Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/97

 HISTORY OF OHIO.

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��CHAPTER IX.

FIRST TERRITORIAL REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS-DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY-FORMA- TION OF STATES— MARIETTA SETTLEMENT— OTHER SETTLEMENTS— SETTLEMENTS IN THE WESTERN RESERVE — SETTLEMENT OF THE CENTRAL VALLEYS- FURTHER SETTLEiMENTS IN THE RESERVE AND ELSEWHERE.

��THE ordinance of 1787 provided that as soon as there were 5,000 persons in the Territory, it was entitled to a representative assembly. On October 29, 1798, Governor St. Clair gave notice by proclamation, that the required population ex- isted, and directed that an election be held on the third Monday in December, to choose representa- tives. These representatives were required, when assembled, to nominate ten persons, whose names were sent to the President of the United States, who selected five, and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appointed them for the legislative council. In this mode the Northwest passed into the second grade of a Territorial government.

The representatives, elected under the proclama- tion of St. Clair, met in Cincinnati, January 22, 1799, and under the provisions of the ordinance of 1787, nominated ten persons, whose names were sent to the President. On the 2d of March, he selected from the list of candidates, the names of Jacob Burnet, James Findlay, Henry Vander- burgh, Robert Oliver and David Vance. The next day the Senate confirmed their nomination, and the first legislative council of the Northwest Territory was a reality.

The Territorial Legislature met again at Cincin- nati, September 16, but, for want of a quorum, was not organized until the 24th of that month. The House of Representatives consisted of nine- teen members, of whom seven were from Hamilton County, four from Ross — erected by St. Clair in 1798; three from Wayne — erected in 1796; two from Adams — erected in 1797; one from Jefier- son — erected in 1797; one from Washington — erected in 1788; and one from Knox — Indiana Territory. None seem to have been present from St. Clair County (Illinois Territory).

After the organization of the Legislature, Gov- ernor St. Clair addressed the two houses in the Rep- resentatives' Chamber, recommending such meas- ures as, in his judgment, were suited to the con- dition of the country and would advance the safety and prosperity of the people.

��The Legislature continued in session till the 19th of December, when, having finished their business, they were prorogued by the Governor, by their own request, till the first Monday in November, 1800. This being the first session, there was, of necessity, a great deal of business to do. The transition from a colonial to a semi-independent form of government, called for a general revision as well as a considerable enlargement of the stat- ute-book. Some of the adopted laws were re- pealed, many others altered and amended, and a long list of new ones added to the code. New ofiices were to be created and filled, the duties at- tached to them prescribed, and a plan of ways and means devised to meet the increased expenditures, occasioned by the change which had now occurred.

As Mr. Burnet was the only lawyer in the Legis- lature, much of the revision, and putting the laws into proper legal form, devolved upon him. He seems to have been well fitted for the place, and to have performed the laborious task in an excel- lent manner.

The whole number of acts passed and approved by the Governor, was thirty-seven. The most im- portant related to the militia, the administration of justice, and to taxation. During the session, a bill authorizing a lottery was passed by the council, but rejected by the Legislature, thus interdicting this demoralizing feature of the disposal of lands or for other purposes. The example has always been followed by subsequent legislatures, thus honorably characterizing the Assembly of Ohio, in this re- spect, an example Kentucky and several other States might well emulate.

Before the Assembly adjourned, they issued a congratulatory address to the people, enjoining them to " Inculcate the principles of humanity, benevolence, honesty and punctuality in dealing, sincerity and charity, and all the social afieetion.s/' At the same time, they issued an address to the President, expressing entire confidence in the wis- dom and purity of his government, and their warm attachment to the American Constitution.

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