did not want food after the war was over, as the country produced a never failing abundance. It is hardly possible for any one, who now, for the first time, sees this country, to imagine one half the hardships to which the settlers were then subjected; but "the times have changed, and we have changed with them." The Indian war commenced, and the Governor was called off into that, as we have seen, until after he resigned the military command. During that period very little was done in of civil government. the way In 1791, some French immigrants settled on the Ohio river at a place, which they appropriately called Gallipolis. They had been swindled out of about one hundred thousand crowns in silver, by a few arch knaves, who, visiting Paris, pretended to own a large tract of land, immediately adjoining on the west of "the Ohio company's land." There was, some few years since, one of the deeds of the pretended "Scioto land company" in existence among these innocent Frenchmen, and we saw it at Gallipolis, signed, JOEL BARLOW! These people lived at Gallipolis during the old Indian war, and suffered some from the Indians as well as from sickness, and many privations in a far wilderness. In consideration of losses by the swindlers, congress gave these settlers, twenty-four thousand acres of beautiful land at the "French grant," in Scioto county, and sold them all they wanted elsewhere, at a low price. Many of these immigrants, finding themselves imposed on, the swindlers calling themselves the "Scioto land company" went off to Vincennes, Kaskaskia, St. Genevieve and St. Louis, and settled there. Some went to Philadelphia, and other places, so that those who remained, and petitioned congress for relief, succeeded very well in tarrying at their town on the Ohio river. by As we have already stated, on the 2d of January 1790, Hamilton county had been organized by the territorial government, and the same authority made what is now Cincinnati, the seat of justice for that county. During the next seven years no new county was organized, but so many persons af ter the Indian war was ended, settled along the Ohio river, opposite the white settlements above, opposite, and below Maysville, in Kentucky, that a county was organized where they had settled, and it was called Adams. This was done on the 10th day of July 1797. Settlers during the same period, had been crossing the Ohio, and settling on its west side, opposite Wheeling and Brooke county, in Virginia, this territory was organized into a county, and called JEFFERSON County. This was done on the 29th day of July 1797. In the mean time, the Scioto country had attracted the attention of the Virginians, and they had surveyed a great deal of their military lands, between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers. Gene ral Nathaniel Massie, acting as the deputy of Colonel Richard Anderson, the Surveyor General of this tract, was busily engaged in surveying and locating military warrants, during the very time of the Indian war, and immediately afterwards. In 1796 General Massie, assisted by Duncan McArthur (late governor of the state, and a general in the army of the United States) laid out a town in a dense forest on the west side of the Scioto river, and called it CHILLICOTHE. The territo rial Government organized a county on the Scioto, and called it Ross. This act passed on the 20th day of August 1798, and it made Chillicothe its seat of justice, By this time many settlers had come into the state in many parts of it. In 1796 New Connecticut began to be settled. As early as 1796, a settlement was made at the mouth of Coneaut creek. Cleveland was laid out-the lands began to be surveyed in New Connecticut. The whole of that region was organized into a county, and called Trumbull. This act passed on the 6th day of December 1800. The Hocking country had been settling for some time, and on the 9th of December, Fairfield county was organized, and Lancaster was made its seat of justice. So dense and extensive had the population become, opposite Wheeling and Wellsburgh, in Virginia, that Jefferson county was divided, and the county of Belmont (it should be Beaumont) was organized and St Clairs ville made its seat of justice. This act became a law on the 7th of September 1801. During all the period from July 1788 to 1799, the population had only increased so as to enable the people to elect their house of representatives. During that period there was contest after contest between the judges and the governor. The people were dissatisfied with all parties, and they looked forward with anxiety to the time, when their numbers would be sufficient to enable them to have a voice in making their own laws. Having ascertained that they had five thousand free white males over the age of twenty-one years, in the whole North Western Territory, Governor St. Clair, on the 29th day of October 1798, issued his proclamation, directing the electors to elect representatives to a general assembly. This meeting of the