Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-01-29
[Oommunicated.l
REVIEW OF THE GOVERNORS
MESSAGE,

subject of preserving the State credit, pro-
viding for the increase of the salaries OF
Judicial and certain other officers, Railroad
interests, criminal Jurisprudence, amendment
of the Constitution of United States, the CON
dition of the State Library, and office of the
Secretary of the State.
In regard to tie first, that of preserving |
the State credit, it may be said, that in con- |
nection with what he recommends under |
| other heads, grave inconsistency or i'm
practicability is manifest If by preserving |
the credit of the State, he means, as it would |
seem, to avoid increased taxation and State
Indebtedness, it is futile to recommend in
crease of ofiicer's salaries, the building up of
penitentiary, enlargement of the rooms
occupied as State Library and Secretary's
office, or the construction of new ones, &C.
The construction Of penitentiary would
require very heavy expenditure, in the first
instance, and in very small State like this,
a continual expense afterwards. The other
matters though requiring smaller expendi-
ture of the public money, would, and they
do, so far as his recommendation has been
acted on, increase the public burdens.
Of all these it may be said that however
convenient it might be to have them, yet
there is in reality little need of any of them.
There are probably not in the whole State
an average of two dozen criminals confined
in prison during any year, and not unfre-
quently the jails in each of the counties are
empty or very nearly so of such inmates
: And of very rare occurrence, if indeed such
thing has ever occurred in the State, is it,
that a convict has been known who has
suffered materially in his mental or physical
health as it is stated they have done. Nor
! is it found that penitentiaries have any ten
dency to diminish crime, but on the con-
trary, it is found generally to increase as
these institutions are multiplied. Delaware,
certainly can do very well without peni-
tentiarY, and unfortunate would it be In
deed, should the Legislature, at the present
time, attempt to build up one at the public
expense. Nor is there any need of any
, more room for State Library, unless the
State had library for the building. The
library referred to is nothing but a law
librarY-not intended for any other-which
does not fill the room appropriated to its use.
The room so used is large, neat, substan-
tial and very comfortable room in the State
building and adjoining the Court room. 1t
could hardly be more convenient or com.
Portable, and is of sufficient size to hold not
only all the law books that are now owned
s by the State, but all that will probably be
le owned by it for some years at least to come
As to the books which he says are packed
j. \ up in the garret of the State House, they
are certainly almost entirely composed o
old pamphlet acts of the Legislature anC
other book rubbish not fit to appear in any
library and of little value for any purpose
The Secretary's Office is also in the Stat
building, and although not very larg
/. room, yet it is very substantial, neat an'
comfortable one. And when it is know
that neither the Secretary nor the Governo
resides at the Capital, unless either happen
"a to be citizen of it at the time of his election
q or appointment, but that the office here i
nd used by either merely temporarily, little nee
.te can be really found to exist for an enlarge
eS room and public expenditure to furnish
* especially when the State is laboring unde
heavy debt, debt wholly created by tn
Legislature while the Gogernor sOas one Of d
members.
lad 1t is q very convenient thing for perso
Ort who is pocketing the public money, an
. willing TO receive increased remuneratio
% himself and have his particular friends an
: favorites do the same thing, to talk of pr'
aG serving the State credit, Nor is it considere
that the Legislatures act increasing the fe'
of judicial officers, would have been passe
.d- but for the fact that the present Chancello
~ ~ who of course is Judicial officer is broths
for in-law of the Governor Increasing Il
ALI salary of the other Judicial officers of courl
nd opened a way for increasing the brother.i
rn laws salary; and it is not worth while #
in the other Judicial officers to entertain
will they do) any other idea than that to th
hal ,. circumstance alone they owe their increas'
compensation. Should they have any SUI
lsa. pvs thought, let it be remembered how long d
Sut said Legislature allowed their salaries
remain without increase, and how soon tn
'n'' were raised after the aforesaid member
for the Legislature, by virtue of his accident
day. exercise of the appointing power, made
W brother-in-law, aforesaid, Chancellor, al
they will certainly duly appreciate the Ii
OIL. tive that influenced and secured the Exec
tive influence and patronage in procuri
their increased compensation.
G The remaining topics of this messal
vn with few, if any, exceptions, are irreleval
at best, while their object seems clearly
and be to make political capital, or to stir up
Dill. partizan feeling and antipathy of the dol
Dill. nant party. EPSILON
Dill
OIL. [NoTE.-Having published the first p
OIL. of the review Of the Governors Message,
JILL former communication by our corresp
dent, we deem it but just to give the c.
cluding remarks of the writer on the SO
eooas subject. We take this occasion, howeV
past, to say, that we dissent entirely fl
some of the views expressed by him
We think the State Library room should
,ra more commodiousy fitted up. We th
l. the office of the Secretary of State sho
be large enough to accommodate not o
- that officer, but also the Governor, and th
. than thsn who may have official intercourse with
during the sittings of the Legislature.
reference to the salaries of the sew
IA. Judges of the State, we do not think
IN are anything like what they should b
it, and amount, If we hope to retain ability, dig
and intelligence on the Bench.-ED.]
m