Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-01-15
Message ofthe Governor of Ohio,
: sa73E 7t--- 70 TIE
!Rtfsy-secona General Assembly,
THEADJoURNED SESSION,
. EoAMEsciNc JANUARY S, 1857. =

= q EoAMEsciNG JAsuaRY S, 1857.
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sisabs-eisiseas of NE SID, r7--'a-
Il vaissa ofHe Heseg Representatives,: :
> isTxsleome yol35p3tb great pleasure, to tn,
1sst session OF tha General Assembly in th.
: Mes Stste House.
IN simplicity of Design, in harmony o
,rE rEtofortioes. sndin massive solidity of Struc
fc, b stands, sod may thong stand. a mon
7uenk and & symbol Of the dear Faith. the
9eli ordered Institutions, and .he enduring
10fe,tness of the People whose House il is
The year which has just closed kes been
61gked b the steady advance of tie greal
s1tss whose interests. for the presestshave
]. bepn aguGQe91o our care, in all the ele.
ncnt. OF weahh. honor and power.
The returns of Agriculture, though les,
phdani than in some more favored years
I<e yet been sufficient 10 supply abundant,
our wants at home, ahd to furni large
1fplns for exportstinn. The products o.
4aufaetaring Industry have been steadily
y greatly augmented. The transactions
j comnerce hsve multiplied in number anc
<acsessed in Importance. Vast mineral
measures. hitherto comparatively inaccessi
bic. hsve been brouehts By the extension ol
Railroads, within the rosy reach of enter.
prise and made tributary to the general pro.
Rress.
While the development and enlargement
Of our material resources have been ensrr,d q
ey these sidsiisr agencies. other instrumen.
taii.ies have been actively employ ed in the
promotion of the moral ssd intellectual we !.
isre Of the people. Public order and private
rights have been maintained by our enlpht.
ened and impartial adm nistrstion of Justice
Institutions of Education have diffused
among the masses the power OF K now ledge
Institutions Of Beneyoience have ministered
to the children of sorrow the wise and noble
charity Of the State; Institutions of Religion
sustained by the voluntary Contributions and
ready sympa;hies Of the people, and made
efficient by the seif-denying lshors of teach
srs and ministers, have lent their powerful
support to public virtue and order, while
they have enforced the obligations of private
duty, aud cherished the asPiratio of indi-
vidusl faith.
% Nor are these the only benefits which de-
rnand cur grateful scknowiedements Peace
is the opportunity Of progress, and peace,
sunbroken, has prevailed throughout our Dor.
ders- The Pestilence, which, in former
years. invaded and desolated so many homes,
has sot been permitted to spproach US.
Health. in unusual measure, has cheered our
homes aud animated our lsbors.
From this pleasing survey, IL i. my duty
10 proceed to q more detailed exposition OF
the condition OF the State.
The primary interests of Ohio connect
themselves closely with the ownership and
and cultivation of the soil.
The whole area of the State, according TO
the computations of The Federal authorities,
contsins 39, ,964 square miles, or 25,576 $50
acres. A little more thsh half a century
ago not an acre of this area had been cleared
for cultivat On or sven reduced TO private
ownership.
- The Federal Government asserted an ex-
elusive proprietary title 10 the whole. except
that portion included in the Connecticut
Reservation. The burdy pioneers, who push
ed forward into the wilderness, were COM
PEELED to buy OF the Government or its gran
tess the very soil which they subdued. The
whole burden of contributions for the sup.
port Of the State and its institutions, wac
cast upon the land thus purchased. The
land of the Government was wholly exempt;
and the contributions Of the Government bv
grants 4 land in aid Of public improvements
were Insignificant in comparison with the
enhanced value of the ungronted lands.
i Notwithstanding these serious dssdvan-
tsges the process OF purchase and settle.
mt nt has gone steadily forward sntil more
than twelve millions of acres, occupied for
agricultural purposes, and nearly thirteen
millicns more, classed as unculliyated, have
become private properly, ond contribute to-
the public revenue.
When, in 1902, Ohio became State in
the Americans Union every other OF the sew
enteen members OF the cOuf-deracy was
more pupulous and better cultivated, and SIX
had larger areas. Now, although the nun
Der CT the States has increased to ihirty-One,
Of which nineteen are larger than Ohio, not
one gu passes her in the extent aud variety
of her agricultural products.
A genera! outline oi the gradual conver-
zion of public into private ownership. will
Tcwsrd attention.
Priar to 1908. the returns of lands held by
individual prOprieiors are meagre and un-
ettislaciury- In 1910. the number Of acres
thus owned was 9.953,lU; In 1920 this
quau,ity had increased TO l3,3I9,O45 acres;
in 1880. estimating the quantity tor twoI
counties from which there were no returns,
TO l6 ,le9,6S2 acres; in 1870, estimating for
one county, TO IS. .740.2sl acres; in 1850, 10
23 ,9Sl. $50 acres; and in 1855, TO 25 220, ,0S3
acres. These quantities are exclusive OF
Town and City iuts. Nearly all the lands
in the State, it will be observed, has thus
become private property, and subject to tax
etion.
The fncts disclosed by these returns, sug.
gest q question OF the correctness Of the
Federal estimate of the area of the State
The difference between the returns OF lands
fer 1855. and The entire area as CEN puted al
Washington, is only e56s77 acres. 1t can
hardly be. doubted ihs, lsrge' quantity tina n
this is included within the limits of the fif.
teen hundred cities and tou MS enumerated
in The Equa iizstion Report for 1853, and IN
the exemptions from taxation allowed BY
law. There remained, moreover, on the
;s0th Of June last, according TO the state
aent of the Commissioner of the General
Esne Office, winch herewith transmit, and
10 whi, h shall hereafter rave occasion to
sefer, 43 553 acres OF public land uudis posed
of. within the State. These facts render il
highly probable that the true area. Of the
State exceeds the estimate hitherto received
as correct.
However this may be, the gratifying fact
i1 certsin that federal ownership in Ohio
approaches is termia alton, and thot the drafts
upon her resources for the purchase Of the
coil have aearly ceased. Henceforth the
energies of her people may
be directed to the fullest possible develop
ment of all her resources.
Tie General Assembly will cheerfuly re-
soeuize the duty of extending to the great
agricultural interest of the State all proper
securities and snceuragements. To this
end the State Board of Agriculture was or
aanized in 1876, and provision was at the
same time made for the better organization
and grester usefulness of County Agrcul-
turai Societies. The wisdom this legis-
Is,ion has been aaply vipdicated by its re-
suits. Through the lab0rs OF the State
3osrd and o: the County Societies, sgricul
turaI improvement has been benefcially