The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-11


that institution:
QUARTER MASTER GENERALS REPORT.
At the last session of the General
Assembly, Governor Morton submit
ted, as one Of the documents accom-
paying his message, the fnai report
81 Quarter Master General Stone.
The report gives an account of the
disbursement of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, besides herimport-
ant matters relative to the part taken
by this State in the suppression OF
the rebellion. The report was not
published with the other reports ac-
companying the message. whether in
tentonally or by mistake, do not
know.
Believing that the report ought to
be published, | have thought it best to
call your attention to the matter. The
report is in my possession, and will be
furnished should you see proper to
orde~ its publication.
I herewith respectfully submit the
report of the present Quartermaster
General, TO which you are referred for
information in regard to his Depart
ment.
STATE PAYMASTER.
By the twenty third section of the
General Appropriation Bill of March
IL, 1867, Major Stearns Fisher, State
Paymaster, was directed to pay over
to the State Treasurer, on the 10Th
day of June of the same year, any
balance of money in his hands be-
longing to the State, and to deposit In
- - h 4 n oil
books, papers and property Ia his pos
session belonging to the State or con-
nected with the pay department.
This direction was strictly complied
with by Major Fisher at the time des-
ignated, and copy of his report TO
the State Treasurer for final settle
ment of his accounts as Paymaster of
the Indiana Legion was communi-
Gated to me. Surprising that this re-
port should, as an item in the financial
and military history of the State, be
printed either in the Documentary
journal, or in some other form, the
same is herewith respectfully sub
mitted.
STATE PRISONS.
The reports of the Boards of Di-
rectors OF both the State Prisons
show that the finances of the Institu-
tons arc in satisfactory condition,
and that there has been great i'm
provement in this respect within the
last two years.
The subjec, of prisons and prison
discipline is of great Importance, and
is attracting universal attention
throughout the country. 1t will not
be many years before the State will
require additional prison accommoda-
tons, and IN anticipation OF that event
[ desire to call attention to the proprl-
ETY. of providing a system of graded
prisons. The man who Is convicted of
the first offeuse OF which he has been
guilty, especially If he be a young man,
ought not to be confined with and put
under the influence and tuition OF
professional criminals whose entire
lives have been hardened by crime.
There should, when increased pTls
on accommodations are required, be
esta blished an intermediate prison,
between the House of Refuge and the
present State Prisons, 20 which the
more youthful and less hardened Of
tenders should be sent, and where re-
formatory Influences would be exerted
TO Q much greater extent than is posi-
bic in our existing penltentlarles. in
der such a system, aud With power 10 6
ed somewhere 10 transfer lncorrlglbIe
prisoners from the intermediate prls
on to the penItentlarles, aud with au-
thority also to transfer prisoners who,
BIZ their good conduct for a series of
years, give evidence of reformation,
from the penitent iary co the inter-
mediate prison, we might hope more
effeetually to comply with that
provision of tho bill of rights
which declares that the penal
code shall be founded on the
principles Of reformation and not of
vindictive justice. There is, how
ever, a present and pressing necessity
for a separate prison for female con-
victs. There are now some nineteen
or twenty women incarcerated In the
Southern Prison, to the great detri-
ment of sound morality as we'll as the
good government of the institution.
Moral. sanitary, and disciplinary con-
siderations concur In demanding that
these women should, as speedily as
possible. be removed to prison to be
provided exclusively for their sex,
aud to be under the government of
women. Their labor is, under existing
circumstances, Of no value to the
State, and the cells now occupied by
them will soon be required for male
convicts Another matter equally
pressing Is that Of reformatory in
stitution for girls, 1t is impossible to
receive girls in the House of Refuge
at Plainfield without destroying its
raformatory character and converting
it into juvenile prison. | therefore
urgently recommend that separate
prison for female convicts be estab
lished with the least possible delay,
and that there be connected with 1t,
on the same grounds and under the
same direction and management, but
in different buildings. a reformatOry
for girls The number of female
convIcts as compared with the other
sex is not large. so that an institu-
ton Of very moderate capacities would
meet the necessities OF the case, and
the expense which would be OCCASION
ed by providing such an initItution
would be abuudantly compensated by
the good which would be accomplish
ed as we'll as by the evil that would
be avoided. I have no sympathy with
those who think that crime when COM
mitted by woman ought not to be
punished; but only insist that the
punishment should be adapted to the
offender, and that the laws Of COM
mon morality and decency ought not
to be ignored in its inf;clon. The
fact that it is so difficult to convict
women Of penitentiary oHenses, shows
| that the public sense OF justice and
propriety revolt at the idea of sending
them to the State prisons, aud | know