The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-03-17
Our Columbus Correspondence.
COLUMBUS. March Ii

Went OD tDe lotn OF Marcn, ana, after q
short discussion ou its merits and demori,s,
laid II back again. The following bills
have passed this branch: House bill to
authorize county commissioners to receive
bequcsts, donations and gifts. and purchase
sites aud erect orphan asylums. House
bill to provide for tho relief of suretios of
shoriAs and other county officers. In cases
where suro les for the above officers become
dissatisfied. this dill provides that thew may
bo released, after the appointment of 9TH
ers. which said officers are compelled to oh.
tain or forfeit their offices.
During tho week. the Senate has spent
two afternoons IN considering the general
appropriation bill. II has also spent some
time in considering a new bill for the pur.
pose OF regulating the business aud affairs
Of railroads generally. The bill provides
for the appointment of three commissioners.
whose duty shalI consist in examining the
books. rolling stock. tracks, &c, of all the
railroads in tho State and making reports,
once in three months, to tho Governor.
The bill was introduced by Senator Hart.
of Portage.
House.-ln the House, tho following
bills have passed: Senate bill regulating
the revision of judgments before Justices OF
tho peace. A bill authorizing county com-
missioners to pay attorneys for defending
INDECENT criminals charged with capital
or peDitentiarv offcnses, not exceeding S25
in anv one case. House bill to provide for
the election by tho people of tho State, of
the Clerk of the Supreme Court. To in.
crease the fees of justices of tho pence and
constablcs. TO relieve the Judges of the
Supreme Court from duty in tho District
Courts in the year 1865 to enable them to
bring up the docket of said Court. To au
thorizo the incorporation of associations for
the purpose Of establishing cemeteries for
deceased soldiers.
On the 10th, the Committee on tho Ju.
dietary reported in favor o! the passage of
bill giving members of the General As.
sombly salary of S4OO. A motion was
made 10 amend by making it $500. This
was lost. also motion to make $45O. Va.
rious other motions were made and lost
and, after number of speeches, tho bill
was re, considered, and the bill referred to a
select committee of one. Tho bill rrquir-
ing school trustees to admit colored youths
to public schools where there arc not
enough for separate schools, was lost on
its eDgr0ssmcnt
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
When Congress passed the act donating
for the establishments of colleges, it i'm
posed certain conditions and stipulations to
be complied with by the recipients Of the
grant, as fellows:
First-The State or Territory must sig.
Nifty it's acceptance by an act OF the Legisla.
turo within two years.
Second-Tho State or Territory must.
within fire years, have at least one college
provided for tho benefit of agriculture and
mechanical arts. without excluding o,hor
scientific and classical studies, and includ.
ing military tactics. "
Ihlrd-NOt moro than ten per centum |
OF the grant can be used for tho purchase
OF lands. and the remainder must be pre-
served entire for an endowment fund.
The State of Ohio has complied with tie
first condition, by formally accepting the
donation, and now holds by its officers.
land scrip for $4,000 ncres of public do.
main. Unless tho State complies with the
second stipulation, tho scrip for the above
land reverts back to Congress. The Ave
years expire in july 1866.
This important subject is now before the
Legislature, and is one of the most exciting
aud porylexing questions of the session. As
tho proceeds OF the sale of general land
scrip. Except ten por centum,) can only be
used tor endowment purposes. the rcqui.
site College grounds aud buildings must be
supplied by the State. To purchase, saw
five hundred acres of land, and erect there.
on the requisite buildings. and furnish such
philosophical apparatus, books, &c, as
would be required for tho purpose of put.
ting Central College in good running con. |
di,ion, would probably exhaust the whole
grant. The State then, would have to paw
n mi m ha ho
might sell for, and If that should not prove
TO be q sufficient endowment, it would also
have to make up the deficiency. To obvi-
ate tho difficulty of the Legislature taking
any steps towards involving an additional
tax upon the people. to purchase farms or
erect buildings, it has been proposed that
the land scrip be divided among existing
colleges, and that agricultural and mechan.
icai departments DO established in them,
thus securing the great end aimed at by
Congress. This would seem to be appro-
priating this fund to sustain mere append
ago to college or university, and that the
special object OF the grant would be defeat
cd.
The directors and stockholders of Farm
ors College (six miles from Cincinnati,) of.
Ter to give to the State of Ohio their entire
property. comprising about 100 acres of
lands, with college and laboratory buildings,
philosophical apparatus, library of over two
thousand volumes, a complete botanical
garden, &c., FREQ and uuincumbered of
debt, titlo perfect, and said 10 be worth
$225,O00; provided the State will endow
this college with one third OF tho land scrip
donated by Congress for college purposes,
as above stated. If the above offer should
be accepted by the State. that college could
at once be transformed into such an insti.
tuition as fs contemplated by tho act of Con-
gress. This would probably involve the