St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-01-19

notice. The facts and suggestions
contained in the reports of the Board
of Inspectors and Warden should
attract your special consideration.
Since the last General Assembly, some
cighty-fvc have been added to the
number of convicts. On account OF
this uncxampled increase, the arpro-
priation made for the general support
of the prison proved wholly made
quatc. 1t did not hold out year.
The price of provisions kept up, and
being scarce aud commanding a ready
cash market, could not be obtained on
so long a credit except upon terms at
once exorbitant and inadmissiblc. An
attempt on the part of the inspectors
to effect a loan of money for this pur-
pose proved unsuccessful. l was for
ced to the necessity of opening the
prison doors or furnishing the rcqui-
site supply. This latter alternative
was adopted, but only accomplished
through the cooperation and lndul.
gence of the Auditor and Treasurer OF
the State, vino permitted me to take
six or seven thousand dollars Of the
revenue whilst in rams,t@ from the
County Collectors to the State Treas
ury, upon my personal receipt. 1t
will be necessary for you to legalizc
this transaction, l apprchend, and
have the Treasury credited with the
requisite amount, and this work may
be done, where by oversight Or mis-
calculation the appropriation has
failed to meet an emergency OF this
description. l submit whether it
would not lie we'll for the Census
Board or some other agency or pow
or to supply the deficiency until the
sitting of the ensuing General Assem-
bly,. | regret to make known the
fact that there has been some misun-
derstanding and disagreement among
the officers of this institution and be-
tween them and prison contractors
which led to much irritation of feel
ing, complaint and finally litigation
1t is unnecessary for me to express
any opinion upon the character OF
of these difficulties with view Of de-
termining where the blame lies. But
it docs appear to me that if the War
den was not dependent upon the
Board of Inspectors for the term of
his office, and the duties and powers
of each were clearly defined by law,
it would serve to check abuses, and
tend to secure both harmony and indie
pendence of action.
Representations made to me last
May touching the discipline and con,
dition OF the Prision accounts, and OF
abuses in the financial management
of the same, satisfied me that the in.
tcrcsts of the State demanded an in.
vcstigation, with view of ascertain
ing the condition of the one, and the
manner and system observed in con,
Quoting the other. l accordingly
commissioned Thomas S. Espy, Robt
A. Russell, and II. Q. Jennison, to
make an examination of the affairs OF
this institution, and report as contem
plated and required by can act to au
thorize the Governor to appoint com
missioncrs to examine the account,
Of State officers and define the dutie
Of the Governor in certain cases.
The very thorough and satisfactor,
report made by these commissioner
is submitted to you, and should b
considered in connection with that c
the Board Of Inspectors.
You will not fail to perceive frol
q careful inspection of their repol
that the affairs of the institution hav
been conducted carelcssly and wit
out system. That the books of q
count were in a confused conditio
and could not be allowcd-that 81, 20
had been traced as deposite int
the hands of bankers, and had bee
lost sight of by the officers, and woul'
in all probability be lost to the Stat
but for this investigation. Much O
this confusion and irregularity in til,
accounts undoubtedly is ATTRIBUTABLE
to the acts Of an incompetent book
kccper--which demonstrates the in
portance of having a professional az
countant to keep the books in an il
stitution where large sums of none
are to be disbursed for varions pu
poses under distinct appropriation
To the report of the commissioner
is appended general balance She
obtained only by accommodating ii
books, and correcting the errors an
supplying the omissions, and whic
comes down from the commencemer
Of our State organization to the LIST
June, 1859, exhibiting the followin
result: