The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-11
.z~rn.{y VOL. vT--No: :42.--WHoLE NO. 800.

gence will not take responsibilities clearly necessary %
The public good as little deserves conf ance he who
rashl assumes them on Ordinary occasions and without
necessity 1t will be for to determine whether The
action of the Treasurer shall receive the legislative
non which the last General Assembly omitted to give.
It gives great pleasure that the depart
of Public Iustrubton progress and regular i'm
pravemeit haze been conspicuous. .
Its burdens however, press what heavily up
on the resources of the peopl,. =
Prior TO the apoPeop of the present Constitution the
fund annually raised by general taxatiou distributed
to the countless was comparatively small Fr several
than one-fourth of which derived from general
ton Aftera time this annual SUN reduced for
number of years to $3.50 00l; but lally ncrea ed
100000 During this period in the hstory of schools
somewhat larger than that derived from the State
annually raised by local taxation; but the ,rPgates
from all sources, State and local. did not reach onetird
| of the totals under the existing system. u.
The for Schools and School Libraries now const;-
tutes somewhat more than of the entire lev
les for State purposes and nearly oneurth of those
local purpose The State and local school 1858
were 2,7SlS2 or nearly onc-third of the aggr.a
leyies for all purposes In 1862 the rvies
ed to So 792 rs ar bore about the prop
he whole. These facts viii suggesc the Legislature
and to the local authorities The necessity of prenee and
the most careful ecouomy. n azz
Few citizens trust are disposed to abrdse the means
an opportunities of education offered to the youth
of the State They know thai the created by ed
ucation and made available ali of labor in all
processes of sphere useful actioF
worth many times IFS cost They feel however, that he
great and is needed lest By improvidence
and extravaganza disaction MAJ be excited towards
system SO beuef.ent. ss5H-sf.
With view TO the increased efficiency of the system
again direct the attention of the Legislature pro-
priety of more effective aid Teachers Institutes and
of some provision for agents TO be appointed by the State
Commissioners to fulfil those duties of addressing public
meetings and comforting pc sonay with ocal authorities
now imposed that officer, but impossible be ade
quatey performed without prejudice to demands his
time ana attention more important.
With view to greater economy, it deserves ING ry
whether some additional Limitations may be usefuly
Boards of Education.
of School Lands is distributed among the counties
according to th cir respective interests in such lands In
the counties 1t is again distributed among the townships
in proportions determined by similar considerations.
1t cannot be doubted that the Federal Government in
granting these lands intended equal benefits to all parts
of the State The terms OF the gr,nts, however were
originally construed vesng the title to Their in the
sixteen situated or for the of larger districts
for which provision made BY grants of Land moi
within their limits. Whether this construction cor.
rect or not. may not be worth while to enquire
Il has long been acted and may perhaps be regarded
settled Il defeats however, to certain extent the
equal intent of the grant, imposes great labor on the
State aud County Auditors perplexes the public &C.
and embarrases the general operation
Upon examination Of the apportionment among the
counties of the who,e fund thus distributed salts
if The various divisions the rreducibe Debt into Yir
gnia Military Uaited States Military, Section Sixteen
Section twenty Nine western Reserve and Morayiar
consolidated into fund and the whole intere
distributed ong the counties in the proportion
as the general School Fund The saving of labor and
pensc which would be effected by This reform and tht
cearness and inelligbity which it would introduce into
our financial system, will in my Judgment warrant some
compensation to particular Counties should it be foanC
that my are deprived by of revenue to which the1
have just claim. The subject is certaiy of suicien
importance and interest to merit careful cOnsidera
ton, and as such recommend it to your attention.
The condition of the Benevolent and Reformatory In
stitutions is, upon the whole, highly satisfactory.
Tne number remaining in the Asylum for the Deaf
Dunb at til close of the last year. 1885, nt the clos
of the preceding year 150 greater number of nnHte
than the present cannot be accommodated. though 70
want of room many equally needy and equally deserY
expenses of the pss year were s252s and those of th
preceding year s:l,432 A large part of the increas
was for Necessary repairs and improvements beyout
those of ordnry years An appropriation of $245oe
asked fer 1850, aud urgent request for budin
is preferred Nor should hesitate to recommend ne5
and enlarged structures if the revenue from the leyies
last year would warrant me in so doing Should you
plan of such structures and provide for the by TIL
necessary levy do not doubt thatyour action could b.
approved by our common constituents
The enubBr of inmates of the Institution fer the Bin
increased from los in 1885, TO l2l in 1859, The hghes
number which had previously enjoyed the benefits of th
Institution was 49, in The constant increase in h
number of pupils, and their Improvement the hghes
eulogy upon s management The expenses in 1859
S1sS37 in 1858, Sl6,202 The appropriation asked fc
ls6o, il view of aproposed enlargement, is $26 500.
