Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-01-17

ganiZatiOn of the army, rendered his ser
vices most valuable. Our relations have
been most agreeable, and ii affords me
pleasure to- make this public acknowledge
ment.
MILITARY AGENCIES.
The military agencies in this city and i'm
Washington. for the prosecution and col
lection, free of charge, of bOunties, back
pay and pensions. due to soldiers and sol
lier's widows and orphans, have been kept
in operation, and have transacted large
amount of business, and rendered great ser
vice to those who are poorly able to pay for
il. The report of William Hannaman, esq.
gives full statement of the transactions of
these two agencies. and contains matter
and suggestions of much interest and i'm
portance In my opinion these agencies
ought to be maintained. and their sphere
of usefulness enlarged by appropriate legis
lation.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
The general management of the lnstitu-
tions for the Bliad and Deaf and Dumb
and The ASYLUM fOi the Insane. has been
satisfactory. and believe that the Board
of Trustees and the several superintendents
have !, b )rcd to conduct them upon sound
and economical principles. At the last ses
sion of the General Assembly AN act was
passed authorizing the enlargement of the
Insane Asylum for the reception and care
OF the ''incurable insane" The construc-
lion Oft building has been commenced.
but further appropriations will be required
fer their completion. The necessity for
this enlargement and addition cannot be
deuicd. Many cases of the ''incurable in
sane" have come to my knowledge, where
the patients are without friends, or their
friends are unable to take care Of them,
and which are of "A character to- make il
difficult to provide for them in The County
Poor Houses. and render ii important that
the new building should be completed will
out delay
The general efficiency and success of the
benevolent institutions of Indiana are cred
liable To the intelligence and humanity OF
her people.
FENITENTIAPIES.
The reports from the Board Of Trustees
ana the Wardens OF the Northern and
Southern Prisons. and other information
have received, show that the Prisons have
been well and economically conducted \
fire occurred in the Machine Shops of The
Southern Prison last summer, by which
her of convicts thrown out of employment
AS they could not again be returned 10 la
bor until the damages had been repaired,
for which there was no appropriation. !
tool, the responsibility Of urging the State
Treasurer Hon. John | Morrison. to pay
from the Treasury the necessary amount 10
make the repairs, which he did. and now
respectfully ask this General Assembly to
approve his conduct 1t WAS done to pre-
vent considerable loss TO the Stale in the
way OF convict labor
The Report of the Board of Trustees OF
the Northern Prison. states that the sum of
sixty three thousand eight hundred and
ninety-two dollars and seventy six cents
will be necessary TO complete the construc-
tion of that Prison. and for deficiency on
account of work and materials already fur
nishe,l, eigh'y-sevcn thousand nine hundred
and twenty-nine dollars and fortv-three
cents. for which amounts an appropriation
is asked, and to which your attention is
specially directed.
TovsE OF REFUGE.
The seconl sc .tion of the ninth article I
the Constitution reads ss follows.
The General Assembly shall provide
Houses of Refuge. tor the reformation and
direction OF Juvenile offenders"
This constitutional provision. adopted in
1851. and which is plainly mandatory IN ils
character. up t0 this time remains wholly
unexecuied The necessity for such insti-
tutiCnS il admitted bY all who are mt all ia
miliar with the execution OF the law. and
believe that strong public sentiment d.
mands that the legislative consideration oi
the subject shall not be longer postponed.
We have no punishment now for the iuve
nile offender, bui the common Jail and the
cpenitenliary, neither OF which exert a re-
form li0ry influence upon the Youthful
mia |: and during m. six years experience
as the Executive OF the State. have often
been constrained to plrClon the youthful
criminal, because felt that To incarc crate
him in the pcnitentiary. would be to con
sign him to lite of degradation and crime
Humanity. Justice, and the plainest princi
pies OF public policy. demand that the iu-
venile oiienler shall not he treated like the
mature and hirdened criminal, and placed
in the society of felOns. but that an effort
shall be made while he is vet i'm tender
yeaIs, To reclaim him from vice. and train
him TO a life OF usefulness and respectable
ity.
The ''Housc of Refuge" "a it has long
existed in many of the older.States. is vast
improvement upon the Jail and the peniten-
tiary, but within the last few wears. great
progress has been made in elcvaiing the
system. and results have been obtained in
the reform ard education Of Juvenile of
Tenders thai are truly wonderful.
The Introduction of the Reform School
Is, in many respects great improvement
upon the old House of Refuge, and has been
attended with a success which it would be
hard to believe. were il not attested by in
dubitable evidence.
Barnabas c. Hobbs and Charles F. Cof-
fin, distinguished members of the Society
of Friends. have bestowed much attention
and labor upon the subject, and have adj
dressed 70 me valuable communications.
which herewith lay before you, together
with reports and documents setting forth
the character and operations of the Reform
Schools of New York, Ohio, and Illinois
As the subject is one of no ordinary mag
nitude. and requires for its ful understand
ing much thought and investigation. and as
the system you may adopt win not be in
tended for year only. but for all time. and
should be wisely considered, I recommend
that committees be appointed at an early
day, with full powers TO investigate the
subject, and report plan, if possible, for
your consideration and action at the pres
ent session.
SUPREME COURT.
deem it my duty to direct your atten-
tiOn to the fact that no provision has been
made for the accommodation of the Su-
preme Court The State House does not
afford sufficient room at any time, and dur
ing the sessions of the Legislature. none of
the judges can occupy rooms there for
chambers. The large and increasing busi-
ness of the Court cannot be promptly dis
posed of unless the Judges have comforts
ble chambers, with convenient access to the
law library and the judicial records.
The importsce and dignity of the Court,
.he necessity for the prompt dispatch of its
business. and a proper regard for the COM
fort and convenience of the judges, require
that the court room, clerks office, law IL
brary, and the chambers, should be situated