The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-01-18

ductivcness Of our soil. A knowledge of
all the great Agricultural resources Of our
State should be brought home to him that
he may thereby be induced to settle u
mong US, and aid 10 making productive
finest States in this Union.
recoincnd TO your consideration The
policy Of appointing an "Emigraht Agent"
clothed with such powers as to you may
seem meet, whose duty it shall be TO IN
dace Emigration Of our soil.
Our State is yet in its infancy. She
has, however, been settled by a seIf-reliapt
and energetic class Of people, who now
number not far from eight hundred tho us
and, with an aggregate valuation Of one
hundred and thirty seven millions six hum
dred and sixty-three thousand dollars of
property. The great mass Of this woalth
has been dug from the soil by the strong
arms Of your citizens. They have right
to expect you TO pursue such course o
policy as will most tend to develop and
make known TO them the extent of tho
| great natural resources Of the State. The
appointment of a Estate Geologist" would
do much towar d bringing about so desira-
bic result. AS yet we know Lnt little
of the vast mineral wealth that lies be.
meath our soil. Science alone can unveil
the "hidden histories Of the carth." The
Legislature at its annual session for the
year 1887, passed a law authorizing tho
appointment of a competent person, whose
duty 1t was to make an accurate and como
plete geographical survey of the State, and
furnish "fu!i and scientific description
Of its rocks, soils, and minerals, and OF its
botanical and geographical productions.
An ample appropriation was also made
for the purpose of carrying into effect this
enactment, and one Of the most eniighter-
ed and scientific men of our country re.
ceived the appointment Of Estate Geolo.
gist" and entered upon his duties, but be.
fore he consumated his great work ho was
cut off by the hand of death while in the
performance Of his official duties. After
the death Of the lamented DR.. Houghton,
the Legislature at its annual session for
the year ls4e, passed law authorizing
the Governor to appoint some suitable por-
son to collect and arrange the geographical!
notes, memoranda specimens maps, &c,
of Dr. Houghton, with view Of prepar
ing final report upon the Geology OF
Michigan. No action was ever had under
this last mentioned law. I recommend
that some steps te taken by you, with
view Of making full and complete Geo.
logical Survey Of the State. A portion
Of the labor is already completed; the an.
nual reports made to the Legislature by
DIR. Houghton during the term he acted
as State Gcologist, will aid materially in
the consumation of such work. The ex-
pense attending it will be mere trife in
comparison to the great advantages yearly
to be derived from thorough knowledge
of the geography Of the State.
The purity of the elective franchise is
another subject well worthy of considera.
ton. The theory of our government is
that the majority shall rule, and when this
theory is fairly and legitimatcly put to
practice, no man has just cause of COM
plant. The Constitution of our State
fixes the qualifications of the elector, and
declares that no citizen or inhabitant shall
be entitled to vote at any election, unless
he shall be above tho age Of twenty-one
years. and has resided in this Stare three
months, and in the township or ward in
which he offers TO vote, ten DAYS next
preceding such election. Whoever casts
his vote in violation Of this constitutional
provision, strikes blow at the rights Of
all.
Our Revolutionary fathers did not hcsi-
tato to wage war with Great Britain, that
we might govern ourselves and elect our
own rulers. This great right Of self govrn.
ment, and of electing our rulers by a ma.
jority of legal votes, is a right that should
be sacrcdly guarded. Whoever seeks TO
carry an elec.ino by illegal votes, is an
enemy to your liberties, and yet illegal
votes are po!led :at every election. Tho
constitution provides that laws may DO
passed to preserve the purity of elections,
and guard against abuses Of the elective
franchise. Every good citizen has an in-
terest in preserving the purity Of tie bal
lot boz, no matter of what party he may
belong. Our laws upon this subject are
not, in my opinion, sufficiently guarded.
ask you 20 enact law requiring every
voter as condition to his right Of voting,
to cause his name to be registered at least
tcu tiSitlOu, III ISCOlu W
be kept for that purpose, by some proper
officer, uhder sich rules and regulations
as your good sense may dictate. ] believe
that such law is demanded by great
majority of the people Of tho State, and
would do much towards preventing illegal
voting.
Congress by an Act approved on tho
3rd day Of June 1856, granting to tho
State of Michigan, to aid in the construcs
ton Of certain Rail Roads, in tho aggre!
gratc not far from two millions two hun
dred thousand of land. The Act making
this cesson expressly declares "that tho
land hereby granted, shall be exclusively
applied in the construction Of that Road,
for and on account Of which such lands
arc hereby granted, aud shall be disposed
Of only as the work progresses, aud the
samo shall be applied to no other purpose
whatever"
The State by ain Act Of her Legislature
approved upon the l4th day Of February
1857, accepted this grant with tho rcstric-
tions, and upon the terms and conditions