Daily national Democrat., 1861-01-22

The state Reform school.
Tie Governor in his Message saws

rysvllle,' approved April Is, 1860. i regret
to state that but small progress has been
made toward the erection Of the building
The Board oE Trustees. elected by joint
Convention of the two Houses of the Legisla-
ture, organized and, rs provided by the law,
| appointed one of their number Seperinten-
dent. This act terminated my jurisdiction
over that body. Since then they have cleo
ted another of their own number Secretary,
and the remaining one Architect-thus max
ing the institution complete within itself,
and secure from all extraneous influences. |
have learned little Of their transactions, save
the auditing of their salaries. ! predict the
undertaking failure, and regret having Civ
en- the measure my official sanction.
would recommend repeal of the law,
and that separate department within the
walls of the present State Prison be set apart
for this class of offenders They can be kept
entirely separate and apart, and without the
sight and influence of the more hardened
criminals They can be taught the various
branches of industry. and fitted when reform.
ed, to become useful members of society A
building for this purpose can be erected by
prison labor, with comparatively little ex-
pense to the State; the same officers and
guards necessary to the prison will take care
OF these youthful offenders, and the only ad-
ditioDal expense the State need incur will be
that of teachers I trust you will agree with
me in the proposed changes. The report of
the Trustees is herewith submitted.
1t was supposed that building sufficient
to accommodate eighty boys as contemplated
by the Act, would be erected and completed
during the past year. The Trustees intima-
ted to Mr.. J. G. Pelton that he would be Sc
lected to superintend the instruction of these
youths. With this understanding, Mr.. Pei
! ton applied to me for recommendatory let
ters to institutions of similar character in the
Atlantic States, which he visited for the pur-
pose of obtaining such information as would
enable him to enter upon the discharge of his
duty with practical intelligence. 1t is but
justice to this gentleman to state that the
object of his visit has been successfully ac-
complished, and that he brings as voluntary
contributions in aid of the school. a valuable
library, collected during his visit to the At
lantic States.
The language of the above is q severe
thrust at the Board of Trustees, and seems to
imply that the members constituting that
Board were unfit for their business and,
then, further, seems to draw the inference
that, because of this alleged un6tness of the
Board, the project of the State Reform
School is a failure! This is queer kind Of
reasoning.
In the name of all common sense, if the
present Board is so wholly incompetent, let a
new one be constituted. 1t does not follow,
that there are no persons in the limits Of the
State who would attend properly to the bus
mess of constructing that building and put
ting the institution into operation. Why
| should it be failure? Twelve thousand
dollars have been expended says the Govern
or, and but small progress has been made in
the work. Such progress has been made in
the work, we presume, as the state of the
weather has admitted of. The contractor has
stand, that the work he has contracted to
perform shall be finished at stated times
that is to say, the first part of the work, by
the lst of February, and the second part by
the lst of July, 1861. What is the differ
ence to the Governor, whether the work has
progressed less or more, so that the contract
be fulfilled, or, in case it fail, the contractor
forfeit his bond and make the loss good to
the State?
The first contract is for putting up the
main building and one of the wings for S24,-
000. The Contractor is to put on the roof
put in the joists, put in all the door and win
dow frames, the granite door sills, all parti-
tions, both of bri ok and studding, all down
pipes ank water troughs for conveying water
from the building, all cornice work both of
brick and wood all anchors and iron work,
and every thing of the like nature, requisite
for the forwarding of the general plan.
The second contract is to put up one of the
wings by the first of July.
Now, the Governor would seem to inti-
mate that all this work should be thrown
away; that the contract with Steele should
be annuled, regardless of consequences, (and
these consequences would be very detrimen-
tai, for the obligation of contracts is not light
Iy to be ignored); that the building plans
and all should be left just where they are
the building begun, the bricks on the ground,
the joists also, the door and window frames
all prepared, the lime and sand, delivered as
per contract, force engaged sufficient to lay
10000 bricks per day. and thousand other
things, not readily noted, to be left in stdtu
quo
This sort of thing wont do. The Governor
has not well considered his recommendation
The State cannot afford to throw away the
amount of money already expended She
cannot afford to forfeit her contract.
An appropriation of $4,000 by the present
Legislature will finish a sufficient portion of
the internal building to start the School in
operation by the lst of July next. The in
ternal work could then be finished as there
was demand for room, for the whole ,Could be
under roof and protected against the ele-
ments There would be no hurry about com.
pleting the internal work. and the Legisla-
ture could exercise its discretion as to appro-
priations.
The term of office Of the Trustees is for
two years, only, and, if the Legislature have
any doubts as to the capacity and fitness of
the Trustees, they can make their next APP
preparation with such prudential restric-
tions as they may see fit. 1t seems to us that
it is hardly worth while to abandon the
whole matter and leave it where it stands,
for it not only defeats the scheme in view
but involves the State in much unnecessary
expense.
The State Reform School should go on,
| and lnfncls in thn rarnsnLt ln... &c ....I