Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-12-02
Deaf and Dumb and of the Blind, and also

No appropriation was made by the Leg
islation to sustain those institutions, bu
the money was in the treasury-the clea,
provision Of the constitution that those in.
slilu'ions should be supported, the officers
of the State thought should be maintained
and executed ,and accordingly they applied
the funds in their possession to that pur-
pose.
The officers of the State have been ena-
bled by an economical administration of the
public funds, to thus far sustain every
department Of the government, and pay the
interest on our Indebtedness. leaving a bal
ance in the treasury of SI3l, 342 90 with
out making any loan excep the one to
which | have before alluded to
No tax having bee nlevied for 1857
and 1855, ,all the resources for sustaining
the government, or maintaining it's credit,
will at an cary day, be exhausted, unless
the Legislature shall provide remedy
recommend to you. therefore, that. at as
an early day as possible, you take into
conaideration..th condition of the treasury,
and that tax be levied for the year 49,
So
The report OF the Auditor Of the State
setimated will be necessary to raise. If the
tax is levie at once, it can be collected in
time to meet the expenditures of the gov
ernment, it will be necessary to negotiate
a loan to meet the interest which will be
due upon the public debt upon the first day
of January, 1859. No difficulty will be
found in negotiating such loan provided
the loan is made for The year 1853
Justice to the residents and owners of the
property Of The State demands that the ex
pense of the government should be paid
by them equally, according to the valu-
alion of the property. To secure SO dasir-
able result, it has long been the policy in
Indiana to have frequent valuations of all
the real property III the State. Accordlniy.
ON the l3sh of February. 1858, an ac: was
passed to appraise the real estate, and make
the value of the same equal and uniform.
Since that Tine no act Of the Legislature
has been passed ordering a new apprais-
mcnt.
In the meantime the increase in the val
u. Of that kind Of property has been very
large. If that increase had been Uniform,
necessity for new appraisment would
not exist. But since the passage of thai
law, agreat difference has arisen in refer
ence to the relative value of real estate
When the last assessment was made there
was but one Railroad completed in Iddian-
apoliS, from any point in the State, nor
were any other of the existing works fin
ished. You cannot but appreciate the at
feet that those roads have had on the val
ue of the property of the State. Indeed 1t
has SO increased the value of sucf. property,
that ii is contidentialy believed that new
assessment would show that the taxables
of the STATE now amount to four hundred
million dollars. Ii this view of the subject
is correct, 1t is manilesiy unj ust TO that
the revenues paid for the support of the
government should be levied upon the ap-
praisment Of 1851.
At my request the Directors of the State
Prison have made partial report as to
the condition Of that Institution. You
will observe by an examinatin Of that report
that the new cell house has been finished,
but even now, after the same has been
completed, such Is the limited capacity of
that institution that it is impossible to re-
tain, with safety, or employ with profit,
more than thee hundred and fifty convicts
The number which will be confined there
by the first of january. 1859. will in all
probability, amount to five hundred. You
will therefore see ;he absolute necessity of
either greatly enlarging the existing pris-
on. or erecting an additional one in some
other part of the State. In view of the
prison being located upon the Southern
boundery OF the state thereby causing
heavy expense in transporting the convicts
from the various counties, and believing
that portion of the inmates could be more
profitable employed in some other locality,
and relying upon the advice and opinon Of
those most experienced In managing such
! institutions, that three hundred To three
hundred and fifty convcts are as many as
should be confined in one locality. ac-
cordingly join with the Directors and "or-
den of the Prison in recommending TO you
that a law be passed at an early day, pro-
vidin9 for the erection of another State
Prison, and that the same be erected in
the northern portion Of The State. Little
can be done towards the erection of said
Prision until the spring of 1859. Ii 1t
should be regarded by you AS desirable To
use the labor of a portion Of the convic' s
in the erection of said prison, one hun
dred and fifty to two hundred of them
may be employed for that purpose. IT you
should decide to pass such a law. previs-
ion should be made for the purchasing oi
more land for the use of the new, than be-
longs to the State joining the present pris-
son, many who could be profitable employ
ed in raising necessares for The supror ol
the Institution.
have thus briefly called to your atien-
ton to those interests of the State which
demands, in my opinin. your immediate
action have done this in hope that a
few days only of your time will be requil
ed. deferring to make any other rscommen-
dat;on until you assemble at the regular
session, which will be on the 9th day OF
January 1859. In conclusion, hope thai
harmony may prevail in your cou ncils and
; that wisdom and patriotism may guide