Litchfield enquirer., 1863-05-14
fit. to .evsasy-sight persons from seventeen

JHFIELD. CONN. THUE e6ts to sevensy-eight persons from seventeen towns.s
 There are fifteen benefciaries at the Con. necticut School for Imbeciles, for whose sup port the State pays one half of the expense Such has been the success of this Institu- tion, and such are its prospects of increased usefulness that the Directors are adopting measures to provide accommodations for q larger number of inmates. l
 The benefits conferred and sufferings reliev- ed by State appropriations are by no means confined to the benefciaries, but extend to their many friends in every section of the State. asa s.a
 All our humane institutions are well worthy of your fayorabse consideration, and trust Jeu will not hesitate to make every necessary spreyision fot the relief of those needing their peculiar benefits ,
 I would also suggest that each of these ap- propriations be continued from year to year, and any part thereof iunsxpendsd in one year may be used the next, or some succeeding year. .4 4 h Ee3 25s zRA1LRoADs. ss
 The Railroads of the State appear to have been kept in good repair, and conducted with a view to, the public saf.ty and convenisnee. There has been no essential change in their property or financial condition during the past year, and no completed addition to the length of read. Two millions nine hundred and six ty-eight thousand and seventysix passengers. and an unusual quantity of freight have been conveyed over the roads with no serious acci- dents. The trains have been run with unusual regularity, and the business results show an increase in net earnings of seventy-eight thou sand three hundred and ninety-six dollars.
 The Rockville Branch Railroad is in pro- gress of construction, and the Midland Rail- road is being extended through the town of Thompson to Southbridge, Massachusetts. s,
 BANKS. ts,7
 There are seventy-fve Banks of Discount with an aggregate Capital of twenty-one mill ion eight hundred and forty-nine thousand one hundred and forty eight dollars. Their Deposits amount to nine million five hundred and seyenty-three thousand and seventy four dollars and eigEty-two cents. Their circula- tion is twelve million eight hundred and fifty thousand three hundred and ffty-eight dollars. and the aggregate amount of specie is enc million four hundred and sixty-six thousand and eight hundred and ffty-seven dollars and thirteen cents. 418 es
 The deposits have increased ffty-ssven per cent, and the circulation ffty-nins per cent. during the year.
 There are forty-nine Savings Banks, holding deposits to the amount of twenty three mill ion one hundred and thirty-six dollars and ninety-fve cents. These institutions were de- signed and established to be the Repositories of the earnings of labor. The increase of the deposits during the year, having been over three millions of dollars, furnishing one of the strongest evidences ot the thrift of the labor ing classes. The Commissioners report three Building Associations closed during the past year, the circulation of the Discount Banks within the legal limits and the Banking inter- ests of the State in healthy condition.
 By recent enactment ot Congress q new system of Banking has been authorized, de- signed and well adapted to sustain the govern ment and to provide . more uniform curren- cy. s
 Our statutes should be 80 modified as to save the institutions organized under the laws referred to, from the restrictions and penalties imposed upon State banks. iss.l@ ss4
 MILITIA.
 The General Assembly, at two regular and two special sessions, has made efforts, to es- tablish. under law, . military system which would secure an active force ready to respond to sudden call for service, and reserve force which could be used within reasonable time.
 That object has not yet been accomplished, for the abstract of the returns for 1862, the strength of the active militia appears to be but one thousand and ninety-nine, including the only two companies organized under the provisions of the act pessed at the last special session of the Assembly. From this should be deducted those who have enlisted into the service of the United States, thereby reducing the number of the present militia force to leas than six hundred. xTs
 There appear to be two or three reasons for this failure.
 Public opinion has not been properly arous- ed to the importance of such an organization
 Able-bodied and influential citizens have not felt it their duty to ke personally engaged in and become part oI the active militia of fhe State neal s&4zfa tssa sss7s srsy x Undue reliance has been gplacel upon pc cuniary rewards offered for the performance of the duty required, and those who owe military service have been permitted to elect whether OF not they would perform the duty.
 a. No civil government has yet been establish ed in which every subject has voluntarily tul- filled all his obligations or performed his whole duty. Such condition would be the perfec- ton of organized society but when one comes short of his obligations an undue burden must rest upon, and be borne by another, and the government fails of giving equal protection to every citizen. -s s sa .sa
 The first question to be determined, is the measure of obligation due from the citizen, or the amount of service which all combined in Stata may justly claim of an individual. De- termine this and the State must make de- mand accompanied by penalties sufficient to secure the service. ts AEEsast
 Some of the provisions of the act relating to the militia, and the -act in addition to the same, are superseded by or inconsistent with an act recently passed by Congress for enrolling and calling ont the national forces. They should be modified to conform to the laws of the United States, with which the State laws should not conflict. 6 ssr
 The act of Congress provides for the enrell- meut of citizens in two classes, but makes no provision for inspection, except there shall be . draft. 8h
 The first class comprises all persons subject to do military duty between the ages of twenty and thirty-6ye years, and all unmarried persons subject to military duty above thirty-fve and under forty-6ve; the second comprises all other military subjects, 5Sa