The Watchman (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 3, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 7, 1870 Page: 4 of 8
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Your earnest attention to this subject is
asl>ecl.
' lathis connection, and as necessary to
a lull understanding of the capacity of
the State, a complete geological survey is
advisable. There has already been some
work done in this way, with a very favor-
able result. Enough was ascertained to
make clear that the mineral wealth of
Texas is not far behind the agricultural.
But the practical benefit of what was
done has been mostly lost by the confused
state of the specimens in the geological
cabinet of the State, and it is difficult
now to ascertain where most of these
came from. Provision should be made
for a large collection of minerals to be
found by this survey, so as to enable the
proper department to distribute to the na-
tional and other geological cabinets du-
plicates of them, which are frequently
called for. I suggest that this survey and
the State collection of specimens be made
under the control and direction of the
Commissioner of the General Land Office,
where it can probably be systematized in
a better and cheaper way, in connection
with surveys of the public lands.
/ The condition of the asylums and pub-
lie buildings and grounds at the capital,
and of the Penitentiary, at Huiitsville,
will merit your consideration. The capa-
city of the asylums for the accommoda-
tion of the class of sufferers, to the care
of which they are respectfully designed,
is entirely inadequate to the present and
probable immediate increase of the popu-
lation of the State. There is no good
reason why these unfortunates should not
be considered the wards of the State, and !
taken care of out of the common fund. J
By proper care the deaf and dumb and j
blind can, in most cases, be educated dur- I
ing a short term of years to become use- '
fill members of society, and take care of!
themselves. This should be done by the j
State, without regard to the willingness or |
ability of relations to pay a part or all of
the cost; though, where pecuniarily able, j
the parents or guardians, or the patients
themselves, might be required to contrib- !
ute; and accommodations should be pro-
vided for all persons not too old for edu-
cation, and laboring under these defects,
who may be bona fide residents of the
v State.
In the Lunatic Asylum, even such pa-
tient* as come within the limited require-
ments of the present law must be denied
admittance, because the institution is full
to overflowing. This institution is clear-
ly one oi as much necessity, on the
ground of safety to the public, as the Pen-
itentiary, and a due regard for this safety
would require the confinement therein of
many unfortunates whose liberty is now
a constant menacc to the lives of them-
selves and friends. However, as at the
pi esent conducted, not only arc the re-
sources of the institution too limited, but
the law under which patients are admit-
ted excludes the great mass of the insane.
~W nether it will be more advantageous to
extend the building we now have, in con-
formity with the original plan, or to seek
another locality, where a better supply of
water may be had, is open to discussion.
i he Aiewsof the Board ot Managers on
this subject, and the general condition of
the institution presented in their report of
April 21,18«v), are worthy ot your consid-
eration, but it is submitted that liberal
provision be made, either here or else-
where, and without delay, for the increas-
ed wants of the State in this respect.
The Penitentiary has, until lately, been
quite an expense to the State, but this is
oelieved to have been largely the conse-
quence of bad management. The total
excess of expenditures over receipts in
support of that institution (not including
the salaries mentioned in Comptroller's
report, page 77, table xxxviii,) since the
charge, was §107,615 30. Under the
present Superintendent, it is self-sustain-
ing. ^ The number of convicts confined
within its walls at date of Superinten-
dent s report (10th February last) was
four hundred and eighty-nine. Outside
of the Penitentiary one hundred and eigh-
ty-one convicts were, on the 16th of the
present month, laboring on the railroad
liom Brennam to Austin, under contract
with the H. & T. C. K. II. Company,
raade under orders of General Reynolds.
The convicts at work on the railroad
are not an expense to the St:;'e, but the
system is considered demoralizing to the
convicts, and it ele.irly does not tend to
that improvement of their mental and
moral capacity which (after the protec-
tion of the public) is the main object of
the Penitentiary system. An undue pro-
portion (23 out of a total of 259) of the
convicts employed on the railroad have
managed to escape, and this because of
the difficulty, under the circumstances of
maintaining that complete control and
discipline necessary to their restraint.
It is recommended that these convicts
be returned to the Penitentiary, and that
provisions be made for enlarging the ca-
pacity of that institution, and for supply-
ing such improvemets and new machine-
ry and fixtures as will develop its useful-
ness to the highest capacity.
