Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-01-12
Cow EOR,s MESSAGE.

4S3 My preSc tlbe N4ninuHlcalOn 10 you Will DC
confined mainly to the condition of the
State. The Machinery Of the State Govern.
tment has worke&so smoothly under existing
Legislation, that have few recommendations
| TO- make as to nlpdifications or amendments
This is gratify to myself and, have nc
doubt will be vAy acceptable to you. III
| II fTNANcIAL.
/ The FINANCES the State are in sound con.
1dition. For hekietails, | respectfully refer
you to the repoi pf the Auditor and Treas.
urer, of State, Al}Rith presented.
The sotalreeeiptSl tss Treasury,
inciiding bal, NOV, u, 1868 Wore S., $40 see 81
Total disbursements. .........x. 6,670, ,0O6 Ii
| Bal to- credit ofall funds. ,000, 800 81
| The amount of Allotment Fund paid into
the Treasury by pay-agents, during the year,
was $2,25l ,4S0,46 Nearly half million has
been added since the 18th of Nov; and add.
tional amounts are on the way which will
swell the amount to about three millions.
One item which has swclled this amount is
the large payments to substitutes and local
bounties to- recruits, which were not paid to
the men until mustered in here, and forward
ed to their regiment. The amount collected
/ at the barracks in this CITY, on this account,
has nearly equaled the whole amount of col
lections last year. .5. ....
4a... OHIO PENITENTIARY ar.
The report of the Directors and Warden OF
this Institution will be found appended The
Prison has been generally well managed and
presents more favorable financial results than
had anticipated; the expenditures being
| ISl7,6S4 2l in excess of the receipts The
Warden gives the causes that have produced
this result, in the diminuton of the quantity
and quality of labor, without corresponding
reduction of expenses; the existence of con-
tracts at low figures, and the large advance
in the price of supplies. While it is desira-
bic that receipts should at least equal expen-
ditures, the financial is not the most useful
characteristic of the institution The refor-
nation of the criminal is as important an ell
ement to the State as his punishment; and
severity of discipline or of labor are not es-
sential to either of the subjects. 1t is mis-
take that kind and humane treatment robs
the prison Of any of its terrors to evil doers.
Whatever softens the severity of punishment,
appeals to the Judgment and invokes the graf
itude of those who are not wholly dcpravcd.
Whatever avoids cruelty and degradation, has
tendency to revive hope, and kindle ambi-
ton, among the ewing and unfortunate
These lead to repentance, and, in many in
stances, to restoration TO usefulness again.
The records of the Prison continue to show
a decrease in the violations of its rules, and
a consequent Improvement in the conduct of
-, Vb;, ,, l,n txt
risiaussfor redaetinn of ttuic OF service for
good behavior and in part to the fact that
this is made one of the conditions of pardon;
yet am satisfied that it can be even more
promoted by a system of liberal and rcforma-
tory treatment that is rather in aid of. than in.
consistent with iirmness and good government.
In view Of this, | am declined to believe that
that still more favorable results would be at
taincd, il these prisoners could have access
during two Or three hours Of the twcnty-iouI'
to books papers and periodicals, in apart
ments with sufficient light and ventilation to
enable them to read with comfort, instead o.
spending it in cells, where, though they have
light and permission of books, they can not
experience the comfort or derive the advan-
tages they would under other circumstances
expense, | would not regard that as IL good
objection. 1t may be that in the present CON
struction of the Prison, it is impracticablc to
Introduce such an improvement. If so, it is
worthy of consideration whether that difficult
ty should not at an early day, be obviatcd.--
| commend it to Your consideration. The
more reflection that is given to it, the stronger
will become the conviction that there is great
good to be accomplished by it; not only insthe
reformation of men, but in the disciplincand
government of the institution
The Warden desires me to inforce his sug-
gession in relation to the act providing for
the receipt of United States prisoners 1t is
construed as embracing only those convicted
by the civil courts, while class of prisoners
is now being presented under sentence from
military tribunals. The distinction strikes me
as being merely technical; but to avoid any
doubt or msconstruction on the part of the
officers, it would be well to amend the law so
as to meet the objection.
PARDONs
lpresent the statement required by law,
showing the number of pardons granted dur
ing the fiscal year. They number forty -four
of which twenty-six were granted by my pre-
deccssor between the 18th Nov and lst of
January, and eighteen by myself during the
reminder of the year. During that time |
have examined fifty cases, of which seven
teen have been refused and fifteen continued
for further evidence and examination. About
forty cases on hand, not completed, under the
provisions Of the Statute.
In the performance of this branch of my
public duties, l am unpleasantly impressed
with the conviction, that the existence of the
pardoning power in the Executive, too fire.
quently enters into the consideration of courts
and juries in the conviction and sentence Of
offenders. Whether this is really the case,
or the frequent recommendations of courts
and jurors are yielded to pressing importuni-
ties and local influences, | am not able to de-
termne In many cases these papers are got
up Immediately upon the conviction; and
they naturally create the impression in the
mind of the Governor that the parties are
not satisfied with their own judgment in the
case; if indeed they have not compromised
with their own conscences, by awarding a
punishment to be Immediately followed BY an
for pardon. There are cases
where the conviction is merely technical and
Others in which there are mitig ating circum-
stances that render the minimum sentence of
the law too great for the offense These facts
NAV we'll he nresented. and in iuStica tb;o