding these serious disad-
vantages the process of purchase and
has gone steadily forward uu-
til more than twelve millions ofacres, ,oc-
cupied for agricultural purposes, and
nearly thirteen millions moro, classed
as uncultivated, have become private
and contribute to the public
revenue. e
When in 1902, Ohio became State
in the American Union, every other of
the seventeen members of the sonfeder-
acy was more populous and better cul-
and six had larger areas. Now,
although the number Of the States has
to thirty.one, of which nine
teen are larger than Ohio, not one sur
passes her in the extent and variety of
her agricultural products.
A general outline of the gradual con.
version of public TO private ownership,
will reward attention.
Prior to 1908, the returns of lands
held by individual proprietors are mea-
gre and unsatisfactory. In 1910, the
number of acres thus owned was 1858,
I0t. In 1920, this quantity had in
creased to 13,3l9,043 acres; in 1880,
estimating the quantity for two coun-
ties from which there were NO returns,
to l6, i99, ,6s2 acres; in 1910, estima-
ting for one county, to l9, TAG, ,2Sl acres;
in 1850, to %, ,9sl $50 acres; and in
1855, to 25 ,22O, ,0e3 acres. These guam
titles are exclusive of Town and City
los. Nearly all the land in the State.
It will be observed, has thus become
private property, aud subject to taxa
tion.
The facts disclosed by these returns,
suggest a question of the correctness of
the Federal estimate of the area of the
State. The difference between the re-
turns of lands for 1855, and the entire
area as computed at Washington, is only
&56, ,S77 acres. It can hardly be doubt
ed that larger quantity than this is
included within the limits of the fifteen
hundred cities and towns enumerated in
The Equalization Report for 1853, and
IN the exemptions from taxation allowed
M LAM There ramained morenxar on