Litchfield enquirer., 1868-05-14
WHOLE NO. .s2203

ly enhanced in value, owing to it's location in the heart of the city, that it can no lon- ger be proitably used for ofarming purpos
 ses; and this consideration will no doubt suggest a change in the location of the in- stitution within1a very few years. It is
 further a question, whether school of this
 kind should be permanently located in the midst of a large and growing population
 where the disipline must necessarily be much more severe and rigid, and the man.
 agement less economical, than in @ moro
 quiet and secluded locality. .
 .s iar STATE PRISON. sae :,
 The discipline and management of the
 State Prison continue to be, in high de-
 gree, efficient and satisfactory. The num-
 her of convicts in confinement on the 21st
 of March 1868, was one hundred and nine ty one or sixteen less than at the corres-
 bonding date of the previous year. The
 total income. or gross amount of earnings
 by the convicts, during the year, was $25,-
 l66 3o. and the total expenditures $23, 460- 06, making net gain to the institution of $1, 7O6.33. The report of the Warden fur
 nlshes clear and concise statement of the
 financial condition of the Prison, and show balance of cash on hand of $5, 466, ,31,
 which might be advantageously expended by the Directors and Warden, under the proper authority of the Legislature, in such needed repairs as the buildings and ground reqnire. Among these improvements, I would respectfully recommend that the gaslights be replaced in front of the priso- ners, cells,a they were before the war, and kept burning to suitably late hour in the evening, so that the inmates may have, es- Iolix I111aS ~1@- opportunity for mental and moral inn provement, in the reading of the Bible, and other books from the Prison Library. The object should be to make prison re- formatory as we'll as a penal institution, and l can conceive of no greater relief to the terrible monotony of prison life than such . reading as the Scriptures, and other suita- ble books, would afford. It is both right and proper that the money earned by the prisoners should be expended in such re- pairs as are needed for their comfort, and the improvement of the buildings and grounds they occupy. Iwould also recon 4 mend that there be: some suitable recogni- tion or acknowledgement by the General Assembly of the munifcent gift made for the benefit of the prisoners, by MT. H. 0. Dorcey, of Rhode-Island, and of the hu- mane and generous motive that prompted it. s1 ,f4 ,'
 . ---- VITAL STATISTICS, ..., ,...-r ,s-
 The report of the state librarian is very full and complete in it's details and will be found to contain much valuable informa- tion. The number of births in the State is greater than was ever before reported in any single year-and the natural increase of our population, or the excess of births i over deaths, compares favorably with any previous period. The ratio of male to fe- male births is slightly above the average heretofore shown by the returns. The number of marriages was with the excep- tion of 1866, the highest ever reported; and something over sixty six per cont. of the whole number were between parties both of whom were born in the United States. The last year was one of very general good health, the number of deaths being lower than in any year for several previous years: About ono third of the whole number died under the age of one year. The percent age of deaths from disease of an epidemic character was lower than it has been in any year for the last IA years.
 The report of the board of education shows the condition and management of the public schools to be greatly improved throughout the State. It appears that since the organization of the board in 1865 intrest in education has increas- ed to such an extent that the amount con tributed from all sources for the support of the common schools has more than doubled Ill that time, or advanced from. $453, ,663.28 to $993, ,89O.32. During the past year, 1t has increased more than a quarter of Q million of dollars, and this mainly from taxes laid by the people upon themselves. The board are unanimously of the opinion that the rate-bil system should be abolished, and the schools sus- talned at the common expense. It is cer- tainly desirable that all the schools should be undera uniform system, and the fact that the free-school plan has been very generally adopted throughout the State, while the rate bill system is becoming rath-, CT tho exception than the rule, renders the change an easy and practical one at the present time. The very idea connected with common school. is that it should be free; or supported at the common expense
 while the rate bill is essentiallya 8 tuitional charge. The report will be before you, and I commend the several recommenda-
 tions therein urged, to your favorable con- sideration. rs t~T
 MILITIA. .G
 The whole number of men organized in- to companies, and duly armed and equip ped under the present militia law of the
 State, as appears from the muster rolls of March 2d, 1868, is three thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, with an aggre- gate of officers in division of one hundred
 and eighty-four. The.act passed by the
 General assembly at their last session, Him.
 iting the number of companies to forty, and providing for the disbandment of in efficient companies, has resulted in no change of the organized force during the year. The several companies have retained their organization, and, in their drills and
 reviews, displayed high degree of soldier ly proficiency. The regimental encamp-
 ments have afforded gratifying evidence of Improvement, especially in company and battalion movements, which were per
 formed with precision and aptitude cred itable alike to both men and officers a1. Tho report of the Adjutant General will
 show more fully the number, location and
 strength of the several regiments and com panies, and be found to contain much val
 uable information. It will be seen that
 the amount of labor performed in the Ad- jutant Generals office during the year, has been by no means inconsiderable. The