Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-02
S632,395 IS
s632, ,595 So

| The last Legislature having passed Bill to
renew the lease of the Stale Penltentiary,
deemed it nv duty 10 withhold my sanction of
| it. for reasons which then assigned in a spe-
cial Message. This bill having failed TO CONS
mand the Constitutional majority of both
Houses after its return, the Legislature passed
Joint Resolution extending the then existing
lease to the first day of May of this year. This
resolution, which was opened to all the OBJ
iections urged against the first bill, and which
would have brought about the restoration of
the leasing system, | determined to retain un~
iii the present session of the Legislature, and
to return with my objections. In the mean
time, the lease of the former lessees having
expired by Limitation, it became my duty, as
the Chief Executive Of the State, to resume
Ishe possession and administration of the Peni
tentarA i did so under circumstances of great
embarrassfeit and difficulties The LegsIa-
ture had made no APPROPRIATIONS for the main"
tenance of the convicts aHd1hessupply of raw
materials for the manufaetores., Their i'm
nefitate necessity were TO. be provided for uRtil
the fRuit of their owi1fahors could be realized
and c61lld returfA TO feed and elothe them. /
was then forced To, ,resortSo the credit Of the
Institution, and to boHpw insufficient afnondt
of money to meet the eSiAencies of tia oc-
casion. This necessity imposed sacrifices Upon
the Institution which curtailed its profits. But
even this experiment made under the most uu-
favorable circumstances, has established cons
clusively TO my mind, the policy and expedieney
ofretaining the Penitentiary under the manage
ment of the State. II, instead of resortng to
loans, the Legislature had placed an appropria-
ton Of twenty thousand dollars at the disposal
Of the Directors, not only the raw materials
could have been purchased at lower rate,
but freight, commissions and interest would
have been saved during the year, leaving hands
some profits TO the Penitentiary. This opinion
is confirmed by the opinion of practical men,
who have managed this and other pententia-
ries. It is demonstrable that the money which,
during the greater part of the year, lies idle in
the Treasury, could not be better or more pros
fitably employed, in such sums as might, from
time to time be needed, than in the support of
a State Institution which could be constantly
returning it, with interests All the securities
for the proper use of these advances and their
timely repayment could be provided for by
making the Auditor Of Public Accounts and
the Treasurer of the State exoficio members
of the Board, and placing the financial man-
agement of the Institution under their control,
with such checks and restrictions as may appear
necessary The Treasury would thus always
retain some control over the loans made BY it,
so as 10 secure itself so from embarrassment.
Under good management, and with a well ma
tared system, have no doubt that the Peni
tentiary would soon wipe offits debt. and not
only sustain itself, but pay for such repairs
and additions as may be needed from time to
time.
Convinced as / am of the great Importance
Of a well regulated militia, / will net be de-
tered by the neglect with which the subject
has been treated, from calling your attention
to the suggestions of the report Of the Ad-
iutant and Inspector General, and more espes
eally to those which relate to volunteer organ.
izations. Tfexperience has shown the difficult
IN, If not the absolute impossibility, Of main"
tanning d regular system Of militia, in the abs
sence of pressing and actual danger, il is the
part of wisdom to seize upon and develop those
elements which may, intime of need, furnish
the basis of more extensive military organiza~
lions. The volunteer companies which now
exist in the different cities and towns of our
State, should, III this view, receive the foster
ing care of the Legislature. Louisiana owes
ii to her own honor and to her sister States. to
Be prepared to furnish, whenever she shall be
called to do 50, her quota Of gallant and well-