The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-01-14
Governors Message. ,t,.
Senntor, ,rna Rehresentatires !:

yOuI IeIOW CNIIeDbJ " thc luipOI'oh' uuIpS
Of legislation, at a petiod Of peculiar interest
both in State and National affairs. ..,,..
The year Just closed has been strongly
marked BY prosperous and adverse Sircum-
stances.
Abundant harvests have fulfilled the farm.
ers' hopes; almost unbroken health has
blessed our homes and animated our activi.
ties; Industry, in every vocation, mas sue.
eessfully pursued Its legitimate objects; Ed.
ucation, with steadily .nlarging aims. and
powers constantly augmenting, has prepared
the youth for the duties and responsibilities OF
citizenship; and Religion, unembarrassed by
the interference OF the State with the domain
OF conscience. has fulfilled its holy mission
Of instruction in the duties OF the life which
now is, and Of preparation for the awards Of
that which is to come. In Sho I, no year
since the organization OF the State Govern
nent, has been more conspicuously distin.
guished BY substantial increase in all the ell.
ements Of real wealth, permanent power,
and true greatness. So
And yet, this year. so distinguished by
these circumstances Of prosperity, has been
marked, hardly less nspicuously, by the
evils Of disordered currency, PROSTATE credit,
and impOired fortunes. w. %
The financial embarrOssments which have
effected the citizens Of Ohio, In common with
those Of the whole country, hove been aug
ncn,ed In tAis State, by special and peculiar
causes. The criminal misconduct OF for.
met Stnte Treasurer, resulting in a defalca.
tion Of over half million Of dollars, conceal
ed from the people by the false statements
and reprehensible cOntrivnnces of himself
and his successor in Office, deprived the
Treasury, at critical moment, of the proper
means OF paying the interest on the public
debt, and OF meeting the ordinary demands Of
the public service; while the failure Of q
great moneyed corporation, intimately con.
nected with the business interests Of the
community, suddenly disclosed the alarming
fuct, that vast proportion Of oil the i'm
medihteiy available resources Of very many
Of the banks of the State. had been abstract
ed by the fraud Of it's cashier in New York,
and converted ih;o means for postponing, il
not uverting ito fall.
1t Is most gratifying fact, and it we'll il.
lustrates the energetic good faith which go
honorably distinguishes the people Of Ohio.
that, notW ithstOnding these embarrassing
circumstances, every obligation Of the State
has been punctually fulfilled, and her bank
ing institutions, with very few temporary e$-
ceptiOns, have performed their entire duty OF
specie payments; ithout evasion and with.
cut delay. ...' or
The disorders aud rmburrassments Of the
present time, thus manfully encountered
must soon pass away They may check fol
mC!nent, but cannot arrest the advance
meLt of the State. Our fertile soil, our pro
|, ductiyc mines, and cur varied industry, viii
soon redress present Inconvenience, and re-
. vive in full meuhuee, our financial pros
: per,y. .... 3D.. .,... ... x....
I'll t you may clearly see the foundations
OF this Anticipation, permit me to direct you
, attention to q briet review of our industria
!. condition, which will be more fully exhibit
ed by the reports OF the Commissioner .
Statistics, and of the State Board Of Agri
culture.
or the as 576 ,96o acres which constitute
the area of the State, according to fedora
computation, no portion worth consideration
! can be clsssed as absolutely pnculiivable.-
Only 10 31O,t zoo acres. how. yer. e actual
ly cultivated, and of these, only about 5000,
. 600 acr, by the plow, while more than l5,-
! 600 900 yet remain to be brought under con
. ,rbution TO our power ana weSl,h. , .....
!, This whole area, with trifing RECEPTION
a is rt duced to individual ownership, and
, divided among about 100000 proprietors
!, excluding the owners Of town lots. I'h
!. average quantity of land held by each pro
|" |" prietor, is estimated at about ninety acres.
y This division Of the !ahd itto small prop
, critics, promotes improvement in methods q
$ culture, augments production, insures indi
a a vidual independence, and contributes large
y " to the security Of public freedom. Ever
i tendency In the opposite direction should b
y wa.chulIy obs rived, and wisely checked.
The value of these properties as assesse
for taxation is $435, 5,602 ,655, and that {
: town lots and Chattels is $4l3, ,626, ,426-
', making an aggregate OF $s49, 1923 0Sl. TIL
y, real value largely exceeds $1,000, ,0OO.O0(
$, The presen. population Of the State, upo
N the best attainable data, is estimated at 2
ge 400 600 persons, of whom nearly oil, excel
Z: the very young and the very old are active
ds engaged in pursuits which increase or pre-
he serve public and private wealth. f,.a-t
~ The efficiency Of this vast human energ
m is enhanced almost beyond computation
ss I.s the machinery so extensively Introduce
Ee into every department OF industry. The al
% ricultural machines, put in operation duril
~ the last few years, do the work OF more tn
nd 100 900 agricultural laborefs, aiid do
" ss quicker, better end cheaper than they cou
hI it is dificultto reake any estimate even
zee proximately accurate, in respect to macl
\: ks: merry otherwise employed, 1t is reasonab
to computed, however, that the steam engin
"a q alone, now in use in Ohio, perform lat
IS equal in quantity to that of more than hal
ins million men, and better In quality, as W
IN as cheaper in cost. The forces Of matt
Ing thus engaged to the service Of man, throu
vi 'nG the instrumentality OF machinery, aUgm'
sr's the means of existence, comfort and snj
lbs; ment in Ohio, at least four(old. The
ton ton suits are seen on every hand in the incre
Of ed rewards Of labor. and in the improved
pgIsr g constantly improving condition of the P
may pie. 7,lG .y& q 3F F.@375. 'i 't
f'l Some general statements, under
O.. heads, will clearly exhibit the more imE
tant elements Of this industrial progress
aham en- /. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
ay- Inlss7, according to the best Information, :. .
,yh- the value of vegetable products was; % go
that 50 tsH Stt anintni and animal products 1881!
y Of a a. - l-.r.-,l,.r, .,... .e,.-.. .---
non Total valac Of agricultural products 1Sl,s6
In lsl9, according 40 the census fsIq 3l g,
ston 1851, tho value Of vegetable pro- .,,,-
late ducts was sh9 1871 HUEGtg 4S,SS4t540 W Z"
Po!- That Of animals and animal pro. .sgs q,
lois ducts b@s+'' HNb BDrF 0,450 SO06
fol- Making the total value of sgrleul- gas :.
the tnrai products eS,Of
p lot And showing an ipcresse Of annual asri.
Of 10 cultural products In eight yesfs G9,e5
KS Ehe valus Of live stock 10 lSs5 AasHj as 1855
leietI -, " Ast 1850 - La. <l,l2
ene0l 81 4eNGi@fF f4N % fS <f'1NkN!N y 1ttN
al Ill v......a IN savAn veara it,,,a4, as; -, ,20 80