19; John S. Weistling, 17. On the seventh of December, this organization was made the permanent one, without opposition.

Charles B. Flood, James Gillett and John Duffey were admitted as reporters of the press to the privileges of the floor of the Senate.

The Governor's message was largely devoted to the questions of finance and currency, owing to the unfavorable condition of banking and financial institutions throughout the entire country.

The Judiciary Committee having had sundry memorials referred to them, touching the issue of money or scrip, in the similitude of bank bills, by the Mad River and Lake Erie R. R. Co., reported thereon and submitted a bill declaring such acts by corporations, not authorized banks, an usurpation of corporate power, and prohibiting the same, as dangerous to the public welfare and in the encouragement of fraud.

Eliphalet Brooks, of Huron county, offered a petition asking the Legislature to remit a fine imposed on him for assault and battery upon one Ruth A. Hale, but the Judiciary Committee declared that aside from any question of justice that might be involved, it would be a dangerous precedent for the Legislature to interfere with the judgments of the courts, or undertake to correct their real or supposed errors.

Petitions for the repeal of the "Black Laws" and the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia were numerous in both the Senate and the House, but failed of favorable reports and consideration. On the other hand petitions were presented to prevent the migration of black and mulatto persons into the State of Ohio.

The Judiciary Committee reported that in cases where proceedings in conviction and sentence to the penitentiary are reversed, it is but justice that the State and not the county should pay the costs of prosecution, since the error is committed by judges appointed by the State, and not by the county, the State being responsible for the acts of its officers.

In the organization of the House an innovation was made. A resolution was adopted to take the vote viva voce, to which many of the members objected on the ground that it was not the mode provided by the Constitution. The resolution was adopted thirty-seven yeas to thirty-five nays.

The result of the election was that Rufus P. Spalding received 36 votes for Speaker pro tem.; Eluthoros Cook, 34; Albert A. Bliss, 1; Mr. Spalding not voting. For Clerk, Gideon M. Ayers, 37; John M. Gallagher, 34. For Sergeant-at-Arms, James French, 37; Thomas Y. Miles, 24.

On the eighth of December, after a fruitless attempt to rescind the viva voce feature of the resolution, the pro tempore organization was made permanent, the opponents of the innovation voting for "Mr. Blank" for all officers.

Delazon Smith, John M. Gallagher, L. J. Miller and Henry Rhoedter were admitted as newspaper reporters to the privileges of the floor of the House.

The message of the Governor, along with the reports of the State officers and the various boards and commissions, were referred to the standing committees of the House.

The Committee on Public Works reported that it would require an additional sum of $1,050,000 to complete the canal system as contemplated.

Joseph Olds and John Probasco, Jr., minority of the Committee on Banking and Currency, reported in favor of incorporating the State Bank of Ohio.

The Select Committee on Silk Culture presented, through Mr. Bliss, an elaborate report on that subject and recommended favorable legislation. Many valuable documents accompanied the report.

The select committee on the repeal or modification of the “Black Laws" made a report deprecating the agitation of the question by ultraists on both sides of the controversy.

The two Houses in joint assembly elected the following officers:
Auditor of State-John Brough.

Supreme Judges-Matthew Birchard and Nathaniel C. Reed.

State Librarian-John Kennedy.

Receiver of Public Moneys-Lima, James Cunningham; Maumee, Charles C. P.

Hunt.

Register Lima Land Office-James Taylor.

Directors Ohio Penitentiary-Andrew H. Patterson and Andrew McIlvaine. Major General Eighth Division-John J. Higgins.

Major General Sixth Division-John Armstrong.

President Judge Fourteenth Circuit-Benj. Bissell.

Associate Judges-Francis Andrews, Richland; Eli Barker, Hocking; Jonathan Cessna, Hardin; John Church, Trumbull; Asher M. Coe, Cuyahoga; Daniel Crain,

Warren; Zadoc Davis, Guernsey; Asa Dudley, Jackson; Wm. Durbin, Morgan; John Ewing, Hancock; Jos. Eylar, Adams; Jacob Gerard, Madison; G. M. Hazen, Belmont; Jno. Heck, Perry; Ahirah Hibbard, Lucas; J. L. Hinman, Medina; Wm. Hoge, Logan ; Wm. Ledlie, Meigs; Henry Leonard, Henry; Daniel Martin, Licking; Robert Martin, Preble; Silas McClish, Putnam; Francis L. Nichols, Lucas; Richard Parcell, Warren; Robert Reed, Guernsey; Samuel Reed, Pike; Jabob Roller, Columbiana; Joseph W. Ross, Gallia; Benj. R. Shaw, Coshocton; John Smeltzer, Miami; James R. Smith, Union; James Spencer, Hocking; Jacob P. Springer, Muskingum; Albert V. Stebbins, Henry; Jesse M. Stone, Morgan; Joseph Stuckey, Fairfield; Albert G. Sutton, Huron; Jonathan B. Taylor, Williams; Hugh Welch, Crawford; Jos. L. Whitton, Lorain; William Wilkins, Belmont.

Edwin M. Stanton was, by joint resolution, appointed reporter of the Supreme Court, and in the same manner the following trustees were selected :

Of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, James Hoge, Asabel Chittenden, Charles Schaeffer and Samuel Medary.

Institution of the Blind, Noah H. Swayne.

