126 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



and is called, the Western Reserve, or New Connecticut. It 

 extends one hundred and twenty miles from east to west, and 

 on an average is fifty miles in width, from north to south. Its 

 area contains about three million eight hundred thousand acres. 

 Five hundred thousand acres of this tract, off the west 

 end, the state of Connecticut gave to certain sufferers 

 by fire, in the revolutionary war. A part of the ceded 

 lands, lying along the Ohio river, including the mouths of 

 the Muskingum and Hockhocking rivers, was sold by 

 the old congress, to the Ohio Company. This was the 

 first sale of lands before the present constitution of the Uiu- 

 ted States was adopted. It was sold for one dollar an acre, 

 payable in congress notes, at twenty shillings in a pound, 

 whereas the interest on those notes made them worth twenty- 

 eight shillings and sixpence on the pound at that time. These 

 securities were funded under the constitution of the United 

 States, and became a part of the national debt, from that time 

 forward until paid off within the few last years. So the Ohio 

 company made a very bad bargain for themselves with con- 

 gress . John Cleves Symmes, of New Jersey, was the next 

 purchaser of land in Ohio — he bought of the old congress, the 

 land lying between the mouths of the two Miamies, and extend- 

 ing northerly, so as to contain six hundred thousand acres. 

 Symmes gave sixty-six cents an acre for his land. 



On the 13th day of July, 1787, congress assumed the juris- 

 diction of this territory and passed an ordinance for its gov- 

 ernment, by the provisions of which ordinance, the territory 

 was to be governed by a Governor, Secretary, and three 

 Judges. The President appointed these officers. These per- 

 sons were to make the laws and execute them. This form of 

 defective government was to continue, until the North Western 

 Territory contained five thousand free white male inhabitants 

 over twenty-one years of age, when the people were authoriz- 

 ed to elect a legislative house of assembly. The house of 

 representatives of the United States' congress, were to nom- 

 inate a legislative council, and this legislative council and the 

 assembly were authorized to appoint a delegate, to congress. 