This extension and improvement of the
Penitentiary will, of course, cause con-
siderable outlay, and perhaps it may now
be well to divide the convicts, and have
more Pcnitetiaries than one. Water
power (of which there is none at Hunts-
ville, though of great importance,) and
equally healthy localities can be had else-
where. After such additions are made
and fairly in use, there is reason to hope
that all convicts may be made to sustain
themselves, within its walls. Touching
these points and the general condition of
the Penitentiary, your attention is called
to the accompanying report of Col. ]N". A.
M. Dudley, the present Superintendent,
and the exhibits attached.
The public buildings at Ihe capital are
in need of very extensive repairs and en-
largement. The Beaureaus of Education
and Immigration will have to be provid-
ed with suitable offices, while the other
departments of the government are
straightened in their accommodations
(built when the public service was on a
much smaller scale) and cannot make
place for them.
The public grounds around the Capitol
should also be improved and ornamented
in a style consistent with that originally
intended. They are now only public
wastes.
In consideration of the possibility that
the Capitol may be removed from Austin,
at the election to be held in accordance
with the 37th section, article III, of the
Constitution, it may not be thought ad-
visable to incur any expense of this sort
until the seat of government is perma-
nently fixed. But eveu*in this event, or
in case of a division of the State, all the
buildings at Austin can be made use of
as a university, or high schools, or as asy-
lums, or for other public purposes not es-
sentially requiring location at the new
capital. The report of the Chairman of
Commissioners of Public Buildings and
Grounds (Secretary of State), will pres-
ent this subject in a more detailed form,
and I recommend that his suggestions be
adopted.
I would not be faithful to the trust con-
fided in me, nor to my own sentiments,
were I to omit to bring before you the
matter of the sufferings of our frontier
settlers on account of Indian depreda-
tions. Philanthropic people throughout
those parts of the nation where indian
reminisences exist only in romantic story,
are apt to answer all complaints of the
Indian atrocities by the recrimination
that these are only savage ways of re-
dressing wrongs previously inflicted by
the whites. It is not so here. The In-
dian tribes, which so grievously wound
our frontier, travel many hundied leagues
across the desert to reach us. They could
originally havehadno oppression or griev-
ance to avenge, neither the Texan settlers
nor their Mexican or Spanish predeces-
sors ever approached the native haunts of
these tribes, unless in pursuit of some fly-
ing predatory band. From time imme-
morial they have afflicted this country
with their murderous visits. No treaty
or concession can appease them, or stay
their hands, and peace seems absolutely
hopeless as long as one of them lives or
roams at large. When annexation took
place, it was anticipated that the power-
ful arm of the National Government
would soon bring permanent relief, and
that was not the result before the late
civil war is, no doubt, largely to be attrib-
uted to that same philanthropic spirit
which always restrained the hand short of
the only result that could be permanently
■—
effectual—extermination, or total con-
quest and submission. But the continu-
ance of this war after twenty-five years
of annexation, and the circumstance that,
the frontier settlements—for the first time
in American history—are surrendered
and abandoned, are facts that seem now
likely to induce some decisive action on
the part of the authorities having this
matter especially in charge. The present
efficient military commander of this de-
partment made every effort possible, with
the limited resources at his command to
protect the frontier. He has urged on his
superiors the establishment of a military
telegraph along the frontier, and asked
authority to embody, am and equip the
frontiersmen in minute companies, and
pay them when employed in scouting, or
on other duty against the Indians. Short
of the only remedy that can be effectual
—total conquest and submission of these
tribes, and their colonization on reserves
far from the frontier—these arrangements
seem the best calculated for protection;
and it is suggested that as there may be
delay in adopting them on the part of the
general government, it would be well to
provide for putting the plan in practice
by the State government. There is no
doubt that the expense of it will be a
considerable addition to the burdens we
must prepare to carry, but I am sure you
will agree with me that the settlers must
be protected at any cost.
Incidental to this question of the fron-
tier is presented that of a proposition to
sell to the United States a part of the
north-western unsettled domain, to the
end that, the same be appropriated as a
reserve whereon to colonize the Indians
of Texas and the neighboring territories.
The attention of the government of the
United States to such an arrangement
might be asked, if your body deem it ex-
pedient to adopt this suggestion, and it is
believed a satisfactory and permanent set-
tlement of our Indian troubles will there-
by be soon effected.
