Litchfield enquirer., 1859-05-12

too much, and is too valuable to be lost The CT. TOTS committed and discovered, may be avoided
 The good already done, may cheer to renewed ef- forts to refolm and save from a vicious life and felon's doom. The trustees are laboriug with ear- nestness, but em barrassed at every sep by the limited means at their command. The suggestions
 in their report, the result of experience and ob servation, and worthy of your attention.
 The management of the States Prison evinces the same economy and system that are practced in conducting successful private business and re- fleets great credit on the Directors, Warden and other officers. On the 31st of March last there were 2O3 convcts in the Prison. Their labor is leased, by contract, for number of years at & price of oneftth less than formerly yet after de- traying all tie current expenses for the year. it has yielded revenue to the State of Sl,671.49 The moral and religious instruction given the convicts by the chaplain, gives less promise of essentially changing the character, tban if addressed to almost any other class of persons; yet such faithful in- structions should not be un,ervalued or withheld. The discipline is rigid but humane. It is upon the plan of non intercourse, and prevents Conversation among the prisoners, and gives no opportunity to concert plans for crime.
 The prison buildings were erected many years ago, and require some changes and repairs which will be brought to your notice by the report of the Board of Directors.
 Applications for pardon will as usual be present. ed for your consideration. The uncertainty of pun ishment, and the pardon of the convicted criminal tend to encourage the evil disposed to commit like crimes, under the hope of impunity, while they weaken the confidence of the loyal citizen in the power of the law t. prttect him in his rights and fail to make that distinction between him that to eth good and him tlat doeth evil, which is esscu tial to encourage the one, and restrain the other Human governments know no mercy. The law de- mands punishment in accordante with the sentence pronounced by the proper tribunal; and the cases are rare where the pardoning power should inter- fere with the execution of the sentence This pow CT ought never to be exercised from sympathy to the criminai nor on account of the importunity of friends. nor without full investigation but only when it is demanded upon principles of justice, as they exist between the guilty and the innocent between the criminal and the State.
 The benefciaries of the State. at the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb" and at the .' Per kins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind, are receiving instruction designed and adap ted to promote their usefulness and it is believed that their progress is satisfactory to those who slider the peculiar obstacles which oppose the en- trance of light and knowledge into such minds. Tine anxiety of parents and guardians often leads them to place their children in these institutions before they are old enough to feel the importance of improving their advantages; and some who have been sent to the Asylum for the Blud. have been under the necessity of leaving at time when they were making the greatest proficiency. It may be we'll for them to enter when young, but in such ca ses it is often important that they remain longer than five years. I would therefore recommend that authority be gi ven the Commssionerto to extend the benefits of the appropriation for the indigent blind beyond the term of five years to such benefciaries as he shall judge most nee1y, ard most likely to be benefited, provided To greater sum shall be drawn from the public treasury than is now appropriated for their aid.
 The last General Assembly requested the Execu- tive to report to you the amount of fund provided for the insane poor. and the manner in which has been expended-the sums which have been donated to the Insane Retreat at Hartford-what proportion of the patients in the Retreat inhabitants of the State; whether the State has any control over the Retreat, and whether it has made suitable provision to aid the indgent insane.
 In January last enclosed copy of the resoIu-
 ons of the Legislature to the Superintendent of the Retreat, and made such inquiries as thought inn portant, in order to let the public understand how far that institution is sustained by the State. and how far by private benevolence The reply to those inquiries contains much valuable information, and is herewith submitted for your consideration. From this and other sources of information, am able to state that, in l842, the General Assembly made an appropriation of sum, not exceeding two thousand dollars per annum, if required, in aid of the insane poor at the retreat, and in 1S43, advanced the Of ten thousand dollars for the purpose of aiding in erecting and suitable building for their accom- inodation, and required the Commissioners to take proper contracts on the part of the Retreat to sup port them, and to extend such relief through pe- rod of five years. In 1851 the annual appropriation was increased to seven thousand dollars. From the time the institution incorporated to the 3ls of March last the entire amount appropriated for the support of the insane poor, Gncluding the sum ad vanced) is ninety-three thousand two hundred and forty-nine dollars and ninety cents. all of which has been absorbed in paying for board, washing, medl- cine, medical attendance, nursing and other needful expenses.
 In 1922, when the resolve passed the General As semby incorporating the President and Directors of the Retreat for the Insane. the of five thousand dollars was paid from the State Treasury in "aid of the benevolent objects of the institution" In the year l845 the of five thousand dollars was paid in the year 1853,, eight thousand dollars and, in 1855, six thousand dollars, making, in al the of twenty four thousand dollars donated by the State,-all of which has been expended, in connec- ton with other funds raised for the purpose, in erecting and furnishing buildings suitable to modate and relieve the insane.
 On the first of January last there were two huDd- red and twentysix patients in the Retreat one hund red and eighty-two, or about four-ifths of whom, were inhabitants of this State and the 31st day ot March, there were one hundred and twenty one, or more than one half who were bsnefciaries of the State.
 The Commissioners, appointed by the General As- sembly, are by the act of incorporation, to super intend the general of the institution and ' to make such occasional visits to the Retreat as they may deem expedient." By the same act the corporators elect annually a Superintendent board of Directors, Medical Visitors, and Managers, to whom are committed the details of it's management The duties of the Commissioners are therefore only nominal and advisory, and the State has no other control over the Retreat.
 As to the remaining inquiry, would say that. for every beneficiary of the State save one the nstitu ton receiv three dollars per week. while other pa- tients pay from three to twelve dollars The ave rage cost of sustaining each patient for five years previous to the 1st of April 1857, was three dollars and seventy.fve cents per week, or twenty-five per cent more than is now paid for the State benefca ries. This deficiency has been made up by the re- ceipts from patients paying higher price, from whom the Retreat derives it's principal means of sup port All funds received from this class after paying such deficiency are expended in improvements for the benefit oi the institution.
 From these facts it will be that the State has made only partial provision for it's indigent insane but these benefactions connected with those of be-