representatives he ordered to be held at Cincinnati, on the 22d day of January 1799. On the third Monday of December 1798, the people cheerfully obeyed this proclamation, and elected their representatives, who met when and where they were ordered to do. The representatives so as aforesaid, assembled at Cincinnati, on the 22d of January, 1799, performed their duty, by nominating ten persons to the president, from whom he selected five, who were, in due season, appointed members of the legis lative council, or upper house of assembly. This meeting of the people's representatives, on the 22d of January, having nominated ten persons, as councilors, the governor prorogued the meeting to the 16th day of the next September, 1799, at at which time, he ordered them to appear at Cincinnati, then and there to hold a General Assembly, for enacting laws for the future government of the people of the territory. During all the preceding period of the North Western Territory's existence, the people had been governed by laws made by the governor and judges, or by proclamations of the goverSt. Clair claimed the right, under the act of congress which created the territory, to organize counties, to create offices and fill them, to license keepers of taverns and ferries, nor. license attorneys at law, and commission all the military and civil officers. For every license and every commission he exacted large fees from those who received them. The people were excessively dissatisfied, at what they called, selling all the offices, to different individuals. The first license to keep a ferry, was granted to Robert Benham of Cincinnati, to be kept at that place, across the Ohio river. The governor created the office of attorney general, for the whole territory, and appointed his son, Arthur St. Clair, junior, to that office. This officer, and the clerk of the supreme court, went around the territory, from county to county, holding courts. But we hasten to an event, which the people of that day hailed with pleasure. THE FIRST TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE, Began its session at Cincinnati on Monday the 16th day of September, 1799. The legislative council consisted of Jacob "Burnet of Cincinnati, Henry Vanderburgh of Vincennes, now in Indiana, David Vance of Vanceville, in Jefferson county, and Robert Oliver of Marietta. Henry Vanderburg was elected president of the council, William C. Schenk, secretary, George Howard, doorkeeper, and Abraham Cary, sergeant at arms. The first house of representatives, under the Territoral government consisted of William Goforth, William McMillan, John Smith, John Ludlow, Robert Benham, Aaron Cadwell and Isaac Martin from Hamilton county. From Ross county, Thomas Worthington, Samuel Finley, Elias Langham, Edward Tiffin. Wayne county, now state of Michigan, Solomon Sibley, Charles F. Chobert de Joncaire and Jacob Visger. Adams county, Joseph Darlington, Nathaniel Massie. Knox county, now Illinois, Shadrack Bond. They elected Edward Tiffin Speaker; John Reilly, clerk; Joshua Rowland, door keeper, and Abraham Cary, serjeant at arms. This was the first legislature, elected by the people, for the old North Western Territory, now embracing the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan; and Wisconsin Territory. Being fully organized, both Houses were addressed by Governor St. Clair, on the 25th day of September 1799, in a speech, in which he brought forward all his peculiar views of governing the territory. After adverting to the several objects which he recommended to their attention, he closed his speech by saying, "A large field of business has been here opened to your view, gentlemen, and it calls for a patient, but I hope not a painful exercise of your faculities, and it may be added to, in the course of the session by occasional messages. (The governor was fond of them.) The providing for, and the regulating the lives and morals of the present and of the rising generation, for the repression of vice, and immorality, and for the protection of virtue and innocence, for the security of property, and the punishment of crimes, is a sublime employment. Every aid in my power will be afforded, and I hope we shall bear in mind, that the character and deportment of the people, and their happiness both here and hereafter, depend very much upon the genius and spirit of their laws." AR. ST. CLAIR. His excellency withdrew and the two houses separated. On the next day, Jacob Burnet was appointed to prepare a respectful answer to the governor's speech. On the 28th, Mr. Burnet had prepared and introduced his answer to the governor, and it was instantly agreed to and signed by their speaker. Being sent to the House they concurred in it, and it was delivered to St. Clair, who instantly replied to it. Joseph Carpenter, was appointed on the 30th day of September, public printer, and he was the first one, ever appointed to that office northwest of the Ohio river. On the third day of October, both houses met, and elected |