The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-03-16
Letter from the State Capital.

Letter from the State Capital.
COLUMBUS, March IL, 1876,
Ed. PhEss: The last two weeks
have been full of solid work in the
General Assembly, 50 thoroughly as
ito csll fort: complimentary remarks
from those acquainted with the work
Of legislation. 1t is observable that
State Solons shut mp to close work
ana the bad air of the Halls, (and es-
pecially true is this Of the House) that
there is nervousness strongly charac-
teristic of what our mothers used to
call cross.
q A strong lobby is present this week
mostly from Athens County, to "log'
8 bill through giving all the swamp
and canal lands to the State UAiversi-
ties and the eAgriculturala and Mechan-
icai College here at Columbus. One
OF the TIVE State Universities located
in Butler County shut up shop some
months since for want of means to
sustain itself. These schools vera
founded by virtue OF 3 donation OF
lands from the General Government,
put into the care of the State legisla.
ture. The lands for the Athens Uni
versity were leased to original settlers
at a valuation per acre on which the
plessees pay simple interest, tor the
benefit Of the school, bnt they pay no
State taxes. This first valuation was
on an average about two dollars an
acre, with condition that at the end
of each thirty y-five years. there should
be re-valuation. This period Of time
came around and the General Assem-
fbiy demanded the terms "neminated
Pfn the bond"-a re-valuatiOn. AS q
consequence howl carno mp from the
llessees and their friends, before which
the Legislature wilted, ana as conse.
auence, some Of the farms in that
county are held at nominal rent OF
the Simple interest upon one dollar
aud ten cents per acre. One corner
lot in the modern City Of Athens, =
worth ten thousand dollars, pays All
annual rental OF twenty-five cents and
no State taxes. Aud now, ever since
this robbery or betrayal of sacred
trust, the friends Of this +" University
have been lobbying the legislature to
"do-something for Them" The legis.
lature has granted to these lease hold
ers the right to pay for their lands and
then these lands viii be placed upon
the tax duplicate. This state tax the
Legislature stands ready to turn over
to the institution. But even this these
begging friends of education are un-
willing to do. If these swamp and
canal lands are tnrned over to the pc
titions they will have an egg from
| which =, mighty brood of law suits
will hatch, to the infinite Joy of the
legal fraternity. These lands are scat
tered through the State, some of them
occupied by right of "squatter sover-
eighty for years, while others are
overlapped by deeds, given and taken
in good faith. At best, if these insti-
tutions gain money out of this pro-
posed measure, they will not gain any
great measure of popularity in the
eyes of the people. q ret5
s The farmers of Southern Ohio, es-
pecially on the hills, were blowing
three weeks since, while in this lati-
tude the grass begins to show its
growth as with q will to "be some
thing The air is balmy and spring.
like, with showers which give promise
of early spring, the ground-hog TO the
contrary notwithstanding. There
seems to be a. strong a desire for
Spring as though q duplicate OF last
Winter were upon us. En t.,.
The other body Of men from vari-
Gus parts of the State, who occupy the
"strong hotel down by the river side.
are constantly on the increase in num-
Der. }, Thirteen hundred aud sixty
were within the walls yesterday, with
back counties to hear from. Ii our
large cities having work-heuses were
allowed TO accommodate the Zone
year men" at home it would relieve
our States prison TO some extent. Y.
stfEtte VIM II