The banking and currency laws were amended by placing restrictions upon existing corporations, and requiring a stricter accountability on the part of officers and directors of banking institutions.

The act of March 7, 1842, revived the office of Superintendent of Schools, and provided that at the next election of school directors they should be chosen for one, two and three years, respectively, and that thereafter the term should be for three years, and one director should be chosen each year.

By the act of March 7, it was made a penal offence punishable by from one to three years in the penitentiary, for any person to issue or circulate fraudulent currency, or any evidence of indebtedness having the semblance or purport of bank emissions. This was aimed at corporations and individuals other than incorporated banks issuing paper currency in any form.

The following railroad companies were incorporated: Seneca R. R. Co., act of March 5, 1842. Hanover and Wellsville R. R. Co., act of March 7, 1842. The act incorporating the Vermillion and Ashland R. R. Co. was amended by the act of March 7, 1842.

FOURTH EXTRAORDINARY LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 1842.

Met Monday, July 25, 1842. Adjourned August 12, 1842.

The Legislature met in extraordinary session, pursuant to a joint resolution, on the above date, to redistrict the State for Congressional representation, to consider the questions of banking and currency, and incidentally such other matters as might arise.

There was no change in membership or officers from the preceding session, seventy members of the House and thirty-six Senators answering at roll call.

The session was one of interest and excitement throughout, owing to the high party spirit which prevailed.

The act of redistricting the State for Congressional representation provoked much acrid debate, and the districts were finally formed as follows:

5. Mercer, Van Vert, Paulding, Williams, Lucas, Henry, Putnam, Allen, Shelby, Hardin.

6.

Wood, Hancock, Crawford, Seneca, Sandusky, Ottawa.

7. Clermont, Brown, Highland.

8. Pike, Jackson, Hocking, Ross.

9. Fayette, Pickaway, Fairfield. Franklin, Licking, Knox.

10.

The Commissioners of Banking and Currency submitted their report on the condition of financial affairs in the State, and going over the whole subject of the suspension of specie payments. The commissioners merely submitted the facts as they found them, but made no specific recommendations.

Much remedical legislation along the lines of the report was proposed, but owing to the abrupt termination of the session, but little of consequence was enacted. No other legislation, general in its application, and of special importance was enacted. The two Houses met in joint convention on the sixth of August, 1842, and elected the following:

President Judge Ninth Circuit-Wm. B. Caldwell.

Associate Judges-Christian Myers, Union; Robert Moore, Hamilton; Hugh Gamble, Richland; Sumner Knight, Wood; Wm. Gill, Pickaway; Guy Morgan, Wood; John W. Greenwood, Stark; John Sherman, Ashtabula; Benj. F. Avery, Geauga; Luke Draper, Lucas.

E. N. Sill and Griffith Foos, from the minority of the Congressional District Committee made a report against the bill submitted by the majority, as being subversive of the intent and meaning of the Constitution.

The end of the session, which came on the twelfth of August, was dramatic. On a call of the roll of the House, the following members failed to respond: Ackley, Smith, Titus, Taylor, McCrea, Clark, Dunham, Evans, Kelly, of Cuyahoga, Powell, Chenowith, Gregory, Converse, Fudge, Brown, Scott, Cook, Fuller, Bliss, Wheeler, Gard, Updegraff, Schenck, Smith, Warner, Bowen, Chambers, Streator, Hawkins and Probasco.

This left the House without a quorum, and the Speaker issued his warrant to the Sergeant-at-Arms for their arrest. In the meantime the most of them had tendered their resignations to the Speaker of the House and Gov. Corwin, and defied the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest them.

There being less than a quorum present, Speaker Rufus P. Spalding, subsequently one of the leading jurists of the State, declared that the resignations could not be accepted, and appealed to the Governor as to the method of procedure. Gov. Corwin responded that the question of the sufficiency of the resignations rested with the members of the House who had responded to their names.

Thereupon the Speaker adjourned the House with an impassioned speech in which he denounced the action of the recusant members in bitter terms, as subversive of law and order and threatening to representative self-government.

The districting bill remained in a state of suspended animation until the assembling of the next Legislature.

OFFICIAL DIRECTORY, 1842-1843.

Governor-WILSON SHANNON.

Secretary of State-JOHN SLOANE.

Treasurer of State-JOSEPH WHITEHILL.

Auditor of State-JOHN BROugh.

Supreme Judges-NATHANIEL C. REED, MATTHEW BIRCHARD, FREDRICK GRIMKE, REUBEN WOOD.

For Speaker, James J. Faran, 21; blanks

The vote for temporary officers was: and scattering, 14. Clerk, Thomas J. Morgan, 20; blanks, 15. Sergeant-at-Arms, George Knupp, 21; blanks, 13. On the sixth of December this organization was

made permanent.

Charles B. Flood, L. J. Moeller and T. J. Davis were admitted to the floor and privileges of the Senate as reporters for the press.

On the ninth of December, the two Houses met jointly and canvassed the vote for Governor declaring the result as follows: Wilson Shannon, 119,774; Thomas Corwin, 117,902; Leicester King, 5,134; scattering, 40; total, 242,810; Shannon's plurality, 1,872.

The counties of Highland, Butler and Montgomery had failed to return their vote in time to be computed with the above. The aggregate vote in the three counties