Belmont Chronicle

OHIO LEGISLATURE.

SENATE--Feb. 5.--The bill to regulate the duties of the Treasurer and Auditor of State was read the second time, and will be considered in committee of the Whole to-day. It is an important bill.

Mr. Brazee reported back the Usury bill with several important amendments intended to apply to banks, bankers and brokers. The amendments were ordered to be printed, when another discussion will arise on the merits of the bill.

Feb 6--Several bills were reported back to the standing committees with amendments, which were disposed of.

The bill to fix and prescribe the duties of the Treasurer and Auditor of State was considered in committee of the whole, and after going through its several sections was reported back to the Senate.

The amendments reported back from the committee of the Whole to the bill prescribing the duties of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, were taken up and generally adopted, and the bill was ordered to be engrossed.

After an entire business session the Senate took a recess.

SENATE--Feb. 6.--For the purpose of getting at an end of the printing business the Senate reconsidered its adherence to its amendment to the joint resolution on printing extra number of documents, and agreed to a new committee of Conference.

It was generally understood that the House would agree to drop the German printing, and under this conviction the Senate agreed to this new committee.

Mr. Hamilton, from the committee on Printing, reported that the delay in printing the documents, was partly the fault of the law, and partly that the two Houses in failing to agree upon the number of extra copies of the document required. We trust this subject will now be disposed of, and that the law will be so changed as to prevent its recurrence hereafter.

The afternoon was spent in committee, and in the Senate in discussing Mr. Brazee's bill limiting the amount of damages on bills of exchange, &c. The committee struck out the section which made liable indorsers if notified within sixty days after it became due, unless special damages for want of notice should exist.

A motion to indefinitely postpone the entire bill was made, and the merits of the subject were ably discussed by several Senators. The motion to indefinitely postpone failed by a vote of 18 to 19.

The Senate then adjourned.

SENATE--Feb. 7.--Mr. Hamilton introduced a long and carefully digested bill providing for recording, printing and distributing the Journals of General Assembly and the laws and public documents. It provides for recording the Journals, but dispenses with recording reports, &c., which are to be printed in the appendix. It provides for the reports to be made to the Governor before the sessions of the Legislature, which are to be printed and ready for the members at the beginning. It provides for the extra numbers to be printed at the same time, &c. We trust the general features of the bill will be passed into a law before the close of present session.

Bill to cede lands in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Sandusky and Toledo for custom houses, &c., was debated at some length.

The bill was laid on the table that members might further examine the subject.

Several other bills were introduced, and read the first time, and several reports from standing committees were made. The committees on the public Benevolent Institutions reported that immediate appropriations were demanded as follows: Lunatic Asylum at Columbus, $5000; Deaf & Dumb Asylum, $3000; Blind Asylum, $2,200.--Appropriations for these purposes will probably be made at once.

SENATE--Feb 7--The afternoon session was a laborious one. The amendments to the bill regulating the duties of the Treasurer and Auditor of State were considered and the bill ordered to be engrossed.

The act authorizing Mayors and Justices to sentence persons who should plead guilty of the minor offences subject to the jurisdiction of the Probate Court, was debated at some length. Several Senators feared that offenders would escape proper punishment if this power was lodged with these officers, but the necessity of avoiding the delay and expense of taking all these cases up to the Probate Court was so apparent that the bill found many able friends. It will probably be passed to-day.

The bill regulating the amount of damage on protested bills of exchange was considered and ordered to be engrossed.

SENATE Feb. 8.--Mr. Taylor, of Mahoning, introduced a bill "to provide for the government of schools and academies specially endowed." This bill is well drawn, and is designed to provide for an interesting case in Youngstown, the residence of Mr. Taylor. William Rarey, of that place died a short time since, leaving some $50,000 for the use and benefit of the schools in Youngstown. The bequest is well guarded, and the clause of the will on this subject was read at the Clerk's desk. It will erect a monument to his memory more durable than marble or brass.

The bill of Mr. Brazee changing the amount of damage on protested bills of exchange drawn on places out of the State from six to three per cent. was read the third time and lost--yeas 14, nays 19.

The bill "prescribing the duties of the commissioners of the sinking fund in certain cases," was read the third time, and passed, unanimously. It is an important bill, and carefully guards the rights and interests of the State.

House joint resolution authorizing the State House Commissioners to take down the stone quarry bridge across the Scioto near the Penitentiary, was passed.

Bill granting lands in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Sandusky and Toledo was taken up and again debated. Pending the debate the Senate took a recess.

HOUSE--Feb. 5. Mr. Rogers offered the following resolution which was adopted:

Resolved, That the committee on public Printing be and are hereby instructed to inquire into and report forthwith the causes of the long delay in furnishing the members of the house with the printed copies of the several public Documents.

Mr. Todd offered a preamble with the following resolution, which was laid upon the table:

Resolved, That it is the duty of the State of Ohio in the exercise of its popular sovereignty through its General Assembly, to raise and equip five regiments of volunteers, to provide all the necessary provisions, and pay for six months to preserve the peace and protect the settlers from the depredations of the land pirates who infest that Territory.

