Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-01-06

grants from Europe generally having their
| destination definitely fixed before leaving
home.
The Governor urges an increase Of the sala-
ry of the several State officers to an extent
somewhat commensurate with the great in
crease in the cost of living and the Augmented
{ labor occasioned by the war. The following
comparison shows the difference of the pay
received by the Governor Of Ohio and that
received by the same officer in other States:
New York ~ s4 eOO 90 and furnished house
Pennsylvania. 1900 90 g '' .
! Ohio. ........... 10000
Indiana 3 3, 600 90 and furnished bouse
Massachusetts,. $500 90. in 1865. $4,000 OO.
The comparison is about the same with other
State officers and the Governor we'll remarks
that in scanning it we must either charge Sur
sister States with gross extravagance or ad-
! NIT our own ilIiberality and injustice"
The attention of the Legislature is called
to military claims, of which there are large
number, and such action as may be necessary
! for their adjustment recommended.
An appropriation is recommended for pla-
cling N ths vacant panels of the rotunda of the
Capitol the old battle flags presented to the
State by Ohio regiments.
RELIEF LAW.
As l apprehended would be the case, the
/ fund for the relief of the families Of soldiers
and mariners has proved inadequate to meet
| the wants of this moritorious class of persons;
ewing in part to the insuficiency of the tax,
but mainly TO the largely increased expenses
of living The families of the National Guard
made a considerable drain upon it, during the
| hundred days they were in service In view
of this, appropriated the sum of $4,000 from
the Extraordinary Contingent Fund to this
| class of families, which was disbursed by the
several county military committees, and ac-
complished much good. As we cannot reason
aOly expect any material reduction in the
prices Ofliving next year, there would seem to
be no resort but an increase to the fund. For
this purpose 1 suggest an increased levy of one
mill on the dollar.
The workings of the law have not been as
smoothly as 1 expected; and yet do not know
that any amendment or revision would aid in
the accomplishments Of its objects. The con-
flicting constructions OF its provisions have, 1
believe, become reconciled. As a general thing
the county officers have performed their duties
under it with reasonable promptitude. Nu-
merous, and in some cases serious, complaints
have been made against Township Trustees,
in regard to the distribution of the fund. The
military committees have rendered very valua-
bic assistance in investigating these complaints.
In some cases the omissions were found to be
accidental; in others they arose from the insult
fency of the fund to meet the expectations of
the parties; in a very few cases they were found
20 be exaggerated and fraudulent; and in many,
far too many, they were found to be correctly
stated, and properly attributable to the politi-
cal hostility of the officers, ont only 20 the pro-
visions of the law, but to the prosecution of
the war, and the cause of the country. In no
case reported to me did this amount to abso-
lutte refusal to perform the required duties, but
in some instances they were tardily performed;
10 others; women were required to walk long
distances to get signatures to orders; in others,
again, the payments to them were accompanied
with harsh, and in some cases uugentlemauly
language, which in many instances deferred fe-
males from second applications. 1t is painful
TO be compelled to record these facts; yet it af-
ferds me pleasure to state that such conduct
has not been generally manifested in the polit-
ical party opposed to the government. The
cases are isolated, and have usually been found
connected with ignorence or intense partisan
bitterness.
Township officers are under the immediate
control of the county authorities. 1t is only
when the latter refuse to act, and correct a
buses, that the Executive is authorized to as
sumo control of the fund. But one case of
this kind has been reported to me. The Com
missioners were Immediately notified that the
provisions of the law would be enforced; upon
which the matter was adjusted between them
and the Military Committee, and further action
was thus avoided.
The reports required by the seventh section
of the law are not made with sufficient promp-
titude. At the present time of writing, re-
ports have been received from only twenty-five
counties; and many of these defective, by reason
not having been made by trustees to county,
officers. In a number of the counties reported
very considerable balances of the fund remain
ed on hand in October. In the remainder the
balances are small, except the counties of
Holmes and Marion, which have paid out all
the money received. These reports are very
important to the State officers and the Legis-
lature. The neglect or delay of them defeats
one of the most important purposes of the law
1 suggest that reasonable penalty be attach
ed to the neglect to make them, either by town
ship or county officers.
OF the counties reporting, Columbiana, Guy
ahoga, Coshocton, Fulton, Guernsey, Huron
Hamilton, Lawrence, Marion, Perry, Preble,
Stark, Summit, Van Vert, and Wood made
county Ievies in aid of the fuud, and to cover
deficiencies in previous years.
TEE n IATT,,NAT orrAD1,
The militia system of the State was put to
a severe test during the year, and am happy
to say that it passed the ordeal in the most
satisfactory manner. In the month of April,
at a conference of the Governors of Ohio, In
diana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, it was de-
termined to offer to the Government the SER
vices of eighty-fve thousand militia for the
term of one hundred days-the quota of Ohio
being fixed at thirty thousand. The policy
of this movement did not admit of doubt or
hesitancy. The summer campaigns were
about to open in Virginia and Tennessee
Both of them must necessarily operate upon
continually lengthening lines of communica-
tion, requiring large forces to protect them.-
At the same time it was necessary that the
Virginia army should cover and protect the
National Capital, and that of Tennessee hold
safe her border. In previous campaigns we
had suffered from this species of depletion to
an extent that seriously impaired the value of
our successes. At the time of considering
this proposition a large body of hardy and vet