The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-01-14

# his been suggested that the farm and family
systSw adopted in this Institution may be useiuIy
introduced in the care aud education otdeai muteJ
und tho suggestion merits careful consideration.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
| venture to recommend, in this conuoxiOn,
legislative provision for meetings, from time TO
time, OF the Superintendents Of the various Bcne'
VIOLENT and RciJrnatDry Institutions OF the stat,
Tor comparison and improvement OF plans ndn'ln.
i7rution. methods OF reporting aud systems Of
accounts | cannot doubt that much good would .
result from such conferences.
1 sugge-HU1so, that the time for making the sc. .
ports nov directed by law to be made by tho 2O!h B
of November, be extended to the lst ot December I
in each year, AMI that the provisions oI law ep- .
pllCablc to these documents BE- So extcudel az to
embrace all reports required To be laid before the
General Assembly. Such a regulation, uniform
in operation aud duly cntOrcel would essentially
all the Executive in preparing proper statement
of the condition of the State, and greatly facilitate
the dispatch of business OF the Legislature. such
reports a. have becu prepared aud priUtcd wall be
promptly laid before you.
PUBLIC WORKS.
No financial interests more important than
those connected with the Public Works demand
your care. The immense sums invested in them
their extent and magnitude; their business rcla- /
lions, and the large revenues collected and DIS
bursed in their administration, justify the sollci
tude always felt by the people concerning their
condition md management. The Constitution
conIilcs their superincndcncc and control TO a
slant advantage OF Judgment by experience thrO'
the constant presence OF some meIubers VINO have
served Tor considerable periods, assigns three
years as their term of oiii:e, and requires the
election Ul one member each year. The authority
entrusted to the General Assembly, 10 prescribe
the powers and duties Of the Board and It's sever.
al members, must, in my judgment, be limited
necessarily by its nature aud obIcrt 30 llml'ed,
it is an authority TO prescribe the powers and dn;
ties OF ths Board in general suFetln,endence ana
] Vit,yt tngt
Of these Constitutional functions 1t Is an author.
ity To prescribe the powers and duties ol It's sevc
/ raj members III subUrdlnltIOn to the Bpnrd, ana
4 not an authority to constitute each member an
idde pendent Board, in .eparaie and substantially
uncontrolled charges Of the whole or part OF the
Public Works. Ii not So limited, the authority OF
the General Assembly over the Public Works is
, clearly unlimited. 1t may restrict the suncrin.
tcudcncc Of 'h1 Board to the W0hondlng Canal
with its INSIGNIFICANT revenue oi seven or eight
hundred dollars a year, and give to some one
member the entire management OF the rest. j.
! may nbrogate the Constitutional Board OF three
, members, and substitute three Legislative Boards
Of ono member each, giving in charge to cac!I
: lust as much and just little OF this great ana
important property as it Hlny sec NJ cannot
J think that such a construction OF the Cohsil'n,
ton can commend Itself to your Judgment, ana |
, therefore venture 10 recommend the rccohslucra-
ton of those provisions Of the act Of the last seq
. sion which divide the Public Works into sections,
and excluding virtually ali supcrlniendoncc OF the
Board, commit each section in appointment oi
officers, disbursements OF moneys, ahd general
. management, to n single member
, In this connection, the system OF repairs and
payments on these works should receive co"Nld.
eraiiun. Under the act Oi the last session, Tie
e member in charge of each section, appoints the
. engineers asst med lit. These engineers certify
claims tor work aud materials Ia the member IL
charge the member in charge, upon these Cti-
tilicuIrs draws his check on the Auditor tor pay.
: mcnt; aud the Auditor is required, without fur.
Il. .,It nflpi 4,
, for the amount upon the Treasurer. No iacI has
come To my knowledge exciting suspicion that
this large discretion III the expenditure oi the large
: sums appropriated tor the Public Works has been
s used, bat it Is certainly worthy ol consideration
= whether the principle Of checks and Limitations
. upon disbursements which has been applied III
other departments of expenditure msy not be pro.
perly introduced into this.
