Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-26

HoUsE or nEFreE
In my former communications 10 you ! have
spoken Of a class Of offenders and violations of
the laws of the city. The number of offenders
and violations have not diminished sIlude 10
Juvenile offenders. I have spoken particularly Of
Young female many of whom are IN midst,
without father, mother. guardian or any one %
take care of them. Many of them have been
brought before me- and with tears streaming down
their cheeks ask what they 10 do. They have
no friends 10 20 to for protection or support
Their sex turn their hands against them-they
have no house OF home and they are not fit 10 die
Many young boys Of our city have been decoyed
from the path OF rectitude by these outcasts and
have been injured TO steal and expend the pro
cee1s on these outcast girls This city being "a
railroad center, IL is made the receptcal for
this class of persons. Men bring them here
and kesp them for a few weeks. and then leave
them, without money or friends, To 90 down TO
degradation aud ruin.
Now the question comes up. what can be done
for tins class OF personsl ] confess to you | can
hardly say what But will say that INV mind
has turned To this expelient Our State has no
house OF correction that know Of Now, mas
much as the class Of persons | have spoken of
are present in all the county seats and in all the
counties OF the State, ! would suggest that you
appoint n committee of your honorable BODY to
vening OF our next General Assembly. aud pro
pose TO furnish site out of part of our hospital
ground OF which to erect house of Correction for
thus Class Of people. IL appears to me that the
representatives OF Christian people such as
know people TO be. will cheerlully and heart
lily co operate with you in charitable and bu
name an enterprise. | hope YOU will try it, As
a citizen and a father. my heart grows sick when
look upon these outcasts when they stand before
me.
ORDINANCES.
Gentlemen Of the Common Council. you are
the law makers for our CITY, | would most re
spectiuly suggest that you pass no ordinance
without due consideration. and when passed. that
you make no innovations upon the Inv by the
adoption OF motions or resolutions granting
special permits Ia any one to violate the ord
nance IN force. Ordinances can only he changed
by amendment When these innovations upon
ordinances have been made il has given me trou
BILE. Others come and ask the privilege of viola
ting the ordinance IN the same way. | can not
grant II, and 1t operates TO the prejudice of the
Council give YOU an instance: There is an
ordinance against erecting plank awnings over
the sidewalks, yet motion passed allow ing
1t To be done Now II some have the privilege
OF erecting AMI IN rnt,nng awnings, all ought
to have the same privilege, and IL the Council
require the officers To enforce the laws they make
then they ought TO aid them in enforcing them
have endeavored faithfully and mpartIally to en-
force all the ordinances you have pissed, and if
You do not want them enforced as they are,
hope you will amend or repeal them.
REVENUE.
-Four years ago | was called by the voters of
our city to the office | now have the honor OF
filling. When entered upon nav duties found
the city considerably IN debt, so much so that or
ders drawn upon the City Treasurer by the Coun-
Gil were hawked about the city deprecated pa
per, worth from 65 to 10 cents on the dollar; and
all street improvement contracts were taken at
from % to 80 per cent. advance higher than the
contractors would have done the work for in
money Thus, at % per cent advance on the
work IN estimating the city orders at 40 cents on
the dollar, aud then paying per cent interest on
the face OF the order, we were sinking at least
one third OF the revenue levied and collected off
citizens. Nor did the evil stop with the pay
ment by the city. but the same per cent. was
charged upon the owners of property for street
Improvements. they paying in current funds
am happy To say To YOU. rs you will see by
the reports filed by the Treasurer and Clerk, that
by the prudence OF your honorable body you have
SO managed the financial affairs of the city that
to-day your city orders bring readily % cents on
the dollar. And if you continue in your eco
nomlcal course you can, in one year more. make
your scrip equal to cash, rs the holder can 20 to
the Treasurer aud get the cash for it,
would recommend that YOU make your per
cent. levy for revenue the same that il was last
year. Our levy is less than three fourths of one
per cent. With this amount aud collections from
other sources YOU may confidently rely upon be-
ing out OF debt at the close of another year.
/ have shown you that we have money enough
comir z to the city TO pay all demands and have
money left in the Treasury. | think we occupy
more enviabe position than any other city in
the West
/ have endeavored to carry out your laws i'm
partially TO the best of my ability. That may
have erred is probable 1t so. il has been an en-
ror of the head and not OF the heart.
CRY cALABoosE.
You will see that the jail fees for city prisoners
amount 10 over $4,000 A large amount OF this
sum is for the boarding of persons sent up to work
out their fines and costs. and much of it for
boarding base women. If man or woman is
committed to Jail before - O'Clock Z. NJ. and
kept in Jail until . O'Clock A. NJ the next day,
the Jail fec charged is 81 40 Very frequently
some six persons thus confined are brought out
for trial IN the morning and not one OF them able
TO pay the fine and costs The jail fee would be
on each 81 40. which has to be paid by the city.
(say five persons, the fee would be 81 ! am
IN the habit OF fnug persons charged with iatox.
cation and other minor violations OF city law,
for the first ollense 81 aud costs Now, mas
much rs the Council has the privilege of erect
ing lock ups in the OF the present city offices.
would most respectfully recommend that, at as
early day YOU can. you cause TO be erected
suitable building FOR this purpose. II can be
built on Il cheap scale. so arranging il that each
police district shall have their own apartment or
room IN which To put persons for violations OF
city ordinances for the night. Ii often occurs
that respectable, good men come 10 our city, and
under some excitement. political or otherwise,
get drunk and are cast into the county jail.
amones; ielons and very often IN defiance OF the
Sheriff and his orders. the desperate men in the
Jail lave beaten and abused and stolen the cloth
ing in part of such men; and in many instances
boys have to be put in with old and hardened
villains. This ought not TO be So. Ii YOU erect
the house as indicated, could fine in such cases
ST. and then the defendant would save ~ cents
in the amount OF iiue and costs. now disposed
OF II. in the course OF the ,ear, shall have
500 paving causes, | could paw TO the city
$500 more thnL il would amount to at fine of
81 each and there would I've saved TO the same
number OF defendants $500 on Jail fees.
CONDITION AND PROSPECTS or OUR CITY.
have shown YOU that the city is out of debt
and We have our hospital grounds and hospital
buildings, our common school lots and the city S
interest in the ediices erected thereon, many of
them large aud commoiiOus houses. our three
steam fac. engines and appurtenance> our lots,