Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-10-17

the rich togeher-sha feel lie equalizng and eleva.
ting power Thus while comforting substantial ben.
ems on the present generation, we mey send forward
an influence which shall flow on, in q continually
widening stream Of benefits and blessings 10 the gen.
CITATIONS that shall succeed us TO the end Of time.
should 1t be found that no interest Of the present
or OF future generations be benefited by conin-
uance Of the State Indebtedness to be fund Of which
have spoken, and the Indebtedness should be can.
celled, the State debt would then stand follows:
Due the safety fund banks, including
interest 10 Oct. I, $780, $3.50 81
Due the surplus fund, sl4,6l2 20
Deduct the amount loaned
out the past year, lI,00i 90
Salaries due, Oct. 1, i,l08 80
Due 10 towns for interest on surplus fund, 444 36
Total. s35, $50 Is
Of Sept. was sls,4i7 70
Balance Of taxes due, 232a2 sc
Total Cal $50 Sc
To what extent the service OF the coming years
portion Of which necessarily constitutes draft on III,
present balances in the Treasury and m taxes will
permit the application OF part OF those balances to.
wards the extinguisement Of the Indebtedness Of the
State, may lie determined upon the careful examina.
ton which ought to be made into every branch Of ex
Pendiiure with view to ascertain whether there car
be any reduction, consistently with the public interest
In looking at the expenditures Of past years. have
been struck with the large amount discussed under
the heads Of supreme and County Court orders and
Clerks OF Courts Tor the expenses of Supreme and
County Cocrts;" which have risen fiom $50 405 in
1889. to S2O,9!0. in lS40 The amount disbursed I'M
der these heads during the last seven years. has beer
$ls4,3OO averaging $26, 1923 per annum. I would
suggest the propeiy OF an examination into the details
OF these large items of expendure-n regard to which
it may possibly be found that, in course of years
abuses have crept in, requiring corrective legisla
ton
The treasury is happily relieved from a charge
FIJI m N vaQr hmm 10, r.
military orders which, for five years. previous to-
and including the year l543 when they ceased TO be
draft on the treasury amounted TO the of 81 g..
Sol. Il nm happy TO say, that bya law Of last year
the people are relieved from the still more burensome
tax Of annual trainings of the enrolled militia.
II may be reasonably hoped that, BY practicable
and not injurious reduction of expenditures particu
lurIy in the heavy items to which have REFERRED a
sum may be saved which, with fixed appropriation
of the income from the bank tax-releved from liz
present pledge TO the school fund-might, within q
m oderate period, ex'inguish the entire indebtedness.
OF the State.
The reference have made TO the items of cxpend
ture in connection with the Supreme and County
Courts-a large portion of which results from crmi
nal s-suggests topic ofmuch interest, to
which would call your attention.
The great purpose of criminal law is reformation.-
This purpose lies at the foundation Of the Penitenary
~ stem, which combines with imprisonment, hard
labor, and course Of moral discipline suited to bring
back offenders to the paths Of recttude and vrIue.
the highei offences, leaving large class Of offender,
without the benefit ofany such reforming process ant
substituting for il, confinement in the county jails-iu
some cases, with the alternative Of the payment o.
hnes into The county or town treasures for nonpay
ment Of which, Imprisonment necessarily follows.
Whether confinement in the county jais is inflicted
as punishment or results from inability to pay fines
obviously has an effect entirely the reverse Of refor
nation. Iii impossible to visit convict, thus thrown
into county jnl, with little or no attention 10 any
except his mere animal wants, without feeling pain.
fully impressed with conviction, that is unnat-
ural and monsrous perverson of the power OF Punish
ment. Without employment or exercise, the convict
left 10 the corroding and maddening influence of
reflection that he is an oucast from the charity and
sympathy Of the world; and that the law and it's
ecutiOners are alike his enemies. Every moments
continuance of such confinement tends to weaken his
purposes Of amendment, and prepare him for aban-
donment TO the commission OF higher offences. There
are cases in which this is not true; but they consti.
ue the exception and not the rule. II the history OF
all the Stale prison convicts fully disclosed il
would probably be found, that large portion of them
have been tenants of county als in punishment for
inferior offences.
