The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-01-10

lures upon acts of his which appear
ed to me designed to defeat the OBJ
ject of the law for the sake of per-
sonal profit by creating the impress
sion that the cessation to receive
new claims included also the cessa-
tion to prosecute gratuitousiy the COL
lection of those already received
The correspondence on this sub
ject was followed by the resignation
of the agent On the first of July,
when | directed the Adjutant Geler-
al to assume the duties OF the
agency, and save the expense of a
separate Office for the short time itI
had still'to exist. For this purpose
General Cowen proceeded to Wash
ington to receive the transfer of the
office and its archives, but was unex-
pecSedly met by 4 refusal to deliver
possession of the records and papers.
AS the duties Of the agency were
identical in character with those of
the Commissioner of Claims whose
Office was in the State Capitol, and
as had then, and have now, no
more doubt of the right of the State
to the records there than to those of
the executive Office here, directed
legal proceedings to be instituted to
obtain possession of the books and
documents. My view of the duties
of that agent is that, like those Of all
other officers of the State government,
they were administrative only, and
the State itself was the responsible
principal to which the soldiers en-
trusted their claims and looked for the
performance of the trust, the ageit
being strictly the employee of the
State which paid him, and in no sense
tae employee of the soldiers.
The local Courts of the District Of
'Cofumpfa,- -uefore wnrcn the case was
brought, held, however, that the
agent was the agent Of the State ONLY
for the purpose of receiving salary,
and that the archives of the office and
record books furnished by the State
are the agents personal property
Dissatisfied with this decision, the
Adjutant General has, with my ap-
proval, appealed to the Supreme
Court of the United States, where
the case will soon be heard and de.
cided.
A full history of this transaction,
as well as of the means which have
been energetically used by the Adju-
tant- General to. protect the interests
of the soldiers under the embarrass
ments incident to the failure to OBJ
tain immediate possession of the rec
ords of the office, will be found in
General Cowen's report. To that re-
port | would also refer for full ex
hibit of the step taken to close up the
military business of the State, of all
kinds, and to bring everything to
peace footing by diminution of the
number of employees and reduction
of expenditures
The laws of the State provide for
a Commissioner Of Immigration,
whose duty Is to use all proper means
to turn the tide of immigrants toward
our own borders, and to spread in
formation as to the resources of Ohio.
For two years no appropriation has
been made for this office, and the law
is practically a dead letter. 1t may
well be doubted whether the office es-
tablished in this State could be of
real benefit, but there can be no ques-
tion that a careful compilation of
facts and statistics with regard to The
resources of the State, and the ad-
vantages it offers as a home to the
immigrant, would be most useful. If
to this could be added complete ge-
illogical survey of the State in detail,
showing not simply the larger gener-
al features which are already pretty
well known, but the minuter facts of
its geology and natural history, the
advantage would be felt both by our
present citizens and in the attraction
hither of desirable classes of new
oomers. Valuable essays on special
parts of these subjects have from time
to time, appeared in the reports of
the Board Of Agriculture, and in in
dependent publications, and it is
thought that no great expense would
be incurred in bringing together and
completing such an exhibit of our re-
sources as has been referred to.
A very respectable horticultural
society has called attention to neces
sity of full investigation of the na-
ture and habits of insects which often
commit great ravages upon the or
chards and fields of the country.
They represent with apparent reason,
that the labor of such an investigation
can not be undertaken by individuals
and thatpublic advantage requers that
1t be done at public cost. AS part of
the complete survey Of the Geology
and Natural History of the State,
the topic is worthy Of your attention !;
and 1 am persuaded that such work,
carefully performed, would be most
profitable investment of the cost, by
the encouragement and which would
be thereby rendered to the great pro-
ducing interests of the State.
The last General Assembly direct
ed the submission to the people
of a proposition to amend the State
Constitution on the subject of the el-
ective franchise, so as to abolish dis
tinctions in political privilege based
upon race. The amendment was ac-
cordingly submitted at the October
election and the returns showed that
it was defeated by majority of sc, 500
votes. Inaccordance with the provision
ofthe statute, i issued aiproclamation
on the Both day of October, announc-
ing the fact. AS the question is one
which seems to me to be chiefly i'm
portant in its relation to national
rather than State policy, 1 shall re-
frain from discussing it, and the
more willingly that the progress of
events has only strengthened the con-
victions / have heretofore made pub |
lie in regard to it. goe Z a l86 o !
To foster and protect all the local
and PERSONAL interests and rights of
the people OF our great commonwealth
IS the duty which they have commit
ted officially to onr hands and in the
hope that under the Divine Proyi
dence your labors will be sagaciously
to that end, / welcome you
to your legislative duties. Hida7
j. D. Cox, Governor.