The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-01-10

NNANA@t ~ Nttt"N " IVY N>''' 80
the General Assembly should from
tins 10 time receive more fuli infor
nation. and more complete reports
q their relative efficiency compared
with those ofnthor States aud With
each other. The Standing Commit
tees OF your body can only afford
time for curs0fy visitation, aud the
advantages resulting from this prove
,hat moro thorough inspection and
moro elaborate investigation Of all III,
principles connected With the man
ae-ment and Improvement Of such In |
stifulions would be of real service 20 !
the State. Massachusetts, (and per
haps some other States) has estab.
lished by law, a "Board Of State
Charities, formed, like the Board of
Trust Of the several asyluns, Of ciii.
Eents Of high character aud benevo.
lence who serve without CONF ensa.
tiOu for their time aud labor. The
Law. authorizing tho appointment of
the Board declares that "lhcy shall
investigate aud supervise the whole
eystem Of the Public Charitable and
Correctional Institutions of the Com
monwealth, and shall recommend
such changes aud additional provis
ions as they may deem necessary for
their efficient and economical admin
istraticn," Such board would Of
cou Sc have no power over the admiu.
isitaiiOu Of the separate Institutions
but would be the intelligent advisers
OF the Legislature 10 all the
ninu,ia Of system aud Of practical
detail, and the collectors of all the
information and experience which
would bear upon the larger interests
and general welfare and Improvement
of the public charities and prisons.
Believing that such board would
prove cf real service to your body by
its Investigations aud reports, | rec.
commend the adoption of the plan in
relation thereto, which exists in our
sister state.
rARDoNs, ETC.
The usual report of pardons grant
ed aud refused, reprieyes, and com
mutations Of sentences Of conyicts, /,
transmitted herewith.
MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.
BY the provisions Of the statute
past last winter, the care of tho arse
nal and State arms was transferred
from the Quartermnstcr General 10
the Adiutant General. The latter of.
Rcer's report shows that due diligence
has 90 u cl in tho collection aud
care of those arms which had beeu is
sued to the National Guard, aud il
the sale OF such as were ordered TO bt
disposed of.
The distribution Of the medals o
honor TO the veteran volunteers hn
been a more laboripus task than wal
anticipated, but for some months pas
about one hundred per day have beer
mailed to the claimants, the United
States having romitted tho postag,
upon them, and the Adjutaut Gener
al hopes short time will finish al
that can be done ia this manner. tn,
remainder of the medals will have I,
be keptawaitiug the individual claim
which may be made.
The record Of the Ohio soldiers en-
listed during the war has been com
pleted, aud your attention is ngai
~ a. a. s----i-A a A. Gill;
ing the example of nearly all the 9th
or States, in publishing aud maxim
available to the world tho only com
plote and authentic evidence of th,
patriotic efforts of the State il
the great national struggle.
BUREAU OF SOLDIERS CLAIMS, AMI
WASHINGTON AGENCY.
The Commissioner of Soldiers
Claims in Ohio (Mr. Taylor reports
2,SsS claims passing through his hands
drring the year past, which, together
with unsettled claims transferred
from other Offices, making total of
3,llT, He has collected S53S, ,S2S 0l
Of which S29,2O2 96 was on haud at
date Of report, ready for delivery.
The Washington agency (Mr. Wet.
more) reports the settlement of 1924
claims, and total number passing
through his hands of 5.07S, upon
which the sum of s410S73 10 has
been collected and romitted to col.
diers and their families in Ohio.
In spite of liberal advertising and
other efforts to make tho public un-
derstand that these agents Of the
State are collecting the claims of dis.
charged soldiers aud Of their families,
FREQ Of sil charge, il is found that
this fact is very imperfectly Known,
aud that the State is probably doing
by far the smaller portion Of this
work Of collection, private attorneys
and claim agents being employed TO
greater extent than tho public com
missioners. This state Of facts rails.
es the inquiry how far ii is best to
continue the competition with private
parties as matter Of public policy.
Somewhat different opinions are
entertained by the two officers who
have been In charge Of this business,
and their reports contain tho facts
aud arguments likely to assist YOU in
determining the question. Should il
be deemed wise TO continue the ngen.
cles, would recommend that one of
the county officers in each county be
required to keep on hand the neees.
sary blanks and instructions for max.
ing applications for pension, back
pay, &c, and be authorized to charge
asnall fee, Fixed by law, for filling
up such applications, and administer.
ing the necessary oaths. Iu,cllisent
assistance would thus be given tho
applicant al home in preparing his
papers aud a much larger number
would doubtless pass into the hands
Of the State officers.
hLnARY CLAIMS or THE STATE
AGAINST RiiE GENERAL GoyERNMENr