Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-01-07

The governors Message. though short,
we have not fouud convienily space for.
Insiead of publishing 1t in ordeS we
prefer to give synopsis of Il, and lett
qo nj fhat. which we presums our reai-
ers will be as well satisfied with, in-as.
much as the defanet fnnctionary's recon-
mendations viii not bear with serious
weight upon republican assembly:
It is made up of statements of
the financial affairs of the State, and
the condition of our benevolent, re-
formatory and penal institutions.
The aggregate debt of the State of
Ohio, including State and local in
debtedness, is SSs, OBS, 1864; of
this S25, ,957, 1882 in local, and an
increase over last year of more than
$4,000, 900. Under the head of local
Indebtedness is included the debts
of counties, townships, cities, villag-
es and school districts.
The peniteEtiary is, in the opinion
of the Governor, over crowed by
men serving out penalties for petty
crimes that might be punished by
confinement in the county jails. By
prudent fsancial management the
penitentiary has been made to pay
twenty thousand dollars above cur
rent expenses. The Governor calls
attention of the Legislators, and
very Justly too, to the inequality in
sentences to the penitentiary. Men
are serving under sentences for thirty
years for percisely the same crimes
for which other men are serving
terms of only three years.
The new hospital for the insane is
progressing satisfactorily, and will
cost when completed Sl,322, 800.
Governor Allen questions the wisdom
of expending SO much money upon
one building, and suggests that it
wonld be for the public interest to
build smaller and less costly edifces
in different parts of the State. The
various other institutions are report
ed in a satisfactory condition.
| His Excellency refers to the le-
sponsibility resting upon the Cover
nor for the character and public
acts of men appointed by him upon
the boards of State institutions, and
at the same time shows that he has
only power to remove for financial
delinquency. He recommends that
authority be given the Governor to
suspend members of boards for
cause mot politicaI and that he be
required to report to the Senate his
actions within ten days after the as
sembling of the Legislature, and
that body concurring, the suspen-
sion be made a removal from Office.
The message sets forth that, under
the operations of the act of the last
General Assembly "to regulate
mines and mining" there has been
marked improvements in the ven-
tilation of the mines in most of the
mining districts of the State and
more improved plans of mining are
being applied, and the number of
serious and fatal accidents has ma
ter1ally decreased that the railroad
interest has continued in a depress-
ed state, but little more than forty
miles of new track having been laid
during the past year, and most of
that on changes or additions to ex-
isting lines that during the past
year more than ordinary zeal man
ifested itself in the State for the OF
ganization of military companies.
Fifty-one new organizations were
formed. The total force of the
State at this time is four batalions
and fifty-nine unattached companies
of infantry, and eleven artillery
companies, constituting an effective
body of four thousand four hundred
and forty-two men.
The Governor very properly re-
fers to the Centennial year of our
national existence, and commends the
celebration of it by the exhibition
at Philadelphia, and recommends
that reasonable aid be granted to the
State Board of Centennial managers.
He suggests the celebration of the
fourth of July next at the State
capital and under State auspices,
as follows : at seems to me that the
memorable epoch, our Centennial
anniversary is worthy of State as
well as national recognition especial
| ly as the Declaration of Independ-
ence was a declaration of States"
The message recommeds retrench-
ment and a prudent & conservative
course on the part of the Legislators
that will not cucumber the statute
books with laws of doubtful neces-
sity. On the whole 1t is fair,
candid and conservative document,
and commends itself to men of all
political parties.