Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09

q
felony and sentenced by the supreme court of
the District TO Imprisonment ut hard labor are
Sc Mt TO an Institution il the State of New York
CONSIDERABLE expense is incurred IN transport
ing and suosistng them. Persons conyic ted OF
crime against the United States NAV De- i'm
prsoned in State prison or house of eorrec.
ton OF an adjoining State or district, If within
the jurisdiction of the court pronouuciuE the
sentence. there be no suitable place of contine-
ment. ConvIcts from some of the southern
States were formerly confined, during the term
OF their Sc ntence, in the penitentiary here, bet
are now conveyed TO more distant points at in
creased expense. penitentisry, properly
constructed and luaiciously msnased, could be
rendered self-sustaIning by the labor of the con-
Nlcts The government Is the proprietor of
lands IN his vicinity which afford excelIert
sites for such building The neiyhhoring
qnarries furnish stone of a superior Quality.
Considerations of economy suggest 10 Congress
the expediency of adopting at their snnroach
ing session, measures for the erection of a Dis
tTIct penitenuary.
No addinon has been made TO the Metropoii-
tan Police force. Its members have been active
and yigildnt in the maintenance of good or aer
and the protection of the rights of person and
property, WITHIN the District. The Iabors of
the sanitary company, although in sufficient for
the purpose, were chiefly directed to the abate-
ment OF nuisances and the enforcement of the
police regulations for promoting the clesnli-
ness OF the city. More efficient measures
shoulo be devised TO secure objects so essential
10 the health and comfort of The population
In previous reports be invited attention TO
'iAt OF creating court for the sum-
mary trial OF onences of a minor grade lus-
tce OF the peace OF this District, in the exercise
OF criminal jurisdiction, chiefly acts rs an sy
aiming magistrate. Most Of such offences are
C'gnlZa In the supreme court, where the aa-
cused is rarely pnt upon his trial until the
LEI m after an indictment against him has been
FOUND, II unable TO give bail he remains in
custody. when pTiBad fdCie case against him
has been made out at the preliminary exani-
nation, the witns sses ara recognized 10 annaar
. ne1o1e tne grand jury, aud subsequently before
t tne court after Indictment found. TSeir fees
for such attendance are taxed against the
tnited States. Many of them are transient
persons without a fixed residence IL Often
oc, urs mat when the cause is called for trial.
IL is discontinued by reason of their absence
beyond the reach OF process The accused
mus escapes deserved punishment. During
the last nscal year the expense of the criminal
court In this District amounted TO S26 GID -
1t was betrayed exclusively by the povarn
ment. A tribunal such As he had suggested
mas been organized IN almosteve other popu.
Ious city, and with evident benefit to the pIb
he. BY its instrumentality u. ends OF crimi
nal Justice would be effectu lily and cheapIy
served, and the n ght of the accused to a speedy
trlal attained. The supreme court of the Dis
trict, relieved OF large and increasing num-
Der of prosecutions, could with greater des
patch dispose OF the civil cases on its calendar.
DuTng the year ending June 80. 1855 the
expenditures of the Government Hospttal for
me insane were S1li,t 80 L, and there Were adj
mIttsd 152 patients, being an excess of II over
the NUM- Der admitted the preceding year One
hundred and nineteen of them We're males 90
OF whom We're from the army and navy. The
whole number under treatment was 49,
Seventy-six Were discharged; OF these CD were
restored and eight improved. There re-
manned under treatment at that date s29 There
have been 1,i6i persons treated in this lustitu.
ton since IL was opened, of whom Las were
natives OF this country The board recon-.
menoed mat there be appropriated S90,5OO for
the support OF the institution during the wear
ending June 30, 1870: $1,000 for the com pletion
OF me wall enclosing the grounds, and S23.OO1
for he purchase OF las acres Of ground. The
eXceilenf management OF this Institution emf.
nentIy entities II TO the continued confidence
and patronage of Congress. The estimates are
reasonable. and the Secretary cordially COM
mehus tnem 70 the most favorable considera-
ton.
