Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-01-20

Joint resolution by your bodies instucting |
the Governor to sign no more certificates Of
the description spoken Of to any Of said COM
panies until they shall file in his Office writ
Ten relinquishment Of their supposed right to
contest the swamp land selections that may
fall within the limits of their grants, and q
consent on their part that the Commissioner
of the General Land Office may proceed to
to patent them to the State % other swamp
lands, &c.
STATE PRISON.
This institution merits distinct notice.
The facts and suggestions contained in the
reports Of the Board of Inspectors and War
den should attract your special considers
ton. @ull'
Since the last General Assembly some IS
have been added to the number Of her con-
victs. On account of this unexampled in.
crease tho appropriation for the general sup
port of the prison proved wholly inadequate;
it did not hold out year. The price ofpro-
visions kept up, and being scarce and com
handing ready cash market, could not be
obtained on SO long credit except upon terms
at once exhorbitant and inadmissible. An
attempt on the part of the Inspectors to effect
. loan Of money for this purpose proved un.
successful. was forced to the necessity of
opening the prison doors or furnishing the
requisite supply. The latter alternative was
adopted, but only accomplished through the
co-oneration and indulgence of the Auditor
and Treasurer of the State, who permitted
me to take some six or 500 of the revenue
whilst in transitu from the county collectors
to the State Treasury, upon my personal re-
ceipt. 1t will be necessary for you to legalize
this transaction, apprehend, and have the
treasury credited with the requisite amount,
and this work may be done, whereby over.
sight or miscalculation the appropriation has
failed to meet an emergency of this descrip-
ton. l submit whether it would not be well
to authorize the Census Board or some other
agency or power to supply the deficiency un-
| til the sitting of the ensuing General Assem-
bly,. regret to make known the fact that
| there has been some misunderstanding and
and disagreement among the officers of this
institution and between them and prison
contractors, which led to much irritation of
feeling, complaint, and finally litigation. 1t
is unnecessary for me to..express any opinion
upon the character of these difficulties with a
/ view of determining where the blame lies.
But it does appear to me that if the Warden
was not dependant upon the Board Of Inspec-
tors for the term of his Office, and the duties
and powers Of each clearly defined by law, il
would serve to check abuses, and tend to Sc.
cure both harmony and independence of &C.
| ton.
Representations made to me last May
touching the discipline and condition of the
Prison accounts, and of abuses in the fnan
cial management of the same, satisfied me the
interests of the State demanded an investiga,
ton, with view of ascertaining the condi'
ton of the one, and the manner and system
observed in conducting the other. l accord
ingly commissioned T. S. Espy, R. A. Rus
sell, and H. R. Jennison, to make an exami
nation of the affairs of the institution, and re
port as contemplated and required by CAR
act to authorize the Governor to appoint
commissioners to examine the accounts o
State officers and define the duties of tn
Governor in certain cases." The very salts
factory report made by these commissioner
is submitted to you and should be considered
in connection with that of the Board of In
lspectors.
| LOU Will HUI ldll w peICelNc Ioul d lSl v
inspection of their report that the affairs o
the institution have been conducted carelessl,
and without system. That the books of &C
count were in confused condition and coul
not be allowed-that 81, 700 had been traced
as deposit into the hands of bankers, an
had been lost sight of by the officers, an
would in all probability be lost to the Stat
but for this investigation. Much of this If
regularity and confusion in the accounts un
doubtedly is attributable to the acts of an in
competent book-keeper-which demonstrate
the importance of having professional &C
countant to keep the books in an institution
where large sums are to be disbursed 70
!, various purposes under distinct appropria
, tons.
10 the report of the commissioners is ap
pended general balance sheet, obtained onl
: by re.journalizing the books, and correctin
. the errors, and supplying the omissions, an
which comes downifrom the commencement
. of our State organization to the LIST Of june
! 1859, exhibiting the following result: