The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-01-12
OF STATE oFFICRRs

ture prevails now in nearly all the
States of the Union, and 10 good one.
1t gives legislators and their constitn-
ents an idea of the condition of the
State, and time to prepare remedies, if
remedies be needed, prior to the assem-
bling of the legislative bodies.
COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION.
J.HD iss Debar, Commissioner of I'm
migration, in his report says that the
failure of the last Legislature to make
an appropriation to refund the balance
due him for official expenditures or to
meet necessary expenses, or te do any
thing to invite immigration to the State,
discouraged him, and he felt inclined to
resign his position.
He says it is generally understood
that because from $50 600 to 300, 600 i'm
migrants annually land in this country
in ship loads of from 200 to 600 souls, a
general exodus is going on in Europe,
and that American agents have only to
show themselves upon its route and
hold out their inducements in order to
recruit any number of people that may
be desired for their respective States.
This is great mistake. TMSnmigra-
ton so immense from our point of view
is scarcely felt at its sources, which are
scattered over 905, 900 square miles of
territory, with population of ia ,00O,.
900. allude to Great Britain and Ire
Hand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Switzerland, Austria and the German
States and considerations. Six thou
sand men, women and children emf
grating every week from a thousand
widely scattered points are scarcely
noticed on their way and, not until they
congre gate at the different ports of en-
barkation in emigrant ships do they
begin to attract any attention.
After complaining Of the interference
of the police of European Governments
with the schemes of agents, he says:
| The Prussiau Government even went so
far as to organize o so.called "Emigrant
| Protection Society,"" whose Ostensible
object is tie instruction and protection
of emigrants, but whose real purpose
is the prevention of emigration BY all
practical and lawful means. The in
tended emigrant who applies to this in
stitution for information, is fret dis
suaded from his project, if at all posi-
BILE, and only when persuasion fails is
he reluctantly furnished with the de-
sired directions. West Virginia, he
says, is represented abroad as rough,
mountainous section, exhausted by
slave labor, sparsely settled by an ig-
norant and unenterprising people, and
with land titles of a dangerous char
| acter.
He asks for State aid to be given; the
appointment of State Board of EN-
migration; the offer of lands to immi.
grants at such prices and upon such
terms of payment as to compete, to
some extent, with the low-priced lands
of the West; the publication of a
handbook or Immigrants Gaide, with
map of the State, and geological sur
vey of the State.
He assnres the Governor that he has
no desire whatever to retain the office
of Commissioner of immigration, I'M
| less he receives some substantial as
surance that his past services are ap
preciated and the means provided to in
crease his efficiency.
WEST VIRGINIA HOSPITAL FOR THE IN
SANE.
The Sixth Annual Report of the Di-
rectors and Superintendent of the West
Virginia Hospital for the Insane shows
that, owing to the want of the neces-
sary funds, no work has been done dur
ing the year upon the construction of
the hospital building, except the prepa
ration of small amount of material for
future use. They complain of the want
of an abundant and never-failiug sup
ply of pure water, as the spring on the
hillside, which was considered sufficient
by those who located the hospital, has
| failed for the last three years to furnish
more than about one-third the required
quantity.
Since the Hospital first opened in 1864
there have been $50 applicants for ad-
mission, 1903 of whom have been admit
ted and 227 refused admission fer want
of room. There were in the Hospital
October 1st, 1868, 81 males and SO fe-
males, and during the year there were
admitted % males and 81 females, max
ing total of 23l under treatment dur
| ing TIE year. Ofthis number five males
aud six females have died, and nine
males and nine females discharged, leav-
ing 2O2 patients in the Hospital on Oc-
tober 1st, 1869. OF the number of pa.
tients treated during the past year lO7
were single, 100 married, ID widows, 2
widowers aud 9 unknown 30 are ma
tives of Virginia, "a Of ireland, 81 of
Pennsylvania, 10 of Germany, II IN
known, Maryland 5, England ?, Ohio 2.
| Prussia, Franco, Switzerland, Massa-
chusetts, Wales, Nova Scotia and 1ndi-
ana have one representative each.
The expenditures of the institution
have been $29, 23959 and the receipts
1873 ,s15.65, leaving a balance in the hands
Of the Superintendent of S3,97906.
ADJUTANT GENERALS REPORT.
Adiutant General T. NJ. Harris re.
ports that the business of his Office,
since the 4th of March last, has been
mostly of clerical character. He says
he has distributed the soldiers medals
as far as he has been able to ascertain
the address of their proper claimants.
There are thousands of them on hand
that cannot be distributed for want of
this knowledge. His predecessor adver-
tised in the papers of the State, direct
ing honorably discharged soldiers how
to obtain these medals, but as many of
these discharged soldiers never see
newspaper, it seems impracticable to do
more through this medium, and he pro-
poses, therefore, to issue blank circulars
and use such agencies as he may be able
to secure the distribution of the medals.
The State militia he reports as in q
disorgauized condition. The enroll
ment of those liable for militia duty
has not been attended to by the asses
sors. He estimates the entire militia
strength of the State at $4,000; while
those subject to duty, according TO law,
, in time of peace is set down at 10000.
The law claims military service of every
male citizen of the State between the
ages of eighteen and forty-fve, except
a certain class exempt in time of peace
He urges the amendment of the militia
law so as to provide for the orealizs-
ton of specific volunteer force, not
exceeding sixty companies of infantry,
four of cavalry and two of artillery, of
not less than fifty nor more than one