The extraordinary floods Of the last summer
: were attended by disastrous consequences 10 The
1 canals. So numerous and extensive were the i'll.
v iuries to the southern potion o! the Ohio Canal
Y and Oh the Hooking Canal, that II was impossible
. to make the repairs Necessary to navIgatlon nnd
consequently to revenue, without considerable
e exnenditure5 beyond the sums Appropriated 10
o that purpose. In this emergency did not hcsi-
. iaia advisa whni ila iniAr"sis- of-ih" St"'~
: clearly require !, prompt repairs and payment us
g far as the money could be spared from The rrea.
r. surv by drafts IN excess OF the appropriations
do not doubt your approval of what was then done
:, or that provision mill promptly be made for the
drafts drawn III llllS eItPGBpnNEt Dul 10 guard u
. gninst the recurrence OF similar cXgenclcs, re.
. commend that contingent fund be provided by
, law, from which expenses made indlspen,ubly
necessary by unforeseen contingencies OF yiis cha
j. Tacter, may he regularly paid.
II The expenditures on the Public Works. have
during the past year. again exceeded the revenues
and the question Of thCT future disposition mus
. necessarily demand your attention. My own view.
= upon this subject have been suth :IentIy stated il
Il former communications The licy of sale i,
s. propcr sections, for adequate prices, under sue!
|. rnarIs and restrictions will insure the c1ntinu
a cd use of the canals for the purposes they wcrC
- designed to serve, and exclude the control Of III,
interests now competing with them, will prohah!,
q beat fulfil the wishes OF majority of thu people
~ Neither public sentiment, however, nor SQUAT
q y, Icy recommends sale for less than their rea
# ynuu, not measured by one or two years OF dis
as;cr but ascertnineI by thorough examination
q such Limitations as will ensure beyond any prob
u able contingency, the cnd4 OF their construction
: AGUcULruRAL.
J. The agricultural progress Of the State Aurin,
@ tho past has hecn steady, and upon the whole sa {
a isiaclory By the untlvorahle weather and th
l., attacks Of insect enemies, some crops have hepr
, diminished, and some almost entirely DESTROYED
y while one or twohaye exceeded the usual average
> and the deficiency ~ quantity at others has hcrI
u COMPENSATED by excellence uf quality. The heoltl
OF the people has been good, and constant improve
n mcnt hns characterised the Instruments aud me
- thpls of cultivation. | renew the rrcommcnda
tions addressed you your last sson rGlatinl
$ TO this great and leading interest; and eS1ecia II,
i recommend to your attention the admirab' Re
port of the State Board, which cannot lail 10 exer
a most beneficial inluence.
. TEN PER CENT. LAW.
! think il my duty again to recommend 10 vol
the repeal of the uCt allowing interest nj the rat,
= OF ten per cent. Ii would be far better in m,
Judgment. 10 leave the subject of interest wilhou
u regulation than 20 regulate it in such a way as I,
9 encourage u!ury, embairas5 enterprise, ana i'm
Z pOverlsh industry,
SLAVERY.
4 My opinions, fully communicated to YOU a, Won
10 last session, in respect 10 the Just claims oG thi
~ Sta,e upon the Federal Government, rs we'll ms il
y, respect the proper interest OF Ohio in the du
~ administration OF that Government, and, especial
" ly at this time, in its action upon the momentou
+ question Of slavery, remain unchanged and nee
not be res.ated,
&c CONGRATULATIONS.
,e Permit me to congratulate YOU upon the auspi
IT ciuus circumstances under which YOU resume in
"a grave duties OF legislation, The storm of linnncia
L. disaster which swept the land in the summer an
autumn of 1857 has ahnted. and though its effect
/. are yet visible IN mach remaining cmbarra IS ment
g. there is every reason to anticipate tho speeuy re
j. turn Of genera prosperity. Tho deialcaion whicl
'c then oppressed finances has been supplicd b,
y your prnvident legislation and general flelit,
y and efficiency have marked tho several deaart
Id meutsot administration. From this point we ma,
- well look to the future with hope aud confidence
y Differing, we often may, rs to the best mean,
10 OF promoting the public welfare vet Differing eye