The remedy for this evil is obvious 1t is the appli.
cation Of the principle of penentiary discipline TO
minor Offences by means Of Houses Of Correction in
each couny-tO be made comfortable in their struc-
ture and accommodations, and to be connected with
such arrangements for the profitable employment oil
the inmates and the exercise Of such firm and steady
discipline, sound wisdom, and the spirit of CHRIS.
tan Kindness may suggest: By such means may
offenders be made useful 10 the public, during the ne
cessary continuance of their confinement, while the
higher purpose shall be answered, of impressng upon
their minds, by every thing they shall see around
Them that they are men-bound society, moi by the
law Of force merely, but by the higher law OF moral
obligation, well as by the sympathies of our COM
mon nature.
Such a course of Treatment, would, doubtless, have
very Appropriateness upon Migrants and idle and
dsordery persons" for whose restraint and discipline
our laws make no provision, save that Of The town
oor:house, which, by the 2lst section Of chap.
II Of the Revised Statutes are constituted houses Of
correction, but which. while they involve the evil Of
nens 81 s aged and
10 accomplish to any considerable extent the purposes
OF correction and reform.
The bearing upon our whole system of crimina
ed into effect in county houses Of correcton-espe
cally IN the cases Of juvenile ofenders-is obvious
Its salutarv effects would, in due tine be visible in
diminished drafts upon the State Treasury for the
Der Of convcis in The State Prison. and in increasing
peace, order and obedience TO law, throughout the
community.
have received the ninth annual report ofthe Trus
tho Insane, which presents q very gratifying exhbi
ton Of the condition and prospects of that institution
under It's present excellent and efficient government
During the past year 204 have been admitted into
in: 1863 have enjoyed the benefits Of the ssylum
within the entire year. OF the 80 discharged So hsv.
recovered. Ofthe 48 recent cases" discharged iher,
have been 43 recoveres In the 81 chronic cases dis
charged, the Iecoveres have been hut l6. The grea
Importance Of obtaining the benefit of the asylum ia
the early stages ofinsanty thus rendered apparen
The annual State appropriation for the benefit o.
the insane poor was increased, at the last session
the General Assembly, to 50 600; in consequence O
which the number OF patients al the asylum has in
creased during the past year, render the cree
!ion OF additional buildings necessary. Addltiona
buildings; 10 contain about 80 rooms are partly fin
ished AMI occupied, snd will, il 10 expected, be com
Pleied by the first Of November next, when all the
buildings will he sufficient for the accommodation O.
about 300 patenis-a number deemed by the Trustees
to be as large as is desirable in one asylum.
The report states that such an amount of funds viii
be received from other sources to supersede thu
necessity of an application TO the legislature for as
sstance to deiray the expenses Of the additional &C
commodaons.
Since the first OF January last, 1877 patients hav.
shared in the State appropriation of whom 10 have
been discharged; leaving Of these cases. llS now IN
the asylum. The existing State appropriation hal
paid little more than three fths OF the expense
those who have been in the asylum, as State benef
cares, during the past year leaving the remainder
to be paid by those who sent them there and il i,
estimated by the Trustees that the appropriation vii
be adequate 10 def ay, during the next year. but one
third Of the expense Of the present number OF Stat,
beneiicares. They suggest the desirableness OF o.
increased appropriation, 90 % TO defay nearly one
half the expense Of that number. ] concur in THU
suggestion. An increased appropriation would pro
badly have the effect OF inducing towns to place ant
keep, a The asylum, insane poor persons who nigh
otherwise DO deprived Of tie benefits. There is cIas
OF cases IN which entire recovery might be effected b,
q continuance beyond the limit Of the present Stai,
appropriation when restriction to that limit nigh
render the appropriation as 10 ,hsm Of little value
10 very desirable that the insane poor should not
tnFough insufficient iuducement t. towns TO continue