Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-01-18
No7.
COLUMBUS, Jan. 8, 1861

This morning opened with splendid
fall of snow, which continued until about
ten o'clock, leaving carpet of the pur-
est crystals, some four inches thick, upon
tue foor Of mud with which the streets
ofthis city have been paved. The jingle
of the sleigh bells are making merry
music, but from the state of the weather
their occupation will soon be gone.
The Ohio Penitentiary seems to be the
most hourishing " Institution" in the
State. To-day the Sheriff of Belmont
county brought up serea convicts, and
the Sheriff Of Warren county three
There are now nine handrea and eighty
sic prisoners confined in this gloomy
Dcase, and the number is daily increasing.
1t is sad sight and sadder reflection,
that within the walls of this & terrestrial
purgatory," shut out from society, and
marked with the brand of infamy, are
moro hale, able bodied men than are in
Salisbury Township F! Some day, when
we have more time than at present, we
may devote letter to this matter ex-
clusively.
Petitions, on various subjects, were
presented in the House to-day by many
members, the subjects. and other partic-
ulars of which, would be of no special
interest. Among other things, some of
these petitions ask for the passage of a
law prohibiting the manufacture and
sale Of intoxicating liquors, and others
for law to prohibit black and mulatto
persons from residing in the State.
A bill was introduced to-day for the
establishment of an =" Asylum for the
incurable insane" The object we think
good one. And but for the already
intolerable burden of taxes upon the
property of the State, We think it should
pass.
We will, doubtless, have to meet an
other determined assault upon the Com
mon School Law this winter. The law,
as it is, taxes the property of the State
wherever found, for the benefit of the
children, wherever found in the State.
This seems so manifestly equitable and
just that one would hardly think it needs
defending. But it happens that some
of the counties, as Hamilton, Cuyahoga,
Franklin, and others, where great wealth
has been accumulated, pay more school
tax in proportion to the number of chill
dren in the county than others. such as
Meigs, which have more children than
wealth. The effort is to so amend the
law as to expend in each county, all the
school tax raised therein. This change
would reduce the school fund of Meigs
county one-half, without reducing the
taxes paid by our citizens. AS Chair
man of the /" Committee on Schools and
School Land" We presented a report on
this subject last. session, which presents
our views on the subject at some length.
The same fight will probably have to be
gone over again @
The project of selling the lands and
Public Works of the. State, was again
brought up to. day, and an effort will be
made to devise some means Of disposing
of them, so as to relieve the people from
taxation to keep them in repair. We
are not only paying the interest on some
S14, 100000 debt incurred in the con-
struction of these works, but have been,
for several years past, compelled to pay
from $4,000 90 to 100000 90 year
in addition to the income of these works,
to keep them in repair. This is intoler
able on those sections of the State de-
irving no benefit from these works
There are many difficulties, however in