Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-01-22

to avail themselves of the facilities furnished
and only ask that the State shall supply them
I respectfully urge upon you such action as
shall tend, ultimately, to place the State Uni.
versity of Iowa among the foremost of similar
institutions in the land f@'
a' sn STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
II call your attention to the report Of the
Ourators of the State Historical Society.
Passing events render the work Of this
Society vastly more important than ever be.
fore. We are now making history with
wonderful rapidity, but are making it IN a
Ifragmentary manner Future ages demand
/ of US that we collect and preserve these frag-
ments as material from which full and
reliable record Of the great events of our day
may be preserved. Ibis, with the ordinary
work of the Society in collecting the early
history of our State, is more than it can well
perform with the means at its disposal.
No man can be found to devote to it the
necessary time without compensation. l
recommend an appropriation Of five hundred
dollars, as compensation for t. Is purpose, in
addition to the five hundred dollars heretofore
| appropriated for other purposes. p
| CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. s-
|
Asylum and of the Asylum for the Insane,
are herewith submitted. recommend the
appointment of special committee to visit
each of these institutions for the purpose OF
examining into their condition aud wants, and
that all may be done that the condition Of our
finances will allow, to make these institutions
effective for accomplishing the noble objects
for which they were founded. .e--..
l call your special attention to the final
Report of the Commissioner for superintend-
ing the erection of the Blind Asylum.
The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is still
at Iowa City, in q building rented for that
purpose. The annual rent is 1875. Wheth-
er it is advisable, at this time, to erect new
building, the interest on the cost of which
will far exceed the rent now paid, or whether
it is best to continue to occupy the rented
buildings for longer time. are questions
properly committed to your Judgment and
discretion. The report of the Trustees,
showing the expenditures for the last two
years, and the es imates for the ensuing two
years, are herewith subm tied.
| THE PESlrtNrIARY.
| I was notified by the Warden, in June,
1862, that the old shops in the prison yard
had been destroyed by fire. The contract
between the State and the contractors for the
prison labor, required the State to furnish
shop room to work the criminals. The con-
tractors had, in suit tried and determined
before this fire, made the want of sufficient
shop room the basis of claim for heavy
damages against the State, which had been
allowed them, and | had good reason to be
lieve the want Of shop room, caused by the
fire, woul1 be made the basis Of another sim
liar claim. Under these circumstances, re-
quested the Attorney General to meet me at
the prison, and, after consu ltation with him,
the Warden any myself entered into a con-
tract with Mes srs. Winterbotham & Jones,
contractors for the prison labor, for the erec-
ton of new shops, at a cost Of IS, 504. 81,
which was paid as follows: Material from
old shops, 5000 ; cash appropriated at the
last preceding session for a new blacksmith
shop, 81 .5O0 proceeds of judgment in favor
of State against contractors, $945.59 the
balance of $4,s59.OS to apply on the amount
due, or to become due to the State, from the
contractors, for prison labor.
It's matter of doubt whether had the
authority to make this contract, but as the
necessity appeared to be imperative, and as
the contract could be made without drawing
from the Treasury any money not appropria-
ted by law, deemed it my duty, having due
regard to the interests of the State, to make
the contract, and did so.
The new shops were completed iu accord.
ance with the terms of the contract, and have
been ever since in use. The old shops were
lily arranged, inconvenient and unsightly
and, situated as they were, near the center
Of the prison yard, inter cred materially with
the preservation Of proper order and disci
pline among the convicts. The new shops
are large, substantial and we'll arranged, and
much more favorably located than the old
ones.
A new contrsct has not as yet been made
under the law passed at the extra session o.
. 1862, for re-letting the convict labor. have
very serious doubts whether 1t is advisable
at this time, to re-let the labor. A large
amount of work must necessarily soon bt
done in and about the prison. AS our popu.
f lation increases the number Of convicts will
increase, and of course there will necessarily
be an increase of cell room. This can nov
be had most economically and advantageous
ly, by building Warden's house on the
foundation already laid for that purpose, anG
using the part of the main building now oc
cupied by the arden, for cell room and by
raising the roof and walls of the main build
ing so as to receive two additional tiers o
cells. The wall on one side of the yard ha.
not yet been built, and underst md some
additional grading is needed before it can be
auired for these improvements as we'll as hir
ed laborers, and at much less cost to tn
State. Should this policy be adopted, it may
L. ko nlL
guards, but the additional expense will b.
much less than the difference between tn
cost of convict and other labor
, have not been able to give as much TIM
as desired to supervising the affairs of tn
: prison for the last two years but I am o
the opinion everything has been done by tn
Warder and his subordinates. carefully, eco
nomically and well. The Warden's Repor
contains full account of the receipts an,
expenditures, and statement of what is. il
|. his judgment, necessary to be done within tn
: next two years. invite your attention t.
= this report, and recommend the appointment
Of special committee to visit the prison,
> examine the condition of the prison buildings
for the purpose of determining the policy t,
be pursued in re-letting the prison labor.
/. loRGANIZING AND ARMING VOLUNTEERING con
al PANIES. .f ...- ....-
: became satisfied during the early part {
! last summer that designing men in this, as
n other loyal States, were making preparation
e for ar armed resistance to the authority of th
It General Government. The law of Congress
e providing for draft to fill the ranks of II
Union army, contained a provision that wa
y eagerly seized upon to array the poorer of OF
i people against the Government upon the spe
. ious pretence that the object of the law WI
A to discriminate between the rich and the poo
], to the injury of the poor.
r, The action of the Government in freein
If and using the slaves in the rebel States fl
the suppression of the rebellion, was repr
l. sented as a scheme, by the Government,