Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-25

been rendered to the auditor. The
committee wish most pointedly to
bar any inference being drawn from
this statement affecting in the slight
est degree, the personal honesty and
integrity of the inspectors or the
warden, but they deem 1t a duty to
give facts as they have found them.
THE WARDEN NOT UNDER BOND.
Whilst inquiring into the validity
of the bonds given by the several
stat officers, the committee, intend
ing that this branch of their duty
should be thoroughly performed sent
for the bond of the warden OF the
penitentiary, in amount the second
disbursing officer in the state. They
were informed, much to their aston
ishment, that he. gave no bond.
Further inquiry elected the declara-
ton that Mr.. Willis, the warden, was
quite willing to place himself under
bond. -&.
MI. willis received as (alresdy men
tioned) from convict labor......v:.$ l6a i30
or the amount appropriated for the SUI
preme court building lo.Ooo
Making q total $685. COL
Disbursed by an officer who gave
no bond.
The inspectors, it appears to the
committee, had quite as much author
ity to exact a bond from the warden,
as they had In doing many other
things which they have done.
1t is evident that the entire fnan.
cial and business management of the
penitentiary during the past two
years has been remarkably anoma-
Ions ; and if on the whole the result,
as compared with former correspond
ing periods, is advantageous to the
state, it is owing solely to the per-
sonal integrity and ability of those
who have governed the institution.
If the inspectors and warden have
not equaled in waste and extrava-
gance the worst days of former mis-
management, it was not that the op-
portunity was wanting, but because
they seem TO have been more scru-
pulously exact in proportion as tie
extent of their authority was unde-
fined. The committee summoned
the inspectors aud warden before
them to explain and justify the ap-
parent ~irregularity OF their proceed
Jugs, SO far rs they came within the
scope of the committees investiga-
tloDs; when inspector, Atty.-Gen.
smith, speaking in the name Of his
colleagues, said: there was no law
for the government of the penitenti-
airy, and we did the best we could"
The committee respectfully suggest
that in revising the law for the gov
eminent of the p%enitentiary the
warden be required to give bond and
to pay into the treasury all the
moneys he receives, and that ell
claims against the institution be
audited and paid in the same man.
ner as other claims against the state /;
also that some other officer be sub
stituted for the treasurer as n Of
the inspectors.
REGISTER OF LANDS.
The committee examined the Office
of register of lands, as required by
law, and find it to be no longer of
the importance it was once, and the
ends for which it was established as
q separate department long since so
nearly attained, that to continue il
would be to expend money for whet
is scarcely mor than q sinecure. The
large number of records, whose re-
moval from St. Louis to Jefferson
City some time ago was procured
chiefly under the supposition the!
would bring additional business to
the Office, have not only failed to &C.
complish this purpose, but r an in
cumDrance to the state. The Office
should be abolished and its business
turned over to the secretary of state,
including the custody of its records.
One clerk could attend to all the
duties required by law, which on
sist chiefly in corresponding with the
department Of the interior and the
county clerks of counties in which,
there are swamp lands, the title t.
which is still un%adjusted, and occasion
ally furnishing a plat, or a. copy OF
some instrument. The value or USE
fulness, whatever it may be, Of thu
records would be neither enhanced
nor impaired by the change, and
they would be quite as secure under
the custody of the secretary of state
as they are at present.
The receipts of the Office during
the last two years aggregate 1882 20
the expense for the same period,
$11, 945, and whatever stationery may
have been needed.
The committee found in the Office
some forty-odd volumes of records
of land titles %unprOvided with All
index of any kind. Whoever has &C.
casion to consult these records is
compelled to page them, leaf after
leaf and book after book, until he
finds what he is searching for.
THE ATroRNEY-aENERAL's OPINION.
In the course of their Investigations
the committee had occasion severaI
times to consult the ''opinions" given
by the Encouragement as all aid in
determining certain points. These
opinions + filed, it appears, in diff.
ferent Offices, and there is no index
to their contents. The attorney-gen.
eral is constituted (Wagner, p. Poly,
the legal adviser OF the heads of the
several departments. As his "opin.
ions" have a quasi-legal validity and
authority, they should be at all times o
convenient access, and to this end il
is suggested that an order i'll the
form of a resolution be passed re
curing all such opinions at presen'
existing to be copied into one book
and also all hereafter given as they
are issued, and such record supple,
with a proper subject index.
THE CLERK OF THE SUPREME COURT
The clerk of the supreme court i
required to pay into the treasury al
moneys received as fees his books u
we'll as his 1statements.3 therefore
came within the scope of the Inquire
to be made by this committee. HI
sstatements' to the auditor wer
scrutinized, and then varified by hi
books, the latter having first bee
carefully examined. No error Wa
discovered, nor any irregularity saw
in q few small sums which had bee
overlooked when making current ell
tries, but properly and fully returned
in his last statement. He made pay
ment according to law on Decembe
81, the first instance on record of tn
state receiving any money from
clerk of the supreme court.
DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUMS.
The deaf and dumb asylum 10 be
yond the reach of the committee. ]
il to be noted, however, that unde
the present law all deaf and dun
children may become wards of III
state. An inspection of the list {
pupils shows children whose parent
are reported worth half q millio
dollars being reared and educate
at the expense of the state.
THE INSANE AsYLUAs.