the authorities of Jackson county to issue such bonds. I regret that I am unable to meet the wishes of the Trustees in recommending legislation for the relief of Mr Campbell. He made his contract to complete the building, after he was informed that the pretended bonds of Jackson county had no legal existence, and with the distinct understanding, inserted in the contract, that the Trustees refused to assume or undertake anything on account of any such supposed bonds. As the whole matter will require, and will no doubt undergo, an investigation by the General Assembly, I will hold the voluminous papers relating thereto in my possession until required for that purpose. After the true relations of Mr. Campbell with the State, under his contract, are understood, it will be for the General Assembly to determine what, if any, claims he may have upon the State for consideration. It af fords me pleasure to bear testimony to the fact that he is heartily anxious to do his duty to the State under his contract.

THE STATE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

The institutions organized by the State for the care and education of the Insane, the Blind, the Deaf Dumb, and the Feeble Minded, all located at Jacksonville, are called to your attention with the most perfect confidence that no words of mine can add to the eagerness that is felt everywhere that the wants of these homes of the unfortunate shall be abundantly supplied.

The

The insane-those who are deprived of the light of understanding -are, of all others, the most unhappy; and I urge upon the General Assembly that the people of the State will insist that everything shall be done to mitigate and relieve, if possible, their sad condition. trustees of this institution, were selected by me with the utmost care, and I have the highest confidence in their integrity and sound judg ment, and I feel no hesitation in approving their estimate of the amount of money that will be required to maintain the institution. The commissioners of the State Board of Public Charities make some excellent suggestions, in their report, upon the estimates made for the support of this institution, that are well worthy of considera

tion.

THE INSTITUTION FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND.

Soon after the adjournment of the last session of the General Assembly the building that belonged to this institution was, unfortunately, destroyed by fire. With the proceeds of the insurance that the trustees had effected, and by other means that are explained in the report, the trustees have erected a neat and substantial building upon the site of that destroyed, and are prosecuting the work that has been committed to them by the State. The management of the trustees, in view of their loss, has been extremely judicious, and they deserve the thanks of the representatives of the people for their fidelity to their sacred trust. They ask an appropriation of $20,000 per annum, for the current expenses of the institution, and I recommend its allowance.

THE INSTITUTION FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB.

The report of the trustees of this institution shows that it is in a satisfactory condition, and I feel justified in expressing the belief tha it is managed judiciously and economically. The trustees ask appro priations, as follows:

$56,250

2,000

500

500

2,000

The estimate for the sum of two thousand doliars, for relayin floor, is no doubt necessary; the others are usual and proper, and recommend their allowance.

It affords me pleasure to express my satisfaction with the condu of the Trustees and Superintendent of this institution, and bespea for them the confidence of the General Assembly.

INSTITUTION FOR FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN.

This institution, established by the act of the General Assembly approved February 15th, 1865, is no longer an experiment; its use fulness is demonstrated, and it must hereafter rank as one of the mos interesting of the charitable institutions of the State. The labor of the Commissioners of the Board of Public Charities have deve oped the unexpected and startling fact, that there are in the State o Illinois nearly two thousand idiotic persons, and that though many them are incapable of instruction or improvement, a large proportio may be, by the employment of means adapted to their intellectual con dition, made equal to the performance of many of the simpler duti of life. Such a degree of culture and advancement is relatively the greatest consequence, both to the unfortunates themselves and those who are responsible for their care.

As the proper conclusion to what I have already said, I feel it to my duty to urge upon the General Assembly to make special pro sions for an institution for the education of feeble-minded childre which will be sufficient for a much larger number than are now und training. To do this, it will be necessary to make an appropriati for the purchase of suitable grounds, and the erection of such buil ings as may be required for the purpose. And in this connection, deem it proper to inform the General Assembly that I cannot reco mend the location of the institution proposed at Jacksonville, nor th any further expenditures be made at that point, either for the erecti of new buildings, or for extensive repairs upon those that are now use. The scarcity of water at Jacksonville is so serious as to be subject of constant complaint, and there is no reasonable prospect an adequate supply. If the existing institutions are to be hereaf maintained, or if new buildings are to be erected at Jacksonville, appropriation ought to be made to secure an ample supply of wat It is not just that the State should expect that the inhabitants of t

city should incur the large expense necessary to meet the wants of the institutions of the State.

THE SOLDIERS' ORPHANS' HOME.

The report of the Trustees of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home shows that this institution, established and maintained by the State for the destitute orphans of soldiers, is doing its good work well. I commend the report to the attention of the General Assembly, with the confident belief that appropriations will be made that will be adequate to all the real wants of the institution.

OTHER INSTITUTIONS.

The "Soldiers' College," at Fulton, Whiteside county, which has rendered valuable service in the gratuitous education of honorably discharged soldiers, and the "Chicago Eye and Ear Infirmary," which has afforded relief to many unfortunate persons from all parts of the State, have both been aided by appropriations from the treasury of the State. Whatever may be my anxiety to continue to assist these eminently useful institutions, I am compelled to the conclusion that the 20th section of the 4th article of the constitution prohibits further appropriations from the State treasury for their benefit.

The reports of the Trustees of the Asylum for the Insane, in process of erection at Anna, Union county, and the Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane, at Elgin, show the progress of the trustees in the construction of their buildings. Lands have been acquired for the use of these hospitals, and one wing of the building at Elgin will be completed within this year. The Trustees of the Asylum at Anna have not progressed as rapidly. I respectfully suggest that the number of the trustees of the southern institution be reduced to three. The General Assembly, in view of the necessities of the State for additional provision for the insane, will, no doubt, make liberal appropriations for the completion of these buildings, and for furnishing and maintaining them after they are completed.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC CHARITIES.