During the last fiscal year - pupils were ad.
United into the Columbia Institution for he
Deaf and Dumb, and the direc tors req uest the
following appropriations To supply a de-
hcit Tor the current fiscal year ST. 500; for sun
port OF the institution icT the year ending June
80, le7e, S3l,OU0; for buildings, S66,U00; and
for improving grounds, S4,OI0; making in all
SIlS,J00
In his last report the Secretary earnestly
com mended 10 the fostering care of Congress
the Columbia Hospital for Women aud Lying
IN Asylum. The act OF the 27th of July last
Appropriated : 5000 for the support Of the in
sl' ution dnnng the current year, and re.
CURED that all expenditures should be- made
under Inc direction OF the Surgeon General of
the army.
During the year ending the 30th Of June last
the tCtal mum Der OF women -Inder treatment
was 631i 33 OF them were paw patients, from
WHOM the sum OF Sl.$59 II wa received: $40
Were restored 10 health; ~ were relieved, and
II died. The small amount of REGENTS is
ascrIbed TO the wan: of requisite accomnoda.
items. Most OF the available space was occupied
by free patients to the exclusion of many who
desired 70 secure private apartments. The IN
creased number of inmates rendered necessary
a considerable outlay for furniture and bed
ding The funds derived during the last fiscal
year, from all sources, were insufficient 10
10 N nj a Ifrrru
thereof, the institution was $500 in debt The
directors request that a clause appropriatlnr
that sum be inserted IN the deficiency bill.
The estimates Tor rent and the support of the
institution during the next year are SlsO gO
Tie Secretary does not doubt that Congress
VIII cheeTfnlly accord that amount. He also
su bmits an estimate for the purchase OF ground
and the erection OF permanent buildings for
tie use OF the Institution. The title TO the
property when acquired, should be vested in
the United States.
One of the Secretarys predecessors. on the
eve OF his retirement from Office, urged The
propriety OF an appropriation for erecting and
furnishing suitable residences for the Vice
President 0f the United States and the heads of
the executive Departments. After aliudipg TO
the value OF money when the government went
into operation, ana the salaries or those off cnrs
were originally fixed, as compared with that
which 1t bore in December, 1-52, when his re.
port was submitted, he expressed the opinion
that 5000, at the latter date, was mot worth
much more than $500 at the former. The
saries OF life In this city, had then risen TO such
dcgree that The most rigid economy was re-
CURED TO enable those officers to live within
their incomes, and he declared that, as far as
his observation extended, few Of them had been
able to do so.
Congress did not accede TO his recommepda.
ton; they, however passed the act OF March 3,
1-53, which increased the salary Of the Vice
President from S5,OOU, prescribed by the act OF
September ~, 17S9 to $500, and gave to the
members CT the cabinet the same amount The
addition thus made was estimated to be sufi-
cient for house rent. No increase has been
voted since, notwithstanding the constant ap.
probation Of labor, rent, and every article of
The Secretary's observation and
experience enable him to affirm, with nm hasi.
taing confidence, that the income OF the Office
will not equal the outlay, II the incumbent
lives in a style at all compatible with the pro.
prienes OF his position. and the relations which
a decent regard to the Just claims OF society
coinpels HIM to maintain. "The high Offices OF
the country should be open to the poor as well
as TO the rich; but the practical effect of the
present rate Of compensation will soon be to
exclude from the executive councils all who
have not ample resources independently of
their official Salaries
Several Of the annual reports of this depart.
ment refer to the compensation Of the iudici.
airy. The salary is far from being proportion.
ate to the weighty responsibilities of the sta.
tion. 1t is even less than is paid to some SUI
coordinate officers in other branches of the pub.
lie service. 1t is q singular and disreputable
anomaly, that the chiefs Of bureaus OF the War
Department, each, received in pay and emolu.
ments, during the last fiscal year, a larger
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