Year: 1868

Inc commissioners appointed unQer
an act of Congress to adjust the claim of
this State against the United States, for
moneys expended in paying and supply
ing military forces organized and EN-
ployed for the suppression of the rebel.
lion, have but recently made their re-
port, and can see no reason why the
amount found due should not be paid at
an early day.


COMMISSIONERS TO SETTLE WITH VIRGINIA.


Commissioners to treat with Virginia
in regard to the public debt of that
State, have not yet been appointed un.
der the resolutions on the subject adopted
BY the Legislature, February 28, 1867.
The resolutions prescribe that the suit
brought by Virginia, in the Supreme
Court of the United States, to recover
Jurisdiction over the counties of Berke-
posed of before such appointment shall
be made, which event has not yet trans.
pired and, if it had, there might still'be
a question whether such settlement
should take place in the present condi-
tion of affairs in Virginia.


HOSPITAL. FOR THE INSANE.


You will have before you the Report
of the Board of Directors of the Hospital
for the Insane, ut Weston, accompanied
by the reports of the other officers of the
Institution. This document contains
full and intelligent expose of the progress
of the construction of the building, and
of the expenditures therefor, and Of the
internal management and expenses of the
Hospital for the last fiscal year. It seems
to me, that its perusal should afford much
satisfaction to every unprejudiced mind
that takes an interest in the melioration
of the condition of that most afflicted
class of our citizens for whose benefit the
institution is designed. This report de-
tails the matters connected with the
construction and management of the
Hospital up to September 80, 1867. At
that time no portion of the building, in
addition to that heretofore used, had
been completed, but have now the sat
isfaction of stating that an additional
section, containing room sufficient for
one hundred patients, has been completed
and furnished, ready for their reception;
and there is every assurance that the re-
manning section, which has been in pro-
cess of construction, will be completed
by the first of April next, when there
will be comfortable accommodations for
two hundred and twenty-five patients.
And this will have been accomplished
with the appropriations heretofore made,
and no more money for the completion
of this portion of the building is asked
for. The medical superintendent has
already, under the timely and appropriate
instructions of the Board of Directors,
transferred forty of the lunatics of this
State from the Asylum at Staunton, Vir.
ginia, to Weston; and number have
also been brought in from the jails in diff.
terent parts of the State, where they
have been uncomfortably, yetnecessarily,
confied for longer or shorter periods.


l commend to your consideration the
several matters suggested in this report
as requiring legislation only one or two
of which, however, shall notice special
". One of these is the revision of the
laws in regard to Asylums as they are
found among the old statutes, which are
regarded us much more voluminous than
necessary, and may, probably, be sim.
pliied and better adapted to the regula-
tion of our Asylum by being revised and
condensed. Another Recommendation
is that the construction Of the central
section of the Hospital building, accord.
ing to the original design, and for which
the foundation was laid prior to 1861,
shall be renewed and prosecuted to com.
pletion, at cost of eighty thousand dol.
lars, and that an appropriation be made
for that purpose. By looking into the
report the members of the Legislature
may see the reasons assigned for this
recommendation-the wisdom and force
of which none can question. While do
not feel at liberty, under all the circum-
stances, to urge this matter upou you,
submit it for such action as your better
judgments may dictate.


1t may also be seen that the Board of
Directors invite thorough and search
ing investigation in regsrd to the con-
struction of the building and the internal
management of the Hospital, and also
into the expenditures of, each; and,
while know the board to be composed
OF gentlemen Of superior intelligence and
Of the highest integrity, yet, in order that
there may no longer be any pretext or
excuse for such statements as are being
made in regard to the construction and
management of the Institution, it seems
to me well that the request of the Board
of Directors be granted, the investigation
had, and report thereof made to the
Legislature, and published for the infor-
nation of the public.


FREE SCHOOLS.


The Annual Report of the General
Superintendent of Free Schools shows
that continued and very encouraging pro.
gress is being made in extending and
establishing the free school system in our
State. His visits to different portions of
the State have afforded him an opportu-
nifty of acquiring general knowledge
of what has been done in this interest
ing work, but on account of the failure
of the more subordinate officers, in some
instances, and from lack of a proper
appreciation of the subject on the part of
some county superintendents, and mat
tention to the requirement of the law BY
others, statistical reports have been re.
ceived from only twenty-nine counties.
1t appears that in these counties there
have been three hundred and sixty
three school houses built during the year,
and the General Superintendent est.
mates the whole number built in the
State within the same time at not less
than four hundred and that the number
built within the three years since the
system was inaugurated approximates one
thousand and, while many of these are
very ordinary structures, many display
the good taste and liberality of the neigh
borhoods where they are located, and
still others are superior in architecture
and are supplied with the most modern
and convenient style of school furniture
In addition to the local taxes, there was
distributed among the counties, on the
1st of April, 1867, the sum Of $175, 900
from the State school fund, and the sum
to be distributed on the 1st of April, 1858,
is estimated at not less than $3.50, 600 !;
thus showing continued increase,
which, though not large, may be relied
on, no doubt for the future, without any
increase in taxation.