Mr. Brayton offered the following resolution:

Whereas, The editors of the Cleveland daily papers have signified their willingness to publish an abstract of the doings of this House, not exceeding two columns and a half in length, provided the same is furnished them. therefore.

Resolved. That one of the Assistant Clerks of this House be directed to prepare an abstract of the journals daily, for publication in one or more of the papers in Columbus providing the editors will publish the same and in case the publication of the same is declined by the Columbus editors, the same be sent to one or more of the Cleveland papers.

Which was adopted.

After considerable discussion, the resolution was reconsidered, and laid on the table.

Mr. Sawyer called up the resolution relating to printing the reports, and moved to amend so as to elect a Reporter to report the proceedings, instead of transcribing the Journals for that purpose. The resolution was made the special order, for Thursday.

A message was received from the Governor by the hands of his private secretary, I. L. Rice, Esq., which was read by the Clerk.

Mr. Upham moved that the message be laid upon the table and printed.

On motion it was laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Cadwell offered the following resolutions which were laid upon the table and ordered to be printed:

Whereas, The present peace, as well as the future welfare of our country demands, that there shall be no further extension of slavery and no more Slave States: and

Whereas. By the reported unlawful invasions of the Territory of Kansas by citizens of the State of Missouri, for the purpose of forcibly depriving the citizens of that Territory of their first political right. and thereby establish slavery therein by force and without authority of law; as a consequence of which invasions, civil war now exists in Kansas; and

Whereas, The people of the Territory of Kansas have, by a Convention of Delegates duly called and assembled for that purpose, formed for themselves a Constitution and State Government, which Constitution is republican, and said Convention. and the people of Kansas, by their ratification of said Constitution, having asked admission into the Union as a State: and believing that such admission of Kansas as a State, would exclude slavery therefrom and save that Territory from further civil tumults, and further effusion of blood, it is

Resolved, by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That our Senators be and are hereby instructed, and our Representatives in Congress be requested, to use their best endeavors for the immediate passage of an act of Congress admitting Kansas into the Union as a State, with such limitation of boundaries as by Congress shall be deemed advisable.

Resolved, That our Representatives be requested to vote for the immediate admission of A. H. Reeder to a seat in the House of Representatives in Congress, as a delegate from Kansas. until such admission of Kansas as a State.

Resolved, That the Governor be requested to cause a copy of this preamble and resolutions properly certified, to be forwarded to each of our Senators & Representatives in Congress, and that a copy be sent to the Governor of each State in the Union.

Adjourned.

HOUSE--Feb. 6, The House was engaged this morning chiefly in considering the bill "supplementary to the act for the punishment of willfully and maliciously poisoning animals."

HOUSE--Feb. 7. After the usual morning business, a number of memorials and petitions were presented, notices of the introduction of bills were given, and reports of committees were received.

Mr. Irion, from the standing committee on State Buildings, recommending the taking down of the old quarry bridge near the Penitentiary, and to use the iron thereon at the new State House and Penitentiary.

The special committee appointed to ascertain the amount of expenditure on the Public Buildings were instructed to carefully examine the accounts of all disbursements.& were authorized to call to their aid the Auditor and Treasurer of State and Attorney General.

Mr. Sawyer moved to take from the table the resolution providing from the election of a Reporter, and publication of the proceedings of the House.

The resolution of Mr Sawyer was taken up and discussed at some length, when the question was taken, and resulted--yeas 58, nays 29.

The committee on Conference of the two Houses in relation to the matter of difference between the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the joint resolution for the printing of the Executive documents, whereby the Senate struck out the 14th item of the resolution as passed by the House, which item provided for printing one-fifth of the documents in German. has had the same under consideration, and recommend that the House recede from its disagreement to the Senate amendment, and agree to the same.

The question being taken on agreement to the recommendation of the committee resulted--yeas 61, nays 40.

Mr Franklin offered the following resolution which was laid over for discussion.

Resolved, That the presiding officers of this General Assembly of the State of Ohio be and are hereby authorized to pay the conductors of the Ohio State Journal and the Ohio Statesman one thousand dollars each: provided the conductors of said papers publish daily two and a half columns of the proceedings of this General assembly

On motion of Mr. Parsons, the House went into committee of the Whole on the orders of the day, and considered several bills.

HOUSE--Feb. 8. After the usual morning business, Mr. Jewitt presented the memorial of the Executive Committee of the western anti-Slavery Society in relation to certain in the Constitution of Ohio and a dissolution of the Union, and moved that it be referred to a committee of Five

Mr. Sawyer moved that it be rejected.

Mr. Boyer moved that it be laid upon the table.

The yeas and nays were demanded, and resulted yeas 10, nays 57

The question then turned on the motion to refer to a select committee.

Mr. Sinnett moved to refer the memorial to the committee on Federal Relations, with instructions to report against the petition

The time of the House was taken up in the discussion of these matters until the hour of recess.