The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-10


 son for from five to fifty years.
 The number remaining in the hospi-
 tai June S0 1894, was forty-five more
 than one year previous, and seventy four more than two years previous
 By reason of the low prices of the ne-
 cessaries of life, the board of trustees
 was able to reduce the price of the
 board and care of the patients to $2.S0
 per week, which has been the rate since
 April 1, 1893.
 The number of patients now in the
 hospital Is one hundred and forty be-
 yond the capacity of the several build lngs, but the completion of the new building authorized by the General As
 sembly at it's last session, and now well | advanced, will soon relieve the crowded
 condition. This new building will have
 cost about $96,000 leaving a balance of | $4,000 to be applied for furnishing. As l stated elsewhere, the practice of send | ing convicts who become insane, from
 the state prison to the hospital, cannot
 be too decidedly condemned and should
 be discontinued at the earliest practi- cable date. There is also urgent need
 of change in the present statutes pro- l Nlulll6 lOL lIlG CdIG u lllOoC SOlANASNSN of minor offenses, and those held await
 ing trial in the jails, who become ln- sane. The statute under which &C., cused persons may be acquitted on the l ground of insanity, and committed to | the hospital, is not sufficiently explicit
 in it's provisions, with reference to the determination of their mental condi- tion. It must be evident to any
 thoughtful mind that the benevolent and philanthropic purposes for which | the hospital was created never included | that of making it a receptacle for those whose insanity has not been deter mined by competent medical authority. | The large outlays in recent years for l buildings for the benefit of the insane poor have met the need in that direc- tion to such an extent. and in so credi- table a manner that special appropria- tions for added facilities, can be, in larger part, if not wholly omitted. STATE PRISON.
 The reports of the directors and war den for the fourteen months ending October 1, 1894, indicate satisfactory administration of affairs of this in- | stitution. Some changes are suggested by the directors, the most important of which Is that with reference to special provision on the prison grounds for the detention and proper treatment of insane convicts. The present practice of sending such convicts to the hospital for the insane at Mlddletown, is ac- companied by so many strong objec- tionable features, which would disap- pear under the plan suggested, that the duty of action appears to be clear and imperative. The question of pro- vidlng the requisite facilities for sepa- rating the young from the older and more hardened criminals, deserves your careful attention,
 So far as the financial result of the employment of convict labor is concern ed, it may be properly considered ac- ceptable, but such employment, in so far as 1t came into competition with honest worlmen outside prison walls Is, to my mind, to be regretted and de- plored
 On the general question of punish ment of crime, I confess to the con- viction that some crimes call for dif- ferent and more feared methods than those now practiced. The state prison and the jails have few terrors for a large percentage of those who commit crime indeed, 1t is not infrequently the case that crime is committed for. the express purpose of securing comforta- ble quarters and fair food without risk of much real hardship.
 A proposed law establishing q state reformatory will come before you by continuation from the last assembly. CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD.
 The uniformed volunteer militia of the state, as shown by the report of the adjutant-general, is organized into four regiments and two separate com panies of infantry, one battery of light artillery, one machine gun battery, one brigade signal corps and one division of naval militia, comprising POP commits stoned officers and 2.652 enlisted men.
 The Governors Guards consist of two foot companies and two horse compan- ies with 25 officers and 347 enlisted men.
 The cost of maintaining this force has been, 1893, $1SS, ,910.9S, and for 1894, $169 GIBBS. In addition land has been purchased in Hartford and New Haven for armory purposes and at Mantle for camp use, by commission, at a cost of S13,65O.
 During the past year the Division of Naval Militia was uniformed and equipped; the brigade was encamped at Mantle eight days, while in 1893, the encampment was for six days; neces- sary repairs to the state armories have been made; uniforms have required much repairing and many unservicea- ble ones have been replaced by new; improvements have been made upon the state camp ground by the addition of rifle range and In grading. These account for the large increase in the expenses of this department over the previous year. But these extra expen- ditures in furtherlng the military inter- ests of the state, have been of very con- siderable magnitude, especially during the year 1894. Without offering criti- cism, the expenditures having been un- doubtedly considered as needful and proper, the hope Is expressed that o,, ro1,,otiop will ha made l