Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-01-16

without tins Is secured, we can not reasonably i
hope that minorities will long submit. Every
citizen of our State, therefore, without regard to
party, is interested in having an efficient and eff
fectiye law guarding this mode of expressing !
public sentiment. / therefore respectful yrecOm-
mend the passage of a law inhicting heavy pen
altes upon persons voting Illegally, and also upon
officers of the election who refuse a legal
vote, or who knowingly receive an illegal one, |
and fixing the residence in the county necessary
to entitle one to vote, at period that will make
it Improbable for bad men to change their resi-
dence for voting purposes alone. Had l the
power OF fixing the penalty for violation OF the
election law of our State, it never would be
below that of Imprisonment in the State Prison.
That penalty would deter bad men, and DO much
to preserve the purity of the ballot-bOX.
The commercial crisis which are now I'M
derg0ing, the deprecated condition OF the secu-
rites upon which our free bank circulation is
based, and the consequent depreciation of our
currency warn us that in order to promote the
financial interests of our State-to prevent loss
arising from the receiving of paper money, so
liable to depreciate while in the vaults of the
Treasury, we should provide by law sub-treas-
ury system. The report of the commissioners
appointed by the last Legislature to examine into
the debts due the State suggests many reasons Tor
the passage of this law During the last ten
years the State has suffered to the amount of
thousands of dollars by the depreciation OF the
currency while in the hands of the State and
county oflicers-by the bankruptcy of persons who
hare become debtors to the State for money Dor
r0we1 out of her vaults; BY the suspension of
banks in which her revenues were deposited for
safety: by the mprudence and improvidence of
her officers, and their neglect or failure to dis
charge the duties imposed upon them by law.
And to guard against recurrence of those losses;
to give that feeling of security to the citizen that
the taxes he has paid are safely kept and pru
IDENTIFY discussed, it has now become absolutely
necessary that a rigid law should be passed en-
bOdyng these provisions: First, the collection of
the debts due the State in gold and silver; Sec
ondly, the erection of suitable building, with
secure vaults for the preservation of the public
money; and, thirdly, placing those officers having
control of the public money under such strict
guards that the loaning disbursing Of any of il,
except il the manner provided by law, should
constitute a felony, and render them liable to inn
prisOnment in the State Prison.
1t is manilestly unjust to require an officer to
execute bond to the State, in heavy penalty, for
the secure keeping of the revenues of the State,
when no provision is made specifying the kind OF
money he shall receive, and no suitable place pro-
vided in which it shall be kept The necessity is
great, therefore, of providing for the erection of
building suitable for the purpose with vaults
sufficiently strong to guard the public records and
revenues from accident and crime; and remem-
ury system in some of our sister States, and in
the Federal Government, | trust that yee viii
give this matter your early and favorable attcn-
/ ton
At the last May term of the Supreme Court in
the case Of Igoe rs the State of Indiana, the law
approved February 10, 1850, regulating the bust
ness of fore On insurance companies, was declared
to be unconstitutional.
BY reference to the Auditors books, | have
learned that while the law was enforced, nineteen
foreign insurance companies complied with Its
provisions by fling their semi-annual statements,
and aiterward making necessary deposits OF funds
or securities. These deposits were held in trust
by The Auditor for the policy holders OF the com
! panies making them. When the law was declared
unconstitutional these deposits we're Withdrawn,
and we are left without any law regulating this
important and growing branch OF commercial
business Il is now questionable whether there
is law authorizing the service of process on the
agents OF foreign insurance companies IN SUITS
growing out of contracts made by them IN this
State. That the magnitude of this branch OF
business may he seen, learn from gentleman
cony with insurance in this State, that there
is paid annually by policy holders for insurance
! in foreign companies not less than S250,000, and
| that the amount covered by insurance in those
companies is about so ,O00,O00.
/, therefore, recommend the passage of a law
which will in the first place give to the policy
holder perfect security, and in the second, foster
| and encourage bona tide insurance companies or
gained by our own citizens under the laws OF the
/ State; without such stringency, however, IN its
provisions, as to drive from State good and
solvent foreign companies, thereby cutting oil
healthy competition.
! In the progress of our State in population it
| has been found necessary to erect two prisons,
which contain about five hundred convicts, and of
that number about fifty under twenty-one
| years of age.
The Legislature of 1855, impressed with the
necessity of providing place in which the young
| delinquents might be confined, where the old and
hardened criminal should have no power to lead
them further astray, or induct them deeper into
crime, provided for the purchase of piece of
| ground for the purpose of establishing House of
Refuge. In April last, Governor Willard and
the State officers negotiated with General James
p. Drake for the purchase of one hundred acres
of land, four miles west Of the city, for that pur
! pose
The importance of such an instituson can not
| be overestimated, and it has had the frequent
Recommendation of my predecessors. In view
of the fact that the pententary to young mind
is perfect school for vice; that mere BOYS are
sentenced there in order to avoid an expense to
the county for their maintenance in the county
Jail; and that BY contact with old offenders, come
out at the end of their term vicious as their in
structors can hardly conceive want more sc
ri0usy felt than this. In our sister States, these
Institutions, under the names of Houses of Re
form "Houses Of Correction" State Reform
Schools" Sc, have been triei with success. The
| establishment of House OF Refuge upon the
ground selected and purchased for that pur-
pose, is mperatiyely demanded--demanded alike
by good morals and sound polcy--and recon-
mend that prompt and adequate action be taken
by YOU in the matter, and that appropriation
for that purpose be made.
By law, approved March 5th 1859, the Legis-
lature provided for building State Prison north
of the National Road, and appropriated fifty
thousand dollars to carry the provisions of the
law into effect As the Legislature fliied to elect
! three directors, the Governor by virtue of the
law, appointed DIR. b. f. Mullen, John F. Dunn
and John W Blake such directors, who proceeded
to locate the prison at Fort Wayne But for sdRhe
reason the Governor failed to approve of this To-
cation and il was finally abandoned, and the 10
cation subsequently made at Michigan City. I'm
der contract made by the directors on the part
of the State. with Messrs. Talbot and Costigan,
for the building OF such State Prison, | learn the
full amount OF the appropriation has been ex-
pended. As | have had no connection. either
personal or Official, with this transaction, | am
compelled in this general manner to allude to it.
In regard 70 the location Ofthis prison, the ma
king the contract and the direction of the work,
IlittcI VI vi THIS, IL y Nuc
these directors, as well as to the public, that you
should cause full investigation to be made in
reference to their action as such directors, and |
respectfully recommend that you cause such an
investigation to be made. Their report is here
i with submitted.
The commission appointed under Joint resolu-
ton Of the General Assembly at the last session,
in relation to the settlement, adjustment and col
lection of the dues to the State assembled in this
city in July, 1889 to discharge the duties conded
to them
By the terms OF the joint resolution, the au-
thorty of the commissioners seemed TO be limited
to the detailed statement of the unsettled accounts
of ali persons heretofore acting as officers or
agents of State, and evidences OF debt, delivered
to them 10y the Auditor of State They thor
| oughlv investigated such accounts and claims,
and, as far as practicable, have settled the same
in pursuance of the terms of the joint resolution.
The investigation required, in some instances.
much labor, and the examination of a great
variety OF facts The settlements so made were,
in my opinion, such as the interests of the State
rendered Decpssary and have uDOD an exaunit-