The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-01-15
/. GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
F.iloru Cili.sns "a tlle Senals,

Fello,u Caissas ofthe Senate, l... .f ..H...... |
cAd of the House Of Representatives
woicome Won with great pleasure. to the first
session Of the General Assembly in the New State
House. -, r o-
t;ons. and in massive solidity OF structure, IL
stands, and may il long stand, a monument ena
svmboi of the dear faiih the well ordered institu
tfons, and the enduring greatnes Of the people
Tbe year which has Just closed, has been marked
by the steady advance Of the great state whose
interests for the present. have been conhded TO our
nare' in ali the elements oil wealth, honor and
power. W. IS. ..,-,.LI ,,l,,,.,, ,o., sh,n
dant than in some more favored years, h We YET
been sufficient to supply aoundan,ly our mns nor,a
bame. and to furnish large surplus Tor exPona-
zion. The products Of Manufacturing INDUSTRY
have been steadily and greatly augmented ne
transactions Of Commerce have msltiPheu III
number and increased in Importance. Nass m,I %
eral treasures hitherto comparatively lnaceesslple
have been brought, by the extension Of RsilroaHs'
Wi,hin the easy reach OF enterprise ana maoe ''io
>ltary to the general progress ,--. ~ orr
while the development and enlargement OF oui
mineral resources have been ensures " hasn a
b,rsIlrr arncies, other nstrumentaliues nave oeeh
actively employed in the promotion OF the % mora
and Intellectual welfare OF the people. Euplc
oIder and private rights have been maintalneo "
our enlightened and impartial S;s,sad
Enst;ce eInstitutions Of Education have dinusea
ysmono the masses the power Of Knowledge lns,i-
buttons of Benevolence have ministered 10 tne
.cbiIJren of sorrow, the wise and noble charlty c!
the State institutions of Religion, sustained oy
the Voluntary contribato1s ana Ies1g s ~, ssI dsnys
;no labors of teachers and minister's nave lent
,be;r powerful support to publ virtue and order
while they have enforced the ooligations OF Ptsae
duty, and cherished the aspirations oil ihu''iuuai
Nor ara these the only benefits which demand
our Grateful nckpowled gements. Peace Is the op-
portunity Of progress, and peace, unoI1keI1 T
nYeyailed Throughout our borders me @ est
lence, which. in f'fme' years, ho.n narmIt,ed to
lated so many homes, has not been Perm!tteI 70 W
annroach us Health, in unusual measure mas
cbeered our homes and animated our iaoors, 4.
From this pleasing survey, 1t Is my duty 10
prodeed to more detailed exposition oi 'he CON
o'SrIn u n,;narv interests Of Ohio connect them
ss,yas closely with the ownership and cultivation
of the soil, A.
The whole area Of the State, according to the
computations of the Federal authorities
moro ,ban half a century ago not an acre Oh thiS
had been cleared fci cultivation, or even reduceu
to private ownership. ..,.;,,o
The Federal gcv"r. ment asserted an exclusive
prop lie AIRY tide in the whole EXCEPT ta' 1In
Included in the CInnoc icut Reservation; re
hardy pioneers who pushed forwari INTO the VII
y.rDess. were compelled tU buy OF the GoVtthmen'
or its grantees the very soil which they suo"ueu ~
The Whole burden OF contributions ior the suP
,,ort of th,. State and its institutions was cas'
rrno, tb, land thus purchased. The lahd oi lhe
a!overnment was wholly exempt anu me eohtt'
Buttons Of the Gov, rnment ny grants vi ianu ~
aid of public improvements were irs'e'rhIan' I"
compar,son with the enhanced value oi the uh'
granted lands -. ,..o,
Notwithstanding these serious d.sadVantageS
Nh. process Of purchase and settlement mas gone
steadily forw ard until more than twelve miIhon;
of acres, occupied for agrculturai purposes, nnu
mi ClaSSeu
yated, have become private properly ana eop''io
ute to the public revenue. c.. a.
When in 1902 Ohio became a State IN the
American Union, every other oil the seventeen
,..u,bels of the confederacy wasmore poPnlous auo
ho,,s, ultiyated aud six had larger areas Now
.I,houyb the number Of the States has increasec
~ 70 ,bir,v one Of which nineteen are larger thai
Ohio not one surpasses her in the extent ana 'af'e
~ Of her agricultural products, ...-.;.,, =
A general outline of the gradual conversion
publie INTO private ownership. will reward A'ten
Pr;or to 1908 the return of lands held by indt
yidual proprietors arc meagre and uhsalisiactoty
In lsl6 the number of acres thus owned was u
a5a l0I In 1920 this quantity had increased t
I33l9,O ,O43 acres; in 1881, estimating the quaint
80 for two souuties from which there were no re
,1rns 10 l5,I9g 662 acres; IN lel', estimating 10
one county, to l9. 74o,2sl acres IN lc.u 40,
asI a5C acres and ls55, to 25 800 0e3 acres ines
Quantities are exclusive Of Towns ani City lols
Nearly ali the land in the State, it viii be ooserT
ed, has thus become private property ana suojec
to taxation. .th ~,
o.st a question OF the correctness OF the Fedora
ss,in ate of the area Of the State. The differenc
between the returns Of lands for 1893 and IN
entire area as computed at Washington is o.
Iy 256,s77 acres. lt'can hardly be douo,e
that a larger quantity than this is inciude
within the fifteen hundred cities and tow
enumerated in the Equalization Report for 1885,
and iu the exemptions from taxation allowed b
law There remained, moreover, on the SUN
June last, according to the statement oi tne Con
m;ssioner of the General Land office, which
herewith transmit, and TO which shall hereaits
have occasion to refer a., ,553 acres OF Puolc ian
undisposed of, within the State. These iae'
reLdeI it highly probable that the true area Oh "
0,ata exceeds the estimate hitherto received asco
rect. .
tain that federal ow nership in Ohio aPProaehesl II
termination and that the drafts upon her resouIe'
for the purchase Of the sod have nearly ceased
Henceforth the unembarrAssed energies OF IL
people may be directed to the fullest PossiOie q
YelopInent Of all her resources. ....
The General Assembly will cheerfully recognii
the duty OF extending to Inc gteut % -
tsrsst Of the State all proper securitles and el
r,uraaements To This end the State Board
Agriculture was organized IN lean, and rroVislo
was AT The same time made for the better organic
aion and greater usefulness of County Agrlcultu
nj Societies The wisdom Of this Legislation nj
been amply vindicated by its results. Throus
tbe iabors of the State Board aud Of the COun'
Societies, agricultural Improvements has bee
6enefciaily stimulated. Their annual RePOr
embody valuable contributions to agricutur
knowledge, the effect Of which is becoming mo
and more visible in the increased skin, INTEL
vence and energy with which the labors OF u
farm are executed. and in the increased Producli'
with which they are rewarded.
/ respectfully subMit to your consideration t
proprety of increasing the funds set apart for a
Sropriatiou by the Sta Board and County Soci
tiesto premiums for excellence in production al
in management. and of making such other prov
ion for tie increase and diffusion Of asrieultuI
knowledge as your own experience and obseTV
tion suggest. rr . ia.,..
The proportion Of our population and Of o
r,a.ns ennared in Mining, Mechan cal and Ma