Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-01-16

ices rendered. should be appropriated,
beyond which no other consideration
should be allowed The adoption of
this principle would remove the tenn.
latiCn for young men in the depart
mcnls to resort to improper practices.
All the public property, of every dis.
|scription, as well as the buildings and
grounds, should be placed in charge
Of the superintendent appointed for
that purpose, chosen for his known
integrity aud general capability, and
required 10 give sufficient bonds for
the faithful performance Of his duties.
All property and material not needed
for public use, the superintendent
should be required to sell at public
sale, and pay over the proceeds to the
State Tseasury'
pARDoNs
next receive his attention. lie says
"a report is herewith submitted of
the pardons, remissions Of fines, for
feited recognizances and death war
rants, issued by me during the past
year, with tabular statement of those
issued from 1871 TO the present time.
This report is made IN accordance
with sense OF duty to tho Legislature
and the public who have u right to be
informed in what manner and to what
extent the Executive clemency has
been employed toward convicted Grim
inals. 1t is also due to the Executive
himself that his action il this regard
should be understood. On no subject
has there been greater misreprcsenta-
tion than on that which relates to the
exercise Of the pardoning power. Ac-
cusations have repeatedly been pub
lished Of It's abuse, and cases have
been cited in proof thereof, which were
never even presented to my notice
Criminals were liberated from prison
after sentence, and clapors raised in
relation TO their pardon in cases in
WHICH no appeal for clemency had
ever been made. Upon investigation,
it has been ascertained that custom
prevails in the court Of quartersessions
Of Philadelphia, to reconsider, remit
and change sentences, weeks and
months after their delivery, and in
this much Of the misrepresentation
has originated. During the last year,
MS many convicts were thus liberated
from the Moyamensing Jail as were
pardoned by me from all the prisons
in the Commonwealth. Besides which
n number more have had their terms
of sentence reduced How, or when,
or under what authority, this custom
originated, il is impossible to learn
but that it is liable to abuse, and is
without the sanction Of law, seems
evident. The sentence of a convict is
Il matter of grave Importance, and
should receive most serious considera-
tion before il is determined upon and
delivered for when it has become
matter Of record, the criminal passes
beyond the jurisdiction of tho court,
and there is no legal or constitutional
remedy, even for errors that may be
committed, except through appeal to
the Executive. II a Judge can remit
or shorten a sentence, he can increase
IL, and that is power dangerous to
allow any one to WELD. And further,
If it be lawful for the Judge Of one
court TO remit sentences at pleasure,
it follows that judges of all other
courts should be invested with the
same prerogativcj aud il requires no
argument to show TO what u danger
Gus extent it might be used. Happi-
~, the custom appears to be confined
to the court named, ms Judges in other
counties disclaim any such authority.
Former Legislatures have. had their
attention called TO the fact that per-
sons are now confined in our county
prisons under sentence Of death, some
Of them for many years, whose death
warrants were never issued, and to-
wards whom the several Governors.
during whose term they were sen
fenced, could not discover sufficient
cause for the exercise of the pardoning
power. The custom has been for each
Governor to decline issuing a death
warrant which had been withheld hv
his predecessor. Hence, these con.
victs, sentenced 70 death. for whose
execution the previous Governors did
not issue warrants, and whom, it il /
presumed, they believed deserved
milder punishment, must either be
pardonod or remain prisoners for life. I
To remedy this the Governor should
be vested with authority to commute
the death penalty in the cases only to
which allusion has been made, to such I
a term of Imprisonment as his iude |
mont would approve, and to remove /
the convicts from county jails to the /
penitentiaries
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
very properly receive attention, and
we hope the Legislature will give the
subject proper reconsideration. lie says:
"Thc Pennsylvania Institute for the
Deaf and Dumb, the Institution for
The Instruction Of the Blind. the Train.
ng School for Feeble minded Children
The Northern Home for Friendless
Che Houses Of Refuge. sew.
,ral Soldiers Homes, and other simi.
ar charities, which have received aid
rom the State. are, according TO the
reports of the principals and superin-
.endents, all, in their different spheres,
accomplishing much good for The IN.
ortunate classes for whose benefit
hey were established.
Detailed accounts Of the affairs of
he Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hos.
,ital, at Harrisburg, and OF the West.
'rn Pennsylvania Hospital at Pitts.
anrn. viii hn lnnnA \. ~