The reports show that the chapel has been constructed accordingly, and that the other repairs have not been. made, on account of the insufficiency of the appropriation, and those repairs are again represented as being much needed for the convenience and comfort of the female prisoners confined there. I recommend that the necessary appropriation be made for that purpose. I call your at tention to the remarks of the Directors in their report, in relation to "the impropriety of sentencing culprits for short terms on small offenses to such an institution as this. The main purpose of punishment is to prevent crime and reform the criminal. In order to accomplish this purpose, criminal laws must be punitory, but at the same time they ought to be reformatory as far as practicable. There are minor offenses for which the punishment prescribed is in the alternative,-fine, or imprisonment in the county jail, or in the State Prison, in the discretion of the court, depending on the circumstances of the particular case. In some of these cases, the milder punishment of fine or imprisonment in a county jail, proper for the purpose, would be sufficient, and answer all the purposes of punishment, and be much more likely to reform the offender than the fixing on him the infamy that attaches to a State Prison convict. But our jails are places of detention of criminals of all grades and classes awaiting trial, and usually affording no means of separation of prisoners; the most abandoned and hardened criminals being turned in with those whose offense is of the lowest grade-committed, perhaps, more from weakness than depravity-thus exposing the latter to the depraving influences of such associations. Such is generally the condition of our jails that a sentence to imprisonment in them is, practically, a sentence to idleness in a school of vice. If a fine is imposed, the consequence is often, from the poverty of the offender, the same, as it results in imprisonment till released by pardon. This same mischief also extends to cases of offenders imprison ed in the county jail for the most trifling offenses. Our jails are defective as a place of punishment, in not affording any means of employment to the prisoners. The very idleness to which they are condemned tends to vice and crime, while labor would be reformatory in its influence. It probably would not be practicable, at least not within the limit of reasonable expense, to convert all our county jails into work-houses, but they should be so constructed as to prevent the indiscriminate intercourse of prisoners and criminals of every grade. But I have long been of the opinion that a work-house, to which prisoners from different parts of the State, convicted of certain minor offences might, under a limited discretion in courts of justice as to the place of punishment, be sentenced, would be of public benefit, and supply an existing defect in the means of the suppression of crime and the punishment and reform of criminals. Possibly the conversion of some one county jail into such work-house might subserve this purpose. I think the subject is worthy of your consideration. The other biennial reports, which I have not had the opportunity of examining, will be before you for your consideration. I trust that in the performance of the various duties devolving on you, both in investigating the past and provid. ing for the future, that true public economy will be ob served, which neither transcends, nor fails to supply the legtimate necessities of the State, and which will limit the session to the time necessary to do deliberately and well what the public good requires to be done. EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, MONTPELIER, Oct. 8, 1874. ( ASAHEL PECK. Resolutions were severally offered, read and adopted, as follows: By Mr. Davis of St. Albans, Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be instructed to procure the printing of one thousand copies of the Governor's Message for the use of the House. By Mr. Powell of Richford, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to Finances be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Chamberlin, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to the manufacturing interests of the State be referred to the Committee on Manufactures. By Mr. Danforth, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to Education be referred to the Committee on Education. By Mr. Bailey of Fairhaven, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to town libraries be referred to the Committee on Education. By Mr. Kelton, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to State Institutions and Charities be referred to the Committee on the State Prison. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Baldwin, their Secretary, as follows: MR. SPEAKER: I am directed to inform the House that the Senate have passed a bill entitled S. 1. An act relating to reporters of the Senate; In the passage of which the concurrence of the House is requested. Senate bill entitled S. 1. An act relating to reporters of the Senate; Was read the first and second times, and on motion of Mr. Hyde, was referred to a select committee of three members to be appointed by the Speaker. The Speaker appointed as such committee: Mr. Hyde of Castleton, "Eddy of Jamaica, "McGaffey of Lyndon. On motion of Mr. Dana, the House adjourned. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1874. Reading of Scriptures and prayer by the Chaplain. Mr. Stephen T. Davenport presented his credentials as the representative of the town of Wilmington; Which being in due form, he was sworn and admitted to his seat in the House. The following resolutions were severally offered, read and adopted; By Mr. Barrett, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to agriculture be referred to the Committee on Agriculture; By Mr. Danforth, Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed by the House to inform themselves-with the power to send for persons and papers,-whether the sum of $4386.80, that was paid into the treasury of this State by Hon. Justin S. Morrill, rightfully belongs there or not, and make their report to this House; By Mr. Fairman, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's Message as relates to the punishment and reformation of criminals, guilty of minor offenses, be referred to a special committee of five. Mr. Henry presented the remonstrance of Milo B. Wil liamson and three others, citizens of the town of Cornwall, against the right of Edward S. Dana to a seat in this House, as the representative from the town of Cornwall; Which was referred to the Committee on Elections.. Mr. Walston presented the petition of James Marsden and forty-eight others, inhabitants of the town of Williston, praying for amendments to the prohibitory laws of the State; Which was read, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Bills of the following titles were severally introduced, read the first and second times, and referred, as follows: By Mr. Holden of Clarendon, H. 8. An act repealing "An act regulating the attendance of teachers upon teachers' institutes; To the Committee on Education. By Mr. Buel, H. 9. An act for the better preservation of the monu ment of Nathaniel Chipman at Tinmouth; To the Committee on Claims. By Mr. Shaw of Pittsford, H. 10. An act relating to the compensation of certain State employees; To the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. Blodgett, H. 11. An act laying a tax on the county of Caledonia; To a select committee composed of the members from Caledonia county. By Mr. Cook of Mendon, H. 12. An act to assess and tax the real estate of railroads in this State; By Mr. Wright of Waltham, H. 13. An act enabling the Baptist Church of New Haven and Weybridge to dispose of their parsonage; To the Committee on the Judiciary. |