It is a fit conclusion to my recommendations that relate to the State institutions to allude to "The Board of Commissioners of Public Charities," created by an act of the General Assembly, approved April 9th, 1869. The State institutions had increased so rapidly in number and importance, and the amounts required from the treasury for their support had become so large, and required such a degree of attention, that the creation of a board of visitation and inspection, with ample powers, became a necessity. To meet this necessity the act referred to was passed, and other powers were given to the Board of the most important character. I submit the reports prepared under the direction of the Board for the information of the General Assembly.

The general report is filled with information collected with care from reliable sources in relation to the general subjects of crime, pau

perism, insanity, and others of like character, and also presents the results of the examinations made by the Board of the institutions receiving State aid, and of the inspections made by the members personally of the jails, poor houses, etc., in the different counties, and also statistics of the most valuable character. The earnest, patient and unselfish labors of the commissioners deserve the warmest thanks. The second report contains the results of the examination made by the commissioners of the estimates of the trustees and managers of the State institutions. At my request the commissioners undertook to investigate the whole subject of appropriations to the State institutions, and I ask especial attention to the report that presents their conclusions.

THE PENITENTIARY.

I have the honor to submit to the General Assembly the report of the Penitentiary Commissioners, for the year ending December 1, 1870, and will also furnish all the sub-reports submitted to me with their report, for the year ending December 1, 1869, the report for that year being mislaid.

The management of the penitentiary concerns every interest in the State, for whether it is considered as an agency for the reformation, or for the detention and punishment, of criminals, or as a large and burdensome public establishment, it must attract the attention of the people and claim the thoughtful consideration of the General Assembly. Two leading systems for the management of the penitentiary have their advocates, and divide public opinion-the "lease system," which was followed in the earlier history of the State, and that of the "State control," which was first adopted in the State, under the authority of the act of June 28th, 1867. The final results of the lease system, and the situation of the penitentiary when it closed, were forcibly described by my predecessor in his last message to the General Assembly. He says, "the State, for the first time, occupied its own penitentiary on the first day of July, 1867. Up to that time $1,075,000 had been expended in its erection. The commissioners found, on their arrival there to take charge of it for and in the name of the State, the walls, wings containing nine hundred cells, warden's house, some shops and other property inside, amounting to $54,525 53. A thousand and fifty-eight convicts were to be promptly provided for, fed, clothed and put to work."

The commisssioners appointed by the Governor under the authority of the act of June 28th, 1867, made their first report on the first day of December, 1868, from which it appears that the number of convicts then confined in the penitentiary was 1162, and that the entire expense of its management from the first day of July, 1867, to the first day of December, 1868, was $163,569 60; that the property of the State then in their possession, including the amount of $52,977 39, outstanding accounts, was of the value of $479,175 17, and that the current debts of the institution amounted to the sum of $80,070 89. In June, 1869, I visited the penitentiary, and met the commissioners and warden, and learned that it was believed by them that the debts of the insti

tution were under estimated in the report of December 1, 1868, or that they had rapidly increased between the date of that report and the first day of May, 1869, when Mr. George W. Perkins, then warden, assumed the management of the institutior. In July, 1869, I again visited the penitentiary, accompanied by Hon. O. HI. Miner, late auditor, and Samuel T. Major, Esq., of Carlinville, an experienced accountant, and after receiving the report of the result of a partial examination of the books and papers of the institution, made by them, I formed the opinion that the property included in the inventory of December 1, 1868, had depreciated in value, that the amount of the debts due on that day was greatly under-stated, and from my own observation I concluded that the commissioners differed so widely upon important points in the management of the institution, that its administration was deficient in that degree of unity and energy that was essential to success.

It is due, however, to the commissioners, that it should be stated that their differences were those of honest men, zealous for the success of their management, and the evil was incurable, because they were responsible to no authority to which they could directly appeal. This disagreement between the commissioners produced an injurious effect upon the discipline of the penitentiary. It diminished the sense. of responsibility in the employees, and affected the productiveness of the labor of the convicts, and will, I think, account to a great extent for the failure of the present management to achieve success. I did not investigate the grounds of the difference between the commissioners, being without authority to adjust them. I deemed it judicious to leave the responsibility with those to whom it was confided by law.

Upon an examination of the report of the commissioners it will be seen that the whole number of convicts in the penitentiary on the first day of December, 1870, was 1339, an increase in two years of 177, and it may be expected that the number will, within the next six months, be increased to upwards of fourteen hundred. The reports of the commissioners of the penitentiary, and of the warden and other officers, will afford all the information needed as to its financial condition; and as the whole subject will undergo the strictest investigation by the General Assembly, they are transmitted herewith for that purpose. Certain facts, however, in respect to the penitentiary, cannot be overlooked by the General Assembly, and legislation must be adopted to meet them.

The General Assembly, at its last session, appropriated for the purpose of maintaining and carrying on the penitentiary, defraying the expenses of feeding, clothing, etc., $300,000, and on the 28th day of July, 1870, Messrs. Reid and Washburn, commissioners, addressed me a communication, in which they informed me that the appropriation of 1869 was nearly exhausted-only $10,000 remaining in the treasury-and that it would require the sum of $60,000, in addition, in order to properly maintain the institution until another regular session of the Legislature. This communication presented to me the alternatives of attempting to convene the General Assembly, the members of which were elected in 1868, permitting the necessary wants of the penitentiary to remain unsupplied and risking the consequences,