Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-04-03
Columbus Correspondence.
COLUxBUs, March so. 1851

use the space in your paper to enumer-
ate aIktbE bills that have Hassedthe DIFF
ferent houses of the Legislature; 50 l will
only notice those which will most likely be
Of interest.
Both branches have passed the Senate
bill for he reIief OfjJohnW1 Allea, and
it is now a law; and a very righteous one
it is@Mcretkan ten years ago@Seabury
Ford. then Governor, made a contract with
Mr. Allen under the authority of a resolu-
ton Of the Legislature, passed for that
purpose. under which Mr., Allen agreed to
prosecute q claim of the State to receive
from the United States government some
extra quantities of Canal lands. which a
former law Of Congress gave to Ohio for
the purpose of aiding in the construction
of the canals Of the State. Mr.. Allen
spent several years in Washington untang-
ling the matter which had become very
muchinvOlyed by some incorrect settlements
which had been made by the State author
tiles, and finally succeeded in obtaining the
passage Of a new law to correct the errors,
BY which the State obtained nearly a hun
dred thousand acres Of land in addition to
former grants. Under the contract Mr.
Allen was to have had one-third of all he
obtained, but the amount being uaexpeet-
ly large, the Auditor of State refused to
allow the division. and sold all the lands
for the benefit of the State, at rates which
would have entitled Mr.. Allen to over a
hundred thousand dollars. He has since
been ~cndeaVoring to obtain justice in some
form, and at last as a compromise has ac-
ccpted the settlement contained in the bill
Just passed, which7gives him twenty-five
thousand dollars to release all his claim in
every form to the lands in question and for
services rendered in the premises.
The House of Representatives has passed
a biito sell ailS the interest of the State
in the Pennsylvania land Ohio Canal. 1t
provides that all the stock owned by the
State shall be sold IN a lump, for not less
than forty thousand dollars. Mr.. Baldwin
is the. author of the BILL. 1t is now before
the Senate Committee on Public Works
1t is claImed that as the stock is not now
a paying one, it should be got. rid Of, and
by going i~ntOpriyate hands, viii tend to
create more energy in the management of
the canal. b1Ae chief objection to the bill
is that in. the nature Of the case there can
be very little competition fcr, the stock,
since there are very few persons or cOrpo-
rations that would chose to invest forty
thousand dollarsi in that sort of security.
4 resolution is also pending, which if pass
cd would instruct the attorney general to.
commence proceedings to force the directors
of the canal conpanytc pay out as divi-
bends to the Stockholders. the surplus fund
they have on hand. This fund the direc-
tors claim is needed to keep the canal in
existence. and that the Interest of the peO-
pie m having it kept up is greater than
that Of the stockholders on getting the di-
vision Of the fund ~- ,
The "woman's right" bill, in a mOdi-
fed form has passed both houses. and is
now a law. It gives to married women
the control Of their real estate, 50 that
they may lease for periods nOt greater
than three years. and have absolute dispO-
sal cf tie rents and profits; alse the absO-
lutte and separate control Of their own per-
sonsl property. ~heehcz acquired OF inner
tied before or after marriage and of the
wages for their own labor. 1t also en-
powers the Court of Common Pleas to put
a married woman in all respects in posses
sion of the business rights of single wo-
pensiB eases in which the husband is
3roven to be Incorporate, insane, or other
wise incspacitated to provide for a family
It also repeSls a former law requiring a
woman consent to make valid the chattel
Mortgages made by the husband.
The general appropriation bill, fixing
be amounts to be expended out Of the
revenue for the ;coming year has
occupied several days of the week in the
Senate, and has now gone to the House
The 1ppropriatiOn Of three thousand dol
ars e purchase q small supply of fixed
ammunition for the magazine in the arsen-
j, and Of ten thousand dollsrs-fer- con-
iagent fundltoabe used by the Governor
n cascOf public trouble. called out one of
he yaThcst debates Of the session. The
Democracy attacked the appropriations alb
urdly henFins even the constitutional
light to make such provision for defence.
Jedary, in the Crisis the new wouldgbe-
Democratic organ established here lately.
axes the position in this week 5 paper that
be constitution lately adopted by the
Southern Statesisthe only ~hye cOnstitu-
ian" in the country, and plainly favors
bs adoption By che Nort6err States, That
hisis the policy Of the DemOc ratio lead
rs eannOt Be doubted. butt believe it will
,e spurned by the honest masses Of the
Democracy as indignantly asit rs by re
,ublicaus. 1t is manifest, however, that
his is the direction in whitehall patriotic
itizens must watch, and be ready to crush
nut every traitor at home who may at
empt to transfer ohc to the rebels.