Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1860-01-19
earnestly commended to your favorable consid-

earnestly commended to your favorable consid-
GRAFTON.
Our Penitentiary system it is well known, is
based on the principle of convict separation
first adopted in Pennsylvania, where it is still
regarded with the highest favor. This princi-
Pile has received the sanction of the most
enlightened governments of Europe. and has
recently been recommended to the Legislature
by the Inspectors of prisons in New York. as
the basis OF the discipline of new prison 10
that State Whatever theoretical views NAV
have been entertained on this point, the limits
OF our Penltentiary have for many years, been
so far exceeded by its population, as to forbid
individual separation by day or night; SO that
we have been compelled to submit to evils,
which every enlightened legislator and philan-
thoplst, from John Towards day, to our own,
has deplored and deprecated It cannot lie
doubted, that the association of bad men with
each other while undergoing penal sentence,
should be avoided, if possible Even where
the association of gang Of men in the same
shop or yard, u1der the irksome restraint of
nonlntercourse is deemed requisite for the
profitable pursuit Of labor, these are acknowI-
edged risks of conspiracies, riots and assaults,
10 say nothing of acquaintance made, to be
renewed at future day, for the worst purposes.
Still more lnexpedient aud pernicous must be
the joint occupation of the same cell by two
or more convicts. To avoid this consdera
bic enlargement of the prison structure is in
dlspensable and this enlargement should be
adequate to the prospective wants of the State
we can scarcely fatter ourselves that the
number of convcts will be less in proportion
to the population than it is now. On the
contrary the general increase of crime in the
country, and the greater density of the popu-
ation in our cities and large towns will doubt
less multiply them Whatever the extent of
the enlargement, it should be substantial and
permanent, as the cheapest structure for such
purpose, may be the most wasteful.
If our Penitentiary should be made refor-
matory rather than simply penal institution,
what citizen of New Jersey would regret the
outlay?
The sixth section of the fourth article Of the
Constitution provides that the Legislature
Shall not in any manner create any debt or
debts, liability or liabilities which shall singly
or IN the aggregate with any previous debts,
at any time exceed the sum of 800 900; ex-
cept &c" then referring to cases which in our
history have not arisen. This decided language
used by the trainers of the Constitution. shows
their desire to preserve the State from indebt-
ment; but unfortunately the prohibition has
been overlooked, or the income and expendi-
ture OF the State mscalculated. The indebt-
edness, according to the Treasurers late re-
port, was on the LIST inst, $l33, 09S IS, and
the people unwilling to remain under pecunia-
~ embarrassment, are looking to the Legsla-
tnre, as the Constitutional guardian of the
Treasury. Three methods present themselves:
lst, sale OF securities owned by the State; I'd,
direct taxation; Sd, rigid economy, whereby
the expenses of the government will be so reg
ulated with reference to the income as WILL the
present year reduce the debt to the consttu-
tional limit. The plan first named would, by
reducing the income in future, be only TEN
porary remedy, and eventually force to other
means. Taxation should be resorted to.
only when it was proven that economy was
insufficient; and to ascertain whether it Will
suffice, it becomes necessary to carry out the
suggestions made on this subject, by my pre-
decessor in his late message. That a strict
adherence to the principles of economy will in
sure the desired end. need not be douhted. A
disposition to the gradual aud constant in
crease OF expenditure, is not peculiar to indi-
vlduals or families, but is to be found also in
the history of states, our own not being an ex-
ception. Without making any invidious com
parison, permit me to call your attention to
the Treasurer's accounts, dated January lst,
1859. In the former the ordinary expenses
OF government amounted to $S9.57O 60: in
the latter, to $l3l, AL Sc; showing an IT.
crease of expenses in five years of $4l ,s7l O6
In order to see how these ordinary expen-
ses of the State have gone on increasing, it is
necessary to refer to the different Treasurer's
reports OF the past ten years, and by compal-
ing them, you will probably be satisfied that
re'renchment in many particulars NAV be
made without detriment to the public interests
Many worthy objects will no doubt be urged
upon you involving expense; but as Justice is
to take precedence of generosity, the path of
duty is plain. In this connection it may be
well to consider that, while it is the genius Of
our republican institutions to impose as few
restraints on personal liberty as consistent
with the general good and that they should
be sustained with as light burden of taxa
ton as possible, yet there are public interests,
in the protection of which every citizen has
some concern and from the neglect of which
each one may be a sufferer. Such are the en-
actment and administration of wholesome laws
the prosecution Of, public improvements, the
promotion of education and good morals, and
the prompt arrest and punishment of offend.
ers. The farmer who suffers his farming i'm
plements to rust and decay, rather than incur
the expense Of covering for them, or the me,
chanlc who works with tools obsolete or out of
repair, from motives Of economy, is chargeabp
with no greater folly than the State which
suffers the interests of public education, beney-
client Institutions, or those for the suppression
of crime to languish, rather than supply the
necessary means for sustaining them. Tne tax
payers of our State are intelligent and capa
Bile Of comprehending their true interests; they
are patriotic and desire to sustain the honor
faith and good order of the community; and
# it be found that in order to do this tax
must be collected, they will cheerfuy submit
to it, but they should not be required to 90
so, until rigid economy on the part Of gov
eminent has been tried and found wanting.
AS one of the Is original States that con
the Federal Republic, we cannot be
indifferent to the success of the experiment
which has been in progress for three quarters
OF century The unexampled growth of the
country in wealth and power and still more
i'm manhattan and tarritor;,l ovton+