The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-05-27

Commissioners and the Warden OF the fenlten.
tisry full, complete and perfect plans aud
specifications in DETAIL of the said State House
and whatever materials and all kinds OF materi-
ais, Of every name and nature whatsOever, stone.
iron labor, and all else which said Penitentiary
commissioners and said Warden can furnish, to-
wards the full completion of the State House,
the said new State House Commissioners shall
procure from Lo other place, for and TO be used
in the completion Of the said new State House."
In obedience TO the law above quoted, the
State House Commissioners furnished to the
Penitentiary Commissioners the specifications
required, and the Commissioners of tho Psniten-
tiary engaged to furnish the cut stone required
for its construction. and at once proceeded, ut
large expense, to procure the necessary tools
and fixtures, contract for the delivery OF the
stone from the quarry, organize the lsborsrs,
and provide for their instruction and have &C.
tually cut and delivered the stone for the base
ment, and hays made considerable progress In
preparing the stone for the next story, and have
now employed in the work upwards of three
hundred convicts.
The State House commissioners have already
paid to the Warden of the Penitentiary upwards
of one hundred and twenty-four thousand dol.
lars for labor alone, and it is expected that the
remaining work to be done for the State by the
PeDitentiary management will amount to nearly
or quite four hundred thousand dollars, and will
also afford constant employment to mere than
three hundred men.
The importance and value Of this arrange.
ment will only be fully appreciated when 1t is
considered that 1t will hereafter give steady
employment for nearly one-fourth Of the number
Of the convicts now in the Penitsn tisry that 1t
will require but small outlay Of capital; that
the payments will be certain and regular. in.
volving NO risk or expense in making collections;
while to suspend the work upon the State House
would leave this large force comparatively idle,
to be fed and clothed from the treasury, until
arrangements could be made to furnish them
other employment.
In respect to the investigation OF the affairs OF
the Penitentiary, have but little to add to
what was said upon that subject in my biennial
message, and in my special message Of March 10,
1871, relating to the Indebtedness of the i.sti-
tuition.
I do not believe that any officer OF the Peni.
Tertiary has Intentionally wasted or misappllsd
the funds or property of the institution, but in
the freedom of the criticisms of the public press
upon the conduct Of the Commissioner and
Warden, charges rejecting upon their integrity
and fidelity have been insinuated, and it 10 due
to them that the representatives of the people
should explore the facts, and inform their con.
stituents of the result Of the investigation; and
with respect to tho proper and legal debts OF tho
Penitentiary, the most that oan be said 10 that
the agent. Of the State may have acted unwise-
ly, but even that much ought not to be assumed
in advance OF invsstiSa tion; but the men who
have furnished food and clothing for the con.
victs, AID tools aid materials for their uss,
ought not to be required to defend or explain
the conduct Of the officers elected by the people,
or appointed by competent authority. They
ought to be required to show that their claims
against the State are just, and whom they have
done that they should be promptly paid.
After the adjournment OF the last session Of
the General Assembly, made an attempt to or.
gsnizs commission 10 investigate and report
upon the affairs Of tho Psnitentiary, and partic.
alxrly upon the amount and charaster Of the
claim, against the Institution, but abandoned it
after some weeks expended in unsuccessful ef-
forts TO secure suitable persons to undertake the
task.
VlI.-In former Communication to shs Gen.
ersl Assembly, l alluded to the necessity for
legislation for the regulation Of the exercise OF
the right of eminent domain, and the import ,pce
of the subject has suggested the propristy Of TO-
GLIDING that among the other matters that ro-
qulre immediate legislative consideration.
"The right Of ths State to take private prop.
erty for public uses - essential to the aecoInp-
lishmeut Of ths ends Of government" but, like
the kindred aud equally vital power Of t.x~tion.
it is liable 10 ,hs greatest and mos. oppressive
abuses
True principles require that every person shall
contribute to the support of the Government, in
the exact proportion to the value of his or hsr
property therefore, all laws that impose more
than an equal burden, upon persons or properly.
are essentially tyrsnnical and unjust.
The persistent efforts made by the people to
confine the taxing power Of the State, and its
political and municipal divisions, within reason
able and just limits, triumphsd in the adoption
of the new Constitution; bat no serious effort
was made by the trainers Of that instrument 70
limit or guard the exercise Of tho more despotie
power under which the property of private per.
sons is taken, without their consent, and appro.
priated to public uses.
1t Is easy, upon principles that are we'll un.
dOrstood, to account for the comparatively slight
degree of attention bestowed BY the convention
upon this most interesting and important subject.
Taxation falls upon and burdens many per.
sons, and tbs wrongs endured by the many al.
ways attract attention and command redress,
while the practical confscstion of the property
of the few for the real or supposed benefit of the
many does not -trike the mass of mankind as a
matter worthy Of more than very slight de.
gree of consideration; and, perhaps it may aid
in my effort 70 understand the indifference Of
INC people, anu NIL lhe departments NJ DCV.
ernment, 20 TIE dangerous extent TO which the
power of taking the property Of the citizen has
grown to reflect that the manifest tendency to
aggregation and Capitalization that may be OBJ.
served on every hand. in politics, in business
and in social organizations, has inspired feel.
ing of indifference TO nero individuals a.d to
merely personal rights.
As the result OF the prevailing Indifference to
the rights of individual citizens, the Legislature
has, by numerous statutes authorized the ap.
preparation Of private property, not only for the