Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-01-10

visions of law under which their
claims might have been settled.
do not think it desirable to re-
vlYe the old commission, or to ap-
point new one, but would recon-
mend that committee of the Legis-
lature be appointed to examine and
adjust such honest claims as ought
to be paid.
THE TWO PER CENT. CLAIMS.
Claims to the amount of nearly
81, 800, O,OOO-about one third of
which is due to the State of Ohio
have been presented to the United
States Government by the States of
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, on ac-
count of the unpaid balance of the
five per cent. granted by Congress
to the several States on the sales of
public lands. The House of Repre-
sentatives in Congress last winter,
by vote of two to one, recognized
the validity of this claim. The Sen
ate barely defeated the measure, if
l mistake not, by single vote. A
memorial has recently been address
ed to Congress of the three States
interested, and we trust our efforts
will be warmly seconded by the
Legislatures of our respective States.
1t is believed that a sense of justice
| will induce Congress to accord to
/ us what we maintain is fairly due.
CENTENNIAL.
1t having been decided to eele-
brate the one hundreth anniversary
of our National Independence by a
grand exhibition of the industry
of the country, it is desirable that
provision for this important event
be made upon a scale commensurate
with the dignity of the occasion
Foreign nations are already signi-
flying their acceptance of the invita-
ton of our Government while exhib-
itors In this and other countries
are applying for necessary space
To make the Exposition such a sue
cess as shall present our young Re
public to the Governments Of the
old world in the most favorable
light, such a display as shall attract
the attention and command the ad-
miration of the whole civilized world,
.alarge sum of money will be required.
In order to raise the necessary funds,
and for other purposes, the Centen-
NAL Commission appeals to the pa
triotic impulses and generous spirit
of all eur people. Certainly no
State in the Union has greater cause
for gratitude and pride than Ohio,
with her three millions of inhabitants
and her abounding wealth. 1t is
hoped the rich and the poor alike,
each according to his means, will
contribute somewhat toward carry
ing out the designs of the Com
mission. To facilitate this, Hon. A.
G. Goshorn, Director General of the
Centennial, a citizen of our own
State, asksfor the appointment of
State Boards to cooperate with
the National Board of Commissions.
l would therefore earnestly recon-
mend that provision be made for
appointment, by my successor, of such
State Boald, and that an appropri-
alton of $4,000 be made to defray
the expenses thereof including the
cost of travel, postage, clerk hire,
etc. I am convinced this is the
least sum which will answer the pur-
pose. $3.50. r. -5s
1t is hoped Ohio will not be be-
hind her sister States in the mani
festation of her patriotism.
STATE ORDINANCE.
1t may not be universally known
that under the act of Congress, ap-
proved April %, 1908, two hundred
thousand dolla1S are annually appro-
priated for the purpose of arming
and equiping the militia of the Uni
ed States, this sum being divided
among the States and territories ac-
cording to the representation in
Congress. The yearly quota of
Ohio under this rule, Is 81, 500. But
during the late war large sums Of
money were charged against some
of the States for arms and other
ordnance stores issued to said States
by the War Department. By refer
ence to the report of the Adjutant
General, which will be laid before
you, it will seem that Ohio stood
charged on the lst of December,
1868, with $1s4, 77S %. in excess of
her quota. The amount at this time
appearing to be due, after deducting
the credits allowed since December
lst, 1868, is about 1927, 900. AS the
arms and other ordnance stores now
in possession of the State are incon-
siderable in quantity, and of little
value it is undoubtedly true that
we stand charged with stores issued
to troops and used during the war,
and which have been accounted for
to the United States Government
by commanding officers in the field.
1t may be that errors occurred in
keeping the accounts, but certain
it is that Ohio ought not to be
charged with this large amount of
money. Indeed, General A. B. Dy-
er, Chief of Ordnance says: ..aa
Large sums of money were charged
against some Of the States for arms, etc.,
furnished by the department during the
| war and other States, equally populOus,
had no charges made against them du-
ring the same period !: and it seems to me
highly probably that the errors occurred
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 them for
the maintenance of the Government and
the preservation of the Union, ani should
have been charged as arms and other
stores issued to volunteers, to the United
States, and not to the States"
If the apparent indebtedness here
referred to is not cancelled, as the
Adjutant-General says it will be
eleven years before any army can
be received by this State.
1t would be well to authorize some
agent or State officer to investigate s
secure a correction of the mistakes
heretofore made. Or, if Congress
sional action is necessary, as the
Chief of. Ordnance seems to think,
/ II L