In the Asylum for Idiots thirty children have bee
received supported and instructed during the past yea
at aggregate expense of $4,000, exclusive sum
received account of paying inmates. The expenditur
is certainly arge it includes payments of
incurred during the preceding year, and for
and insurance, for which disbursements b
the other Institutions. 1t should be remembered also
that the expenses of Asylum receiving inmate
must necessarily be larger in proportion than those
lots would be doubled if its capacity admitted of it.
the outlay would not be materially increased Tru
economy requires in my Judgment the purchase of th
site AMI buildings rented, and the enlargement
The structure authorized in Hamilton county. for ii,
Tdotic and Insane, has been recently completed It
said be Very commodious and sufficiently large to
y, six hundred inmates. Board of Trustees has bee
organized for its government, consisting of one membe
appointed by me, and two appointed BY the Commission
tconsttues the Southwestern Lunatc Asylum District
and the Institution just organized to receive all
county tax appropriations from the State Treasury
equal the taxes collectes in the county o
the maintenance of State Lunatc Asylums. am inform
ed that such county tax described in the act
authorized levied in Hamilton county, Some eeisls
its support. tf--
Thus four Lunatic Asylums are open in the STATE
capable of receiving few than twelve hundred in
mates Lore this provision is it is yet sadly certa
that not large enough. Not less than thousand in
rem either wholly neglected or inadequatey provide
I cannot recommend, however additional public pro
vision Iudicous legislation regulating County Inrma
ries, and authorizing private asJ lurns would in m
Judgment afford all needed relief and perhaps dimni
The number of Inmates in each of the three Lunati
Asylums heretofore organized, less at the close
the last than at the close of the preceding Sucien
for the dimnrton assigned in the several re
pors The facthowever is much to be regret thoug
compensated in part by increased in treatment
1t may be safely said think, that these Asylus wer
never in better condition than
The total expenses of the three Asylums, during tn
year. were S93427 and the appropriations asked 70
1860 are SlIl57o. The general aggregate of dsburse
mens must re increased during the present by th
necessary provision for the South western Asylum Th
strctest economy will be necessary bring the annus
cost of the four Asyums within limits satisfactory to tn
The number of boys remaining on the State Reform
farm. close of 1852 02 At close of 1855
it 49, Ths expenditures during the last year wer
$2l ,517; of which large proportion for building
and other permanent improvements which have addet
largely the value eff the farm as property This insti
tuition has thus far fulfilled the wise ard humane desgr
of The Legislature Its direct agency il reformation hs
be difficult to measure its utility in the prevention o
crime.
Under the influence of example Industrial School
have been organized in Cleveland and Cincinnati fos
class of vagrants and destitute children-
who he brought into the Common Schools nnt
from whose numbers the ranks eff crime continual,
recruited The Institution at Cleveland offering
of instruction, but employment and fooc
as inducements to attendance. has been thus far e
reme useful and gives promise of vet greater utiiitv
Vagrnney pilferng and more serious crime have sens
bly, diminished under its influence That at Cineinnst,
more recently begun yet TO make proof of its eccn
| cy for good
Upon examining Reports of the various
you will doubtless observe considerable differences ii
ment. have heretofore suggested, now renew tht
suggestion that the several superinendeus or Presidents
year for consultation upon plans management pnC
on modes of making up reports. i do not doubt tha
ton, and secure much clearer and better sfaetnts n
its theory, history and results. s;l a-lI -
The administration of the Penitenary during the las
year was eninentl successful. While the number o
conVcts increased from 693 to $50 exceedny ,be nuhs
OF available cells by lbS and compelling the Of ho
chapel aud hospital as convict quarters e udicous dis
cipne OF The prison was such that Industry order
health prevailed in unusual degrees within ifs walls. Il
was impossible, at oee TO find profitable employment
for 80 numerous a body of prisoners and yet though
expenditures necessarily increased with numbers they
were exceeded by the earnings OF the year. The
additional buildings directed hy the last General Assem-
oily nearly completed at cost considerably reduced
by the employment of convict labor in portions of tn;
work. When finished they will supply sevept, -6vc ad
donal cells But the number will stillt efar small
land if prisoners continue multiply the preseut rae
the disproporiion already nconvenient, must soon 6e
come dangerous.