of local school taxation.

The State commissioner of common schools, in his report, will
recommend the adoption of county superintendency, the substitution
of township boards of education to provide for the present system
of township and sub-district boards, a codification of school laws
and other important measures, to which your attention is
respectfully called.

Prior to the organization of the board of state charities in 1867,
there was no provision for a systematic examination of the
benevolent and correctional institutions under the control of the
State and local authorities. The members of the board serve without
pecuniary compensation. It is simple justice to them to say that
they have faithfully performed the thankless task of investigating
and reporting the defects in the system and in the administration
of our charitable and penal laws, and have furnished in their
reports information and suggestions of great value. If it is true
that an abuse exposed is half corrected, it would be difficult to
overestimate their work. They have, their reports show, discovered
abuses and cruelties practiced, under color of law, in the midst of
communities noted for intelligence and virtue, which would disgrace
any age. Let the board be granted increased powers and facilities
for the discharge of their duties, and it will afford
security--perhaps the best attainable--to the people of the State,
that the munificent provision which the laws make for the poor and
unfortunate, will not be wasted or misapplied by the officials who
are charged with its distribution.

During the last year more than nine hundred persons, classed as
incurably insane, have been lodged in the county infirmaries, and
almost one hundred have been confined in the county jails. Besides
these a large number of the same class of unfortunates have been
taken care of by relatives or friends. The State should no longer
postpone making suitable provision for these unfortunate people.
The treatment they receive in the infirmaries and jails is always
of necessity unsuited to their condition, and is often atrocious.
To provide for them, I would not recommend an increase of the
number of asylums for the insane. It is believed by those best
acquainted with the subject, that both economy and