Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-01-08

ing the necessary changes would not
be great, as most of the work could
be done by the prisoners them
selves. A decent regard for the
health and reasonable comfort of
these unfortunate criminals requires
early attention and faction on the
part of the Legislature. YLEr 81
CRIMINAL LAW.
years experience in the
matter Of hearing and deciding TAP
plications for pardon has confirmed
me in the opinion that the law should
be so modified as to leave less dis
cretion with the courts in passing
sentence for criminal offences. 1t
often happens that two prisoners
work side by side in the Peniten-
tiary, both sent there for the same
crime, one for one year and the 9th
er for ten. In such case it is i'm
possible to convince the convict. in
carcerated for the longer time that
he has been fairly dealt with. And
so long as he is stung with sense
Of this injustice, he is not likely to
reform. There is nothing approach
ing uniformity in the length of SEN
tences proEunccd by different
judges for similar offences.
l earnestly recommend that the
criminal law be so changed as to Sc
cure more exact justice; so amend
ed as to leave results affecting the
lives and liberties Of men less de-
pendent upon the judgement, the
temperament or the caprice of those
who administer the law.
--5r4- STATE ORDNANCE s3s
1t may not be universally known
that under the scttof Congress, ap
proved April %, 1908, two hundred
thousand dollars are annually ap
lpropriated for the purpose of arm
ling and equiping the militia of the
United States, this-snm being divid.
ed among the States and Territories
according to their representation in
Congress. The yearly quota Of
Ohio under this rule. is, -Sll 800,
But during the late war large sums
of money we're charged against some
of the States for arms and other ord
nance stores issued to, said States
by the War, Department. BY ref
erences to the report of the Adju
tant General, which will be seen
that Ohio stood charged on the Isl
of December, 1868. with $lS4,773.2:
in excess. of her qnota. The amount
at this time appearing to be due
after ,deducting the credits allowed
since December lst 1868, is about
$4,000. As the arms and othei
ordnance stores now in possession ot
the State are inconsiderable in quan
| tity, and of little value it is nndoubt
edly true that we stand charged with
stores issued to troops and used dur
ing the war, and, which have been
accounted for by the United States
Government by commanding officers
in the field. 1t may be that errors
occurred in keeping the accounts
but certain tits that Ohio ought
not to be charged with this Large
amount of money. Indeed, Gen
eral A. B.. Dyer, Chief of Ordnance
says: ,g
"Large sums of money were
charged against some of the States
for arms, etc, furnished by this de
partment during the war, and Other
States, equally populous, had nc
charges made against them during
the same period and it seems to me
highly propbable that errors occur
ed in keeping the accounts with the
State, which do great injustice to
some of them, but which this Bureau
has no authority to correct. The
principal if not all, of the issues
which were made to the States dur
ing the war, were male to them for
the maintenance of the Government
and the preservation of the Union,
and should have been charged as
arms and other stores issued to vol
|unteers, to the United States and
not to the States" 1aJ
If the apparent indebtedness here
referred to is not cancelled, as the
Adjutant General says it will be
eleven yeas before any arms can be
received by this State. e
1t would be well to authorize
some agent or State officer to lnyes-
tigate and secure q correction OF
the mistakes heretofore made. Or,
if Congressional action Is necessary,
as the Chief of Ordnance seems to
think, then the General Assembly
should instruct our Senators and
request our Representatives in Con
gress to secure, if possible, the re-
qulred legislation. .''''' -
WAR CLAIMS AGAINST THE U. S.
The following statement will show
the history and condition of war
claims presented by the State of
Ohio against the General Govern
ment. -..-
Amount of claims presented - III
prior to Nov. Ia 1872, r.sb $S,19S,9 ,9G6 70
Amount presented during the
last fiscal year, i1l o. ~. 36,zl6 q
= zr4at r4aot.,, ,,em h.o ea1 ilif s.ga,,1,, 81
reimbursed prior to -. ! .Il Flf'f m
.M9, Mox caii.css II lss anr asss 81 v4-a
ing last fiscal year, s4,174 30
4-ala 5iF 9eHIII1 . sl.i-------
Amount Outstanding, 314,76l OF
Of the amount of claims now out
standing, probably not more than
fifty thousand dollars will be eollec
ted unless payment shall be, author
lied by act of Congress, though it is
believed that large part.of what is
claimed. if not all, is iustl.- due, and
ought to be paid.
Our war claims have been collect
ed at a cost Of little more than one
half of one per cent, and..the work
has been faithfully and efficiently
done.
For a more detailed statement,
and for several important sugges-
tions, you are referred to the report
of the Adjutant General.
.s. CLAIMS OF OHIO SOLDIERS.
% The act of the Ohio Legislature,
passed April 6, 1866, made provis-
ion for the appointment of q Board
of Commissioners to examine and
allow such claims of Ohio citizens
as they deemed just and proper, not
otherwise provided for. growing out
of military transactions, principally
in tho racrnitinu cervioa -T't.--. 7'a