Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-01-07

is unnecessarily large. 1 respectfully suggest
whether such measures cannot properly be
adopted as, without impairing their usefulness
or efficiency, will materially reduce their ex.
penses ,,.u
Al no former period has there been so great
a degree of success in the Reform School as
during the past year. Its accommodations
have been enlarged so that one hundred and
6fty inmates can be comfortably sustained,
though the average number has been one hun
dred and seventy eight. The number who left
the institution during the year, is isseventy-seven,
| Could all the applications have been met, the
number at this time would be three hundred.
Not case of sickness has occurred during the
wear recurring the attendance of physician,
But two inmates have escaped. The financial
condition Of the school is very gratifying. d
The amount of appropriation in the Treasury .i.
at the commencement Of the year $12 5l7 90
Annropriaons for 1861 l..........,....... 1884 90
Total expenditures for past year. r.....S S3O,S6I 90
Unpaid notes in hands Of the Acting superin- -.L
....,,.....'.......... 406 80
Undrawn appropriations s...........,...... e,9l9 ii
Experience has demonstrated the great value
of this Reform School. The almos! fatal effect
of incarcerating boys under sixteen years of age
with older and hardened offenders In the Peni-
tentiary has been avoided, and hundreds who
were rapidly tending to criminal practices in
our cities and towns, have been arrested in their
course and saved from crime and ruin. The
discipline s excellent, and the entire School and
Farm are conducted in such a manner as to com
mend the Institution to the favorable regard of
the people
am happy to state, that during the past year,
the number Of convlcts in the Penitentiary has
diminished. The total number on the frs. day
of November last was nine hundred and twenty
| four, while on the first day Of November, 1860,
the number was nine hundred and thirty. one
The average number during the year, was nine
hundred and eixty-fve.
| The enlargement of tho prison, and the erec-
ton Of new cells have extended its capacity 30
that il will contain ten hundred and fifty con.
yicts. 1t will be for you to determine whether
it is expedient TO provide Immediately, either
for its further enlargement, or for the erection
of new penitentiary,
| ask your attention to the recommendations
of the Directors and Warden, for the erection OF
new structures within the present enclosure.
The total cash receipts tor the past year, were
$92, 1923 IL. The labor Of convicts for the State,
in tho erection of new structures, $l3,056 30.
The total expenses have been 800, l25 2S. The
earnings thus appear, in excess Of expenses,
$4,966 g.
It is gratifying to know that moral influences
are relied upon in the discipline of the Peniten-
tiary, to secure the submission and promote the
reformation of convicts. Kindness and rslig.
ious instruction are blended with regular but not
oppressive labor, and ara producing results pro-
pitious TO morality and to virtuous sympathy.
Your earnest interest Is solicited for the cor,
rection of whatever defects there may be in
our penitentiary system.
Thh too frequent exercise of the pardoning
power, must necessarily impair the efficiency
of the administration of justice. Inconsiderate
clemency operates as an encouragement to crime,
and produces more misery than it alleviates.
The prerogative OF mercy should be exercised
with view only to the legitimate objects OF
punishment,-she reformation of offenders, and
the prevention of crimes. Within the scope of
this rule, have deemed it my duty to restrict
the exercise of the pardoning power.
The whole number of pardons granted du
ring the last year is eighty nine, OF these, TWEEN
ty-four were issued upon the certificate of the
physician of the penitentiary, accompanied by
the Recommendation Of the Warden and Direc-
tors, in cases where there was imminent danger
OF the death of the convict SO pardoned, In pur
suance of the act prescribing the manner of
applying for pardons. i.,,ya,.
Connected with the subject of pardons, there
| Ia one feature of our criminal code to which
deem it my duty to invite your attention. re-
| fer to the provision for minimum periods of
confinement in the penitentiary. ...efi
Numerous applications have been made to
| me for the exercise Of the pardoning power, by
the Judges by whom the cases we're tried, upon
the ground that the periods of confinement were
| longer than the circumstances would justify,
and that the sentences had been made so be-
cause minimum periods had been hxsd by law,
and no discretion, below those limits, left to the
Judge. An examination of many of the cases
| has satisfied me of the force Of these consider
ations, and the pardoning power has accordingly
been exercised. Reflection upon the subject has
brought me to the conclusion that it would be
1 best TO take away the minimum limit in all
cases, and leave the Judge to fix the time, below
the maximum limit, as his judgment, in view
of all the circumstances of each case, may de.
| termine. f,..-. ,.. ...... .
The only objection which can be urged against
| such a measure ia, that in some instances the
period of confinement might be too short to
meet the expenses of conviction and transpor-
| tation. The answer is obvious and conclusive.
The legitimate objects of punishment, as already
stated, are the protection Of society and the ref
ormaton of the offender. Pecuniary consid-
erations are entitled TO little weight where the
interests of public justice are concerned. In
my Judgment, the objection is also nearly, if
not entirely, without foundation in the fact
which it assumes. Il is believed that the SEN
tence would rarely be 90 short that the time
would not be sufficient to reimburse the State in
az largea proportion of its outlays as 1t re-
ceiyes in the average of other cases wherein
the periods Of confinement are longer.
| A tabular statement of the various peuiten-
| tiary crimes, with the maximum and minimum
period OF confinement prescribed by law for each
one, will be found with the documents accom-