Litchfield enquirer., 1843-05-11

1I provision were U1aQ6 IOT Lh0 pOLSohot OA- animation of the arms belonging to the State, by the Quarter Master General, instead oi devolVing that duty upon the selectmen ol the several towns.
 We have cause for congratulation that, amidst the distress and endorsements which have oppressed the energies and re- sources of almost every section of the coun- try, our financial condition has enabled us to meet all the requirements of liberal economy and the means at our command for the education of our youth have not been impaired or diminished.
 The receipts into the Treasury during the year ending the Slst of March last, Gncluding the sum of $I0,645 43 received from the Treasury of the United States) amounted to
 $l0l, ,046 49. The expenditures during the same period, have been $77,94l 18,-leaving balance ir the Treasury of $23, l05 0l. An item in the list of expenditures which has particularly attracted my attention, is that of thirty-one thousand three hundred and thirty dollars, thirty five cents, for Judicial expenses. Apart ofthesum embra- ced in this item is made up of charges for the support of prisoners in the County Work Houses although in most, if not all of the Counties in which prisons of that descrip- tion are established, the revenue arising
 
 adequate to the payment of all the expendit- ures. The justice of those provisions of law which authorize such state of things, have not been able to perceive. If the expen- ses of the several County prisons are, by law, to be paid by the State, the income accru- ing for the labor performed in them, and from other sources, ought, in justice, to be paid into the State Treasury |; but if the Counties are to reap the benefit of the in- come, they ought upon the same principle to bear inc burden of the expenditures. At this crisis the rules of economy in every depart ment of the public service cannot be too carefully consulted, or too rigidly enforced A! measures which have for their object the cor rection of abuses or the equalization of the public burthens, should commend themselves to your ,espe cia consideration and favor. It is deserving of your enquiry, whether very great reduction in the ex. penses complained of migh. not be effected, by re. qurng all bills of courts 10 be liquidated by county officers, and paid out of the county reasures From the limited attention which have been able to be. stow upon this subject, have become strongly i'm. pressed with the belief that such requirement would not only be the means of greatly reducing the ndica expenses, but would also partially, if not wholly su- persede the necessity of levying annual state tax upon the people, Desirous, as you are, of advancing the pubic interest by every lasdable means within your power cannot doubt that this subject will Re ceive at your hands thorough investigation.
 am gratifed to inform you that notwithstanding the pressure of adverse circumstances, the School Fund, under the prudent and sklfuI administration of the present Commissioner, has, the past year, yielded the same amount of means for dfhsng the blessings ofeducaton among the children f.he State. as was furnished during the prevons year. The Cap i'al of tt-' Fund amounts o g. ,354 S7 and the amount of revenue arising from 1t and paid into the Treasury the past year, amounts to the sup of $24, 69O 50. This sum has enabled thel Commissioner to the Sate, the sum of one dollar and forty cenis on each child enumerated amounting to the sum of l8. 496 and exceeding the largest dividend that has been distributed to the schools in aDy former year by than one thousand dollars.
 The whole number of children between the ages of and l6 years, according to the enumeration in Au- gus! last eighty thousand six hundred and sorty. exclusive of fifty seven belonging to districts which could not receive a dividend, on account of their schools not being keps according olaw. The con esition of the School Fund will be mone fuly devel- ope6 by the Report, which is to be submitted to you by the Commissioner.
 Uhder the provisions of an Act Of Congress. ap- proved September 4. lSfl, entitled ~ An Act to ap. proprate the proceeds ofhe sales ofthe public lands and to grant pre.cmpton rights" have deemed il my dNay to receive Rom the Treasury of the United. States the of $f2 lSO 70, the sum found due to this State her share of the proceeds of the sales ot the pubic lands accruing between the fst of Jan uary and the 29,h of August, ls42 and have caused the be deposited the Treasury of the State, subject to your order, AS the most just and equab mode of d'sposing or this sum of money, would sng gest that il he added to and made part of the School Fund. and the income thereof applied towards the support oG common schools
 Undev the faithful and judicious manage nHent ofthe officer having charge of the State Prison at Wethersfield, the affairs of that h. stitutien, during :he past year, have centin. ued to prosper. The whole amount of the earnings of the Institution for the year end ing the 31st of March last, was $ls,OS9. 40, and the expenditures for the same period a mounted to the sum of S12,O2O. l5 leaving a poff r,F &ho ,,t ha public Treasury. The discipline of the Pri son continues 10 be ofthat excellent and most desirable character, which, while it effectu- ally pHnishes crime, tends also to produce salutary reformation in the offender. Es- pecially does this remark apply 70 the youn- ger portion of the convicts, many of whom at the expiration of their sentence, go into the world with morals so far improved as to render them good citizens and deserving the confidence and respect of the community The Directors and Wardens. am gratified to learn, have for some time past, employed, as large number of the convicts as possible, upon such branches of labor, as would least conflict with the mechanical interests of the State. And Itrust the time is not far distant when convict labor will entirely cease to be brought into competition with the labor of our worthy, enterprsing and industrious me- chanics. The report of the Warden and Directors, which will be laid before you, will furnish information more iE detail than is here presented, and will enable you to deter mine whether additional legislation on this subjec: is demanded by the public interests.
 The condition of our Banking Institutions, and the manner in which they have been conducted the past year, will be fully made known to you by the Report of the Bank Commissioners. The suggestion by those