1817. NORTH-WEST OHIO PURCHASED FROM INDIANS.

925

made until March, 1831, when the tax was increased to five per oent.

Two important acts have been more lately passed by the legislature, to which we can here only refer. In 1839, a law was enacted, appointing bank commissioners, who were to examine the various institutions and report upon their condition. This inquisition was resisted by some of the banks, aud much controversy followed, both in and out of the General Assembly. In 1845, a new system of banking was adopted, embracing both the State Bank with branches, and independent banks.

Columbus was this year (1816,) made permanently the capitol of Ohio.

On the 28th of December, 1816, tbe Bank of Shawaneetown, Illinois, was incorporated for twenty years, with a capital of three hundred thousand dollars.

Congress having previously granted to Michigan Territory a town-1817.] ship of land, for the support of a college, in this year the University of Michigan was established by the governor and judges.

During 1817, an effort was made to extinguish the Indian title within the State of Ohio, and had the Miamies attended the council held at the Rapids of the Maumee, in September, it probably would have been done. As it was, Cass and M'Arthur purchased of the other tribes nearly the whole north-west of the State of Ohio. The number of acres, exclusive of reservations, being estimated at three million six hundred and ninety-four thousand five hundred and forty, for which were paid oue hundred and forty thousand eight hundred and ninety-three dollars, being three cents and eight mills an acre.

In this year was commenced the building of bridges across the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to which the State had liberally contributed.

According to a census taken, this city then contained five glass houses, four air furnaces, one hundred and nine stores, eight steam engines in mills, one thousand three hundred and three houses, eight thousand people, and there were four hundred tons of nails manufactured by steam.

Among the glass houses, was one established about the year 1809, by William Eichbaum, Sr., a German, who had been formerly glass-cutter to Louis XVI, king of France, and who, having left that country after the downfall of that unhappy monarch, had