Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-03

nifty Of supplying the omission referred to.
STATE LIBRARY. .Haa
When the Library room, in the present
State House, was occupied the old book
cases were moved in, and new ones of
cheap construction have been added from
time to time. The Librarian reports two
great evils arising from this. First, that the
| floor of the room Is SO encountered with
separate cases as TO be inconvenlent and
| unsightly; and second, what Is far more
serious affair, that it is impossible that he
should have all the cases In view from any
one point in the room, and being without
assistants he cannot properly guard the
books when numbers of persons are in the
| library. In this way it has occurred that
books are frequently stolen, and valuable
sets have been broken and rendered worth
less. The Commissioners agree with him,
that If the library ID to be preserved, the
| final decision of the arrangement and pro-
lection of the books cannot properly be
postponed longer. The original plan
of the room comprises two stories of al
coves around its exterior, which would
give space for the increase of the library
for some years to come, without cucumber
ing the center of it with detached cases.
The cases should then be separated by
railing from the rest of the room, or be fit
ted with glass doors which could be lock-
ed. Itis believed that plans and speciiica-
tions originally made are still in existence,
and attention is called to the subject for
the urgent reasons above stated.
The use and value of public libraries are
multiplied many-foid at the close of a his
torical period which will always be regard
ed most memorable one. The judicious
accumulation of documents of all sorts cal
culated to throw light upon the time, is
universally admitted by intelligent people
to be thing upon which no money value
can be set. 1t Is not aquesti0n of the style,
dignity or present value OF the book pre-
served; the most trivial pamphlet, tue
rudest and most unfinished story of a sol
dier's personal experience, may have a
value for posterity that no elaborate history
which could now be written would have.
To collect and carefully preserve for
the judgment OF future times, all the
testimony which is now so abundant, ap-
pears to me solemn duty. In connection
therefore, with the subject of increasing the
shelfroom of the library, would recon-
mend q specific appropriation, to be eX-
pended only for publications directly con-
nected with the history of the great rebel
lion.
STATE HOUSE.
Among the subjects reported upon by the
Superintendent of the State House, the
"Flag Room" will doubtless have the most
general interest. The worn and battle
stained flags OF the Ohio troops have been
collected and carefully arranged in cOnven-
lent racks, labelled and marked so as to be
easily recognized, and are the center of in
terest to our fellow-citizens who visit the
Capitol Could a larger room have been at
command, a more satisfactory effect would
have been obtained; but the Superintend-
ent has done the best that is now practica-
BILE, to preserve these sacred relics.
1t is worth while to inquire whether any
real advantage will be found in further de- |
lay in completing the cutters, walks and
fences around the Capitol square. The lack
of cutters on the east side of the square
caused the street to continue ina miry con-
dition during much of last season, and was |
reported by the City Board of Health as a
nuisance dangerous to the health of the |
vicinity. In providing tor the enforcement
OF sanitary measures throughout the State,
it is urged that an evil for which we may
be directly responsible should not be ever
looked. Estimates of the City Engineer of
the cost of the paved cutters, ETC., are here
with transmitted.
STATISTICS.
satisfactory, and more nearly commensu-
rate with the real importance of the SUBJ
ject, the Commissioner of Statistics needs
either to have clerk allowed him, or a
contingent fund placed at his disposal to
enable him to procure facts and informa-
ton from the various counties of the State.
He is of opinion that the latter would be at
once the most economical and efficient ar
rangement, as he could then pay according
to the work performed, for statistics to be
obtained in each locality, and which iG is
almost impossible to get otherwise. The.
labors of this officer are of permanent val
ne, and are sought for by all who are inter-
ested in our condition and growth, both at
home and abroad, and would recommend
the concentration in his office of all statis-
tical reports which can be separated from
the business of the other departments.
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
The Secretary of State Of the United
States has, since your adjournment trans
mitted to me copy of an amendment to
the Constitution of the United States, pro-
posed by Congress, and now awaiting the
ratification of the Legislatures of the sew
eral States. 1t consists of several sections
containing provisions which, in the wis
dom of the National Legislature, are nee
essary to secure permanent peace through
out the country, and to correct the most
palpable evils remaining in those States
which were lately in rebellion; evils,
which, without such correction, would en-
danger the National safety, and be lasting
source OF irritation and strife.
In examining the proposed amendment
its extreme moderation is, under all the cir
cumstances of the country and the time,
most remarkable. 1t contains four provis-
ions, of which three would become ire
pealable and unchangeable except by new
amendment to the Constitution; but the
other could be suspended or annulled by
act of Congress.
The three former consist, first, of the
grant of power to the National Govern
ment to protect the citizens of the whole
country in theirlegal privileges and immu-
mites, should any State attempt to oppress
classes or individuals, or deprive them OF
the equal protection of the laws; second, of
the equitable equalization of representa-
ton, by forbidding any State or district to
increase the number of its representatives
in Congress by enumeratiDg in the cleo
toral basis, classes of United States citizens
who are still denied the elective franchise;
and third, of the affirmation of the inviOla-
bility of the faith pledged to the payment
States, coupled with the denial of power to
the National or State Governments to as
sumo or pay any debt incurred in aid Of the
late rebellion. 81 its ia "a
A simple statement of these propositions
is their complete justification. The first
was proven necessary long before the war,
az IN ;fs,uaa rof0rinue thar any ATTAIN nt m