The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-03-29
COLUMBUS CORRESPONDENTS
Co11uRlrs. OH1o. March %.


duced into the Senate few days ago to
investigate the condition of affairs at
Longview Lunatic Asylum. This is not
properly a State institution, but belongs
to Hamilton County but at present, ON
account of the Central Asylum, a num-
Der of patients from different parts of
the State have been sent there for care.
The mere introduction of the resolution
did not attract much notice but the next
Rday from a discussion that took place
among the members of the Committed ,it
was disclosed that all is not right. l
T, shall have occasion to, refer to this at an
other time. -ssss
The Agricultural College bill has be-
come law 1t has been an elephant on
the bands of the Legislature for the past
seven years, and it is now to be hoped
that itmay be able to take care of itself
A bill has passed the Senate that
makes very great change in the law of
evidence 1t makes the husband and
wife competent witnesses for or against
each other in case their acts or declarar
tons were made in presence of a third
person, who would, if produced, be a
competent witness There are many
cases in which the law excludes the tes-
timony of witnesses on the grounds of
harmony and public policy but this bar
rier seems gradually giving away, and
the danger now is that the extreme will
be carried to the other scale. Many
! changes have been made in the produc-
ton of evidence in the last ten years,
and perhaps many of them very good
changes but the great fear now is that
this will be overdone. o45h
A bill has also passed entitled a bill to
prevent frauds in suits for divorce and
aiimony. This bill only makes the mat
ter Of obtaining q divorce a little more
complicated. 1t also breaks down all
barriers governing the production OF
evidence, and allows husband and wife
to be competent witnesses as to every
matter of issue in the case.
/ The Senate has gone somewhat into
the paper business by the passage of a
Joint resolution to buy the St. Clair pa.
pers, These are the official papers, doc
uments and correspondence of Gen. St
j Clair, Territorial Governor of Ohio.-
Many of them are valuable on account
of their connection with the early histo-
Try of our State,an the great Northwest,
that can nowhere else be obtained He
was Governor of the Northwest Terri
, tory from 17SS to 1902 Had some pri-
vate enterprise taken hold of these pa
pers they, no doubt, would have been
more useful. Should the House concur,
| they will be placed in the State library.
and the Ohio Historical Society will pub
lish them without any further expense to
the State. st , a
i A resolution has also passed to author
ize County Commissioners to purchase
for Justices of the Peace, Warren's Ohio
Criminal Law, (new edition,l Should
this be agreed to by the House and car
!, ried out by the Commissioners, sit will
cost Qore than it will come to-" The
book has many good things in it, but is
: far from being correct, and ought not tc
J. be bought. 8ao 81 naiH-a a5
A bill has also passed to relieve tht
:, Supreme Judges from travelling around
to assist in holding District Courts dur
3 ing the year 1870. The necessity TO
this is apparent to all who have business
!. in that Court, and under the present ar
rangement must wait three years before
q it can be reached. l'?ls.ea 7"i
4 All Of the last Legislatures election
FLAWS will be, repealed. Prominent among
which is the one known as he'student,
voting law. The repeal Of this law give
Fl the students attending college the righ
to vote either at the college or at home
as the case suits them; and the. loca
), elections'of many towns, and even som'
d counties, are controlled by thcxotes o
young men who have no actual resi-
7lIIdence in them, but are only there to at
, IFtend SCHOOL, This, is class legislation
giving to these students privilege il
our elections that no others enjoy. q
A greater portion of the time in th
House for the past week has been spen
,n l,ool hills .nd tba co,s;dorot;on !
s..a......, ,.m -. -,
INC app'opiiaeioi piii' "hion n"s noo ", ye
reached its tniru reaaing.