Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-04-04
Communicated.
Columbus Correspondence.
COLUMBUS, March 21st.

COLUMBUS, March 21st.
Ed. Telegraph:-We are now in the
eleventh week of the session, and at no
time since the Legislature convened has
there been greater amount of business
before it than at present. Bills,
upon which there has been no action,
are still accumulating on our desk, and
probably would so continue should the
Legislature remain in session six months
longer.
The Committee on the Congressional
iappotionment reported bill to the SEN
ate to-day. A large majority of the
members, I think, are dissatisfied with
it in its present form, and it will un-
dergo various notifications before it
can be adopted. Morgan, Monroe,
Washington, Athens and Meigs compose
the thirteenth district, as proposed by
the bill
The House has had under considera
ton bill to reduce the per diem of
members to three dollars. The Com
mittee on fees and salaries, to which it
was referred, reported unfavorably to
its passage, and it was indefinitely post
poned. My vote on the bill was given
for buncomb, contrary to my convictions
of what was right. There are no Off
GERS in the State who receive lighter
remuneration for their services, than
members of the Assembly, and none
holding honorable offices, but can, and
ought, with the present salaries, as fixed
by law, clear more money. With the pres
ent per diem, it is the most economical
members only, that save two dollars per
day-apd they must keep away from
hrst-eiass hoteis at that. Board ia the
city ranges from five to fourteen dollars
a week, and this is not over one half
the unavoidable expense. If member
and his wife stop at hotel-which is
not uncommon for members to do-his
entire fee is required for his mainte-
nance. If the Legislature should be in
session the year round, the salaries Of
members would not exceed that of sew
eral officers Of the smallest counties in
the State-when the latter can remnin
at home with his family, aad at the
same time attend to all their pecuniary
interests; apd not necessarily subjected
to onehalf Of the expense of the former.
Another bill on retrenchment has
passed the House to a third reading-
requiring the trustees, at all elections,
to serve as judges, and the township
clerk and such other persons as the
Judges may choose, to serve as clerks Of
election, and to receive each one dol
lar and fifty cents per day for their SER
vices. This bill will probably pass both
houses and become law, as there are
not clerks and trustees enough in the
Legislature to defeat it.
The salaries of county auditors and
treasurers are liable to meet with a
slight diHfinution also. If the bill is
successful it will reduce the salaries of
Meigs county auditor and treas Lrer about
three hundred dollars each. The pres
ent fees of auditor is SI453; the pro-
posed fee, $1,000. The present fee Of
treasurer is s1124; tie proposed fee,
sS72.
4 bill is pending the action Of the
House Agricultural Committee, which,
if passed, will enable agricultural socie-
ties that held no fair during the past
year, to drav their money from the
State funds, provided such society con-
form to the requisitien of the law in
king oat, and transmitting to the
Secretary of the State Agricultural
Board, an annual report. Sufficient
funds are now in the treasury for all
delinquent counties.
| Several petitions are daily presented
to the House and Senate, praying for
the enactment of a law to prohibit the
migration Of colored persons into the
State, and the removal of all now in it
out of the State. The class of people
who pray so mucs for the negro, have
no confidence in the Republicans, and
little, if any more in the Union Demo-
erats-consequently, both arc deprived
Of the honors of being the recipient of
the colored messages.
1t is the free negro, and not the slave,
about which they are so much alarmed.
IF the free negroes in the State of Ohio
were held by masters, as slaves, not 2
petition fer their smaacipatloa OF re-
moval would have been presented by
that class of our citizens. 1t is not so
much the negro, as the negroes freedom,
that strikes such terror to some mems
hearts.
The free negro has rights under the
Constitution of Ohio. Why deprive him
of these rights, without his consent, any
more than you would deprive Ken
lucky master of his rights to a slave?-
If they are not rebels, We go for main
tanning the constitutional rights of both.
There are now at camp Chase, some fifty
slaves with the rebel risoners-receiv-
ing the same fair, and at the expense of
the Government. But they have the
sal t,e II @ i Z st. t.tut:cr GU them there-