The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-01-25
Bile an amount may thus be made 10 The


AS much general legislation and fre-
quent changes in general laws, is at best
policy. it would most conduce
to the interests Of the people, that but
few changes be made. and none but those
of immediate and evident necessity.
ltis unnecessary for me to present ar.
guments to the Representatives of the
people Of the State Of Ohio, to show the
necessity Of sustaining and encouraging
ais dissemination of knowledge. mainly
depends the permanent existence of our
Free Institutions.
II is nearly twelve years since the
principal law now IN fnrce on that sub
ject was enacted. 1t, like most impor-
tant laws, had its defects, and has since
gone through such variety of changes
and amendments, that it reqaires more
than ordinary skill to ascertain what the
law is upon any point which may he
brought In question. Many portions Of it,
and more particularly that portion rela-
Ting TO the raising Of taxes for various
purposes, and the supporting of schools
beyond the means supplied by the vari.
Gus school funds. is fruitful source Of
trouble in the districts and general
cause of complain; against the system |
would recommend to your consideration
tho proprieiy of thorough revision .!
all the laws upon the subject.
By its variety and fertility ofsoil, Ohio
is peculiarly adapted To that first and no
blest occupation of man-agricultnre;
giving employment to greater number
of our cilizcus than any other branch of
industry; furnishing from its products ma.
teria for manufactures, home consumption
and commerce. to the value more than
fifty millions of dollars annually. AGri-
culture is, and will ever be. the great
so"rce of wealth to the people uf the
State, and therefore merits and should re.
ceive much attention and encourage
from the Government.
In obedience to a resolution of the last
General Assembly. have visited the
several Benevolent Stale Asylums, and
made All examination of the books and
the method of keeping accounts, all of
which appear correctly kept, and in a
manner to secure strict and rigid accnun-
liability of all those having charge of the
several departments in tn 'sc Institutions.
The number Of officers, persons employ.
ed aud salaries paid to each, except those
whose salaries are provided ny law, will
as usual be communicated in the Annual
Reports Of the officers of the several In
stlulions, to which refer you for infor.
nation on that subject.
On the appearance of the cholera in
this city, the pupils in the Asylums for
the education of the Blind and Deaf aud
Dumb were dismissed for the time, that
they might, by being taken to their sew
eral places Of residence, avoid the dan.
ger which would have been incurred
from that fatal disease by remaining to.
gelher. They have again returned, aud
the present. term of both Institutions has
commenced under favorable auspices,
and with more than usual prospects of &C.
compIishing the benevolent objects for
which they were desinged.
The patients in the Luuatlc Asylum.
from the nature of their complaints and
the difficulty and costs of rethovng them,
could not be dispersed. Much credit is
due 20 the officers and assistants for the
extraordinary exeItions and care in the
use of all the means believed TO be ben
e6cal as prevenlalves. as well as much
gratitude TO that Being who controls
"the destruction that wastelh at noon
day." that this Asylum escaped untouch.
ed by that disease, while others of the
like kind were neurly destroyed by its
ravages.
It's believed that this Institution has
been as well and as successfully conduct.
ed as any one known; but from the rapid
increase of our population many whose
condlliun require it, cannot be accommn.
dated at ST. early period as is necessa.
ry To secure successful results.
The law governing this Institution is
in many respects defective, especially in
the large amount Of costs required to pro-
cure the admission of patients, and needs
a thorough revision, to which would
earnestly invite the attention of the Gen.
eral Assembly. The wants of the com
munity will at no distant day demand
probably two like Institutions in differ.
ent sections of tho State. An enlarged
philanthropy aud enlightened forecast.
require HAT the public attention be early
directed To this subject
On the 3Gh of November 1S4S, the
number of cnnyiCts in the Penitentary
were four hundred and twenty-five. OF
this number there were taken from con.
tracts aud applied to the work on tho
New State House from fifty to one hun,
dred aud twenty, as the labor could be
most advuntageously used upon that
building: leaving upon the Contracts only
30 many as were supposed to be neces,
sary to pay the current expenses OF the
prison Tho health of the prisoners was
unusually good up to the 3Olh of June,
when the Cholera first made its appear
ance among them, raging with great ma
lightly, prostra'iHg in its course, more
than three f'urths of the whole number
aud carrying off by death more than one
fourth, Thus the arrangements of the
prison were thrown into confusion, the
means exhausted by extra expenses and
the Inss of about two months labor, III
this pressing necessity two thousand five
hundred dollars Of the Governors contin