The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-13

lnently arranged. They now propose 70 make
only such as seem most clearly necessary
The statements Of their report in relation tc
the arrangements made for exchanges with
in the past year, BY which many valuable
works have been and more will be obtained
as well as It's Suggestions generally. vii
properly receive your attention.
STATS ARMS.
The collection of Arms required BY youI
predecessors has been completed, and state.
ment Of the result will soon be laid before
you. The proceeds Of sales Of that part as
unfit for service cannot with propriety be sp-
propriated to other than military purposes
! No more beneficial application OF them will
probably be suggested than to the construc-
ton of State Arsenal, and therefore re.
commend their appropriation to that object.
There is probably considerable quantity oi
arms vet uncollected. These are so scatter.
ed that the cost of collecting them by spe-
cial agents would exceed their value. II may
be expedient to require the Prosecuting At
torneys and Sheriffs of the several counties
to collect and forward TO the State Arsenal
such as they can find, and to provide for
their compensation by q liberal percentage.
| To prevent as far as practicable future
misuse and loss, recommend that, hereaf.
ter, no arms be issued until bonds with sufh.
cient sureties for their safe-keeping and use
accor ding to law, shall have been deposited
with the Quarter Master General.
FuolrIvEs.
Among the subjects proper for your con.
sideration, that Of the extradition of lugltives
from Justice may well have place. War.
rants OF extradition issued upon requisition
from other States have been sometimes used
for the purpose OF extorting compromises or
enforcing payment of Pecuniary Demands
Such use is gross abuse, and should be ar
rested by penalties adequate to the object
Some latitude of discretion has been exer-
cised by my predecessors as we'll as myself
in respect to the surrender of persons charg.
ed in other States with offences not punish.
able as crimes under our own laws. The
general rule has been to refuse interpositon
in such cases. 1t deserves consideration
whether the exercise of this discretion, es.
pecially in cases Of indictment for obtaining
goods by false pretenses may not, with ad.
vantage, be regulated by law.
REFORM FARM.
II is with great satisfaction that again
direct your attention to the State Reform
Farm. Two years since such an establish.
meDt in this country was an untried expert
ment. 1t is no longer on experiment, but
a success. That it is due, first of all, to the
prudent and yet liberal legislation of your
predecessors and yourselves but in no less
degree TO the fidelity, discretion, energy and
economy which has characterized the ad-
ministration of the Acting Commissioner and
his associates. In obtaining large results
from expenditures comparatively small in
method Of accounts, and in full and clear
exhibition of its working ond condition, this
Institution may justly be proposed as model
to similar establishments.
The whole number OF boys committed to
the Institution is forty-eight, of whom four.
teen have been honorably discharged, and
one has escaped. One hundred and twenty
can be accommodated in the three family |
buildings already erected, and the three simi-
lar buildings soon to be constructed will ad. |
nit one hundred aud twenty more. The
number of buildings can be increased indef-
nitely as wanted, at very moderate cost, but
it is not probable that any others than those
now contemplated will be needed for several
years.
1t has been suggested that the farm and
family system adopted in this Institution
may be usefully introduced in the care and
education Of deaf mutcs, and the suggestion
merits careful consideration.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
venture to recommend, in this con nee
tion, legislative provision for meetings, from
time to time, of the Superintendents OF the
various Benevolent and Reformatory Institu.
tions of the State for comparison and I'm
provement OF plans of administration, meth |
DDS OF reporting, and systems of accounts
| cannot doubt that much good would result
from such conferences.
| suggest also, that the time for making
the reports now directed by law to be made
by the goth Of November, be extended to the
lst OF December in each year, and that the
provisions OF law applicable to these docu-
ments be so extended as to embrace all re-
ports required to be laid before the General
Assembly. Such regulation, uniform in
operation and duly enforced, would essen.
TALLY aid the Executive in preparing prop.
er statement Of the condition of the State,
and greatly facilitate the dispatch of bus- |
ness by the Legislature. Such reports as
have been prepared and printed will be
promptly laid before you.
PUgLIc WORKS.
No financial interests more important than
those connected with the Public Works de.
mand your care. The immense sums in
vested in them their extent and magnitude;
their business relations, and the large reve-
nues collected and disbursed in their admin
lstration, justify the solicitude always felt by
the people concerning their condition and
The Constitution confdes
their superintendence and control to Board
Of three members and, to secure the con
slant advantage Of judgment by experience,
through the constant presence of some mem
bers who have served for considerable peri.
DDS, assigns three years as their term Of Of
fice, and requires the election oil one member
each year. The authority entrusted to the
General Assembly, to prescribe the powers
and duties of the Board and its several mem.
bers, must in my judgment, be limited nee.
essarily by its nature and object. So limit.
ed, it is an authority to prescribe the powers
and duties of the Board in general superin.
tendence and control, and not an authority
to dveSt the Board of these Constitutional
functions it is an authority to prescribe the
powers and duties of its several members in
subordination to the Board, and not an au.
thori'y to constitute each member an indie.
pendent Board, in separate and substantially
uncontrolled charges of the whole or part
Of the Public Works. If not so limited, the
authority Of the General Assembly over the
ID. =. :a.al L. |