Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-01-16

= is unnecessarily large. I respectfully sug
q gest whether such measures cannot properly
1 be adopted as, without imparing their usefuI
ness or efficiency, will materially reduce theil
expenses.
At no former period has there been so grea
: degree of success in the Reform School as
!, during the past year. Its accommodation
7 have been enlarged so that one hundred ant
: fifty inmates can be comfortable sustained
though the average number has been one
> hundred and seventy eight. The numbe
{ who left the Institution during the year, i.
seventy-seven. Could all the application,
have been met, the number at this time would
be three hundred. Not a case Of sickness
has occurred requiring the attendance of q
physician. But two inmates have escaped -
The financial condition of the School is very
gratifying.
; The amount of appropriation in the
commencement of the year. wasSl2-5l7 90
Appropriation for 1861. 6l............. 1884 90
Total expenditures for the past year$3l $50 90
Unpaid notes in hands of the Acting
superintendent nt...-...... ,409 S9
} undrawn appropriations. ........... $50 ii
Experience has demonstr ated the great
value of this Reform School. The almost
fatal effect OF incarcerating boys under six
teen years of age with older and hardened Of
tenders in the Penitentiary 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 is ex-
cellent, and the entire School and farm are
conducted in such a manner as to commend
the Institution to the favorable regard of the
people.
| THE PENITENTIARr.
l.a 90 Al. IL
the number of convcts in the Pententiary has
diminished. The total number on the first day
of November last was nine hundred and twenty
four, while on the first day of November, 1850,
| the number was nine hundred and thirty
The average number during the year, was nine
hundred and sixty five.
The enlargements of the Prison, and the erec
tion of new cells have extended its capacity so
that it will contain ten hundred and fifty cOnvcs.
II will be for you to determine whether it is ex-
pedient to provide Immediately either for its fur
ther enlargement, or for the erection of a new
Penitentiary.
| 7 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 for the past year, were
S92, S23 IL. The total labor of the convicts for
the State, in the erection of new structures. Sl2,
O56 30. The total expenses have been $780,
I25 %. The earnings thus appear, in excess of
expenss, S4 ,966 SO.
The whole number of pardons granted during
the last year was eighty nine, of these twenty
four were issued upon the certificate of the phys-
clan of the Penitentiary, accompanied by the re-
csmmendation of the Warden and Directors, in
cases where they are iminent danger of the death
of the convicts so parioned, in pursuance of the
act prescribing the manner of applying for par
dons.
Connected with the subjects of pardons, there
is one feature to our criminal code to which
deem it my duty to invite your attention. l refer
to the provisions of minimum periods of confne-
ment in the Penitentary.
Numerouse applications have been madeSo me
for the exercise of the pardoning power, by the
Judges by whom cases were tried, upon the ground
that the periods of confinement were longer than
the circumstances would justify, and that the SEN
tences had bel made so because minimum periods
had been fixed 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 considerations, and the pardonng power
has accordingly been exercised. Reflection up
on the subject has brought me to the conclusion
that it would be best to take away the minimum
limit in all cases. and leave the Judge to fix the
time, below the maximum limit, as his judge |
ment, in view of all the circumstances of each |
case may determine.
THE STATE HOUSE.
commend to your consideration the Report |
of the Superintendent ofthe State House, and to |
your approval his recommendations for the COM
pletion of the building. No more faithful or in
telligent officer has been in the service of the
State, nor one whose suggestions in regard to the
particular trust reposed in him are entitled to
more respectful attention to the General Assem-
bly,.
In 1855 the State House Commissioners esti-
mated the cost of the labor and material required
to finish the building and grounds at $69l ,l60 80.
Since that time there has been expended on the
work S312, l97 81; leaving $30S ,909 SO as the
unexpe6ded balance of this es innate.
The Superintendent now estimates that only
S66, ,43l win be required to complete the building
and grounds in the manner at present contempla
ted which is 242,47S So less than the estimate
of the Commissioners is 1855.
The total cost of the State House and grounds,
to November Is, 81 ,359,l2l As.
The preparations for the building were COM
menced in 1888. The corner stone was laid July
1899. Join the Superintend, mt in respectfully
submitting whetherthe long time that has elapsed
since its commencement does not add something
to its claim for an early completion.
The State library has been established forty
four wears. In that time S;49. 1863 have been ex-
pended for its increase and preservation-not in.
GLIDING salaries-and 24.074 volumes have been
received in it, by purchase and donation, and by
means of exchanges with State and Society libra
ries. The Library was moved into the perma
nent hall, set apart for it in the State House,
which is yet unfinished, in January, 1853. Since
that time 5,043 volumes have been placed upon
its shelves, of which number 1916 were received
in exchange.
The Repor. of the Commissioners from which
I take these facts, makes several recommendations
which seem to be worthy of careful consideration.
It is stated that Documen's and Reports from the
General Government have not been regularly re-
ceived; and for the purpose of securing for State
libraries full sets of the Laws, Documents and Re
ports of the States, it is suggested that The Ge6s
eral Assembly requestour Senators and Represen-
tatives in Congress ia urge the propriety Of so
ameuiing the law governing the. Congressional
Library, the Librarian thereof shall be charged
With the duty of forwarding the Laws Reports
and public documents, printed BY authority of
Congress, to all the States which supply the Con-
gressional Library with the official publications,
| have no doubt you viii approve this suggestions
refer you TO the reports Of tie auditor,
Comptroller and Treasurer for defailed exhibit OF
the financial condition of the country, and the re-
sulting embauassments to many departments of
the industry of the people-especially to that of
the commercial classes-have not prevented their
promptly meeting the largely increased pecuniary
demands of the State-a fact which illustrates,
in not more engaging forms, their vast and varied
and the intelligence necessary for their
prompt application to profitable uses, than their
inHexibe determination to maintain the supreme
authority of the Government at whatever cost
and sacrifice.
STATE FINANCES.
The following statement exhibits, In condens-