You will, without doubt, esteem it with-
in your powers and duty to eneoruage, in
every reasonable way, and with a due re-
gard to economy, the growth of every
species of manufacture and industry.—
much can generally be done in this way
without the expenditures of the public
money, or the grant of exclusive or ex-
ceptional privileges, by the passage of
general laws affording adequate protec-
tion to property. Manufacturers, I be-
lieve, can be stimulated by relief from
taxation for a short term of years, and
the State's income not unfavorably affect-
ed thereby; and our broad and treeless
praries invite the experiment here of State
encouragement to the planting of trees,
which seems to have succeded well in
other States similarly conditioned.
Among the the most important in-
terests in our State, and ene to which
this necessity for protection more
especially applies is that of stock
raising. It is estimated that Texas
can supply at this time a million of
beeves for consumption beyond the
State besides other stock, and under
proper encouragement the supply can
be largely increased, There has been
some unfriendly discrimination
against Texas cattle on the part of the
authorities of neighboring States, on
the charge that our cattle, healthy at
home, introduce contagious diseases
when driven abroad. However, it is
believed that the real motive for this
pretence is beginning to be understood
and that the intelligence of those
States will soon remove these obstacles
to the freedom of commerce.. But
while the prospects of the stock-raiser
are thus improving abroad, the laws
for the protection of his property at
home are very defective. During the
disturbance of late years, practices
have become common in regard to
herding, branding, killing and selling
cattle which well nigh destroy all
safety for this kind of property. The
laws now on the statute books do not
provide an adequate remedy for this
grievance, and thorough revision and
adaptation of these laws to existing
wants is respectfully urged.
Other subjects must receive your
immediate attention as essential to
the complete re-organization of the
State government, and among those
which are of sufficient importance to
require special notice, I will refer to
the organization an<J appointment of
boards of registry of voters, and of
judges of elections; the appointment
of officers to fill vacanciss where the
law or constitution does not now pro-
vide therefor; to provide for removals
and appointments to municipal bfficss
until elections can be lieldin the re-
spective cities and towns; to provide
for and fix time and manner of olsc-
tions for such officers asare made elec-
tive ; to provide for the 44 trial punish-
ment and removal from office " of the
class of officers referred to in section
6, article VIII, and to divide the State
into convenient judicial districts, t o
that the appointment of district
judges may be made. Some of these
matters are partially provided for in
existing laws, which are defective,
and should be revised. I here also
refer you to the report of the Attor-
ney Geueral, touching especially some
suggestions made in regard to snjts
and prosecutions on behalf of the
State, and modifications or amend-
ments to the criminal code.
I have reserved, to the closing of
my mesiage, the discussion of the
question of finance, as we can better
understand what has to be done in
this respect, after a review of the va-
rious demands that must be provided
for. It is not possible, under the
circumstances, to make even a fair
approximation to an estimate to the
expenses of our State government in
the future, but it'is safe to look to a
very large increase of expenditure,
even with the greatest care and econ-
omy. The population of the State ia
thought to be near double that of
1860, and the expense of govern-
ment seems to increase in geometri-
cal proportion to the addition of pop-
ulation of a State. Without more
than the school system, the increased
judiciary and Immigration Bureau
provided in the newConstitntionand
the nessary police and militia organi-
zation, an expense of near $1 500 000
must be expected, and provision must
be made to procure the necessary
funds for these purposes by taxation.
The amount necessary for each pur-
pose will altogether depend upon the
plan adopted respectively. It is not
likely, however, that, on the whole,
the ordinary expenditures will be less
than the sum indicated.
If it is concluded to give the State
aid to any work of internal improve-
ment, then a corresponding addition
to expenditure may be looked for, it
being made by the Constitution the
duty of your body in providing for
any such work to also enact a law
creating adequate means for payment
of interest and two per cent of prin-
cipal annually.
The amount of cash on hand on
the third of September, 1867, (when
the late provisional government took
charge) was $20,232 26; receipts
from that date to the sixteenth inst,
inclusive, were $1,384,191 80; total
expenditures from the third of Sep-
tember, 1867, to sixteenth inst, $1,-
024,851 31. the amount of cash in
the treasury, including balance of
Convention fund, but exclusive of
school and other special funds, on
the sixteenth day of the current
month, was 2,952 97 in specie, and
413,746 92 in currency. Of this
amount there if covered bv appropri-
V*
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Foster, W. K. The Watchman (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 3, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 7, 1870, newspaper, May 7, 1870; Georgetown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth235845/m1/4/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.