The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-01-15

T. Drake fOr the purchase OF one hundred
acres Of land, four miles west of the city,
for that purpose.
The importance of such an institution
cannot be oyerestimated, and it has had the
frequent recommendations of my predeces-
sors. In view of the fact that the peniten-
tiary 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, they
come out at the end of their term as vicious
as their instructors, can hardly conceive
want more seriously felt than this. In
our sister States, these institutions under
the names of "Houses of Reform" " Houses
of Correction" "State Reform Schools" &C.,
have been tried with success. The estab-
lishment of a House Of Refuge upon the
ground selected and purchased for that pur
pose, is imperatVely demanded-demanded
alike by good morals and sound policy
and I recommend that prompt and adequate
action be taken by you in the matter, and
that an appropriation for that purpose be
made.
By a law, approved March 5th 1859, tie
Legislature provided for building q State
Prison north of the National Road, and az
propriated fifty thousand dollars 10 carry
the provisions of the law into effect. As
the Legislature failed TO elect three direct
ors, the Governor, by virtue of the law, ap-
pointed DR.. 3. F. Mullen, John P. Dunn
and John ". Blake such Directors, who
proceeded to locate the prison at Fort
Wayne. But for some reason the Govern
or failed to approve of this location, and it
was finally abandoned, and the location
subsequently made at Michigan City. Under
a contract made by the directors on the
part of the State, with Messrs. Talbot and
Costigan for the building of such State
Prison. l learn the full amount of the ap-
preparation has been expended. AS | have
had no connection, either personal or official,
with this transaction, | am compelled in
this general manner to allude to it. In re-
gard to the location of this prison, the max
! ing Of the contract and the direction of the
work, in matter Of the Importance of
this, it is due to these directors as well as
to the public that you should canse full
investigation to be made in reference to
their action as such directors, and respect
fully recommend that you cause such an
investigation to be made, Their report is
herewith submitted
The commission appointed under Il joint
resolution of the General Assembly at the
last session, in relation to the settlement,
adjustment aud collection of the dues to the
State, assembled in this city in July, 1859,
to discharge the duties confidcd to them.
BY the terms of the joint resolution, the
authority Of the commissioners seems to be
limited to the detailed statement Of the un-
settled accounts of all persons heretofore
acting as officers or agents of State, They
thoroughly Investigated such accounts and
claims, and as far as practicable, have set
tied the same in pursuance of the terms of
the Joint resolution. The investigation re-
quired, in some instances, much labor, and
the examination of great variety of facts.
Tho settlements so made, were, in ms opin-
ion, such as the Interests Of the State req
dered necessary, and L have, upon examin-
atioE of them, given my full approval there-
of Is, ritine- Tho rePuxe Of ti.vis T,rI,svoi-
ings is herewith laid before you.
In orderSthat the citizens of Indiana
should compete favorably with those of her
sister States in the full and profitable de-
velopment Of her mineral recourceS, the last
Legislature, following out the wise and en-
larged policy demanded by an increase 10 the
number of our Inhabitants, and friendly
emulation with our sister States, passed Rn
act requiring geological reconnaissance of
our State preparatory TO Il more full and
extended examination OF all her hidden re-
sources. The survey you placed under the
fostering care of the able and energetic State
direction OF the survey, fully sustained their
we'll merited character for discernment in
plan and promptness in execution of work
entrusted to their charge. Already, with
the S., 600 placed by you at their disposal,
they have Ind nearly every county partially
examined, and are ready, through their ge-
ologist, to report upon the most important
localities, minerals, soils, &C., meriting more
full and detailed examinations, should the
same wise and liberal policy dictate further
prosecution of the work, aud furnish the
necessary means.
The advantages of thorough geological
survey are manifold. 1t viii show 10 our
citizens and the world that we have more
than twenty counties i'll which a good
working coal can be developed to any re-
quired amount coal beds from which oil
can he extracted equal in quality and near
ly in quantity to that of Breckinridge coun-
", kentucky abundant deposits of iron ore
at present worked successfully at few fur
naces, chiefly on the edge of our coal field
aud also on the same coal field margin favor
shle locations for sinking brine wells and
boiling salt various localities in which ex-
tended search may develop lead and other
metaIs-one deposit having recently been
developed by analytical research in the la
boratory of the State Geoogist as rich in
the valuable mineral COBALT, extensively
used in arts and manufactures besides, fur
ther, the examination and recommendation
OF many valuable quarries, affording materi-
ais for building rock and road making, with
others afording grindstones and whetstones
of excellent quality, and a good article OF
photographic stone as we'll also as numer-
Gus deposits adapted to the manufacture OF
fire brick, earthernware, &c.
Besides all these important and practical
results, would more especially call your
attention to the chemical analyses of thirty
three soils selected from different geological
formations designed to show the manner
; in which that important work should be
performed for every county in Indiana.
To enumcrate all the advantages which
our State would secure, would occupy more
space than can he appropriately devoted to
! it, notwithstanding the vital Importance OF
the subject TO our whole community, but il
is confidently hoped enough has been here