affecting, injuriously, the cultivation of fruits, so essential to the comfort and health of our people; and I regard it as the mission of this society to ascertain the causes of injury, and to point out remedies for the evil. I recommend that the appropriation of three thousand dollars a year, for the present and coming year, be continued to the state society, and the continuance, also, of the yearly appropriation, for two years, of one hundred dollars to each legally organized county agricultural society. And I would also suggest an appropriation to further the objects of the State Horticultural Society.

I am impressed with the conviction that every dollar thus appropriated will yield rich returns in advancing agriculture in all its branches, and thus contribute to the rapid development of the agricultural resources of the state.

CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

Our various charitable institutions, situated at Jacksonville, are prosperous in a high degree. Controlled by faithful and competent men, they have already taken very high positions among the institutions of the kind in this country; and no right minded man who is aware of the eminent success which has thus far attended their management can regret, for one moment, the money expended from the treasury upon them, nor hesitate to desire the continuance of reasonably liberal appropriations for their future maintenance and support. I refer you to the reports of the heads of these various institutions with much satisfaction.

PENITENTIARY.

The legislature, at its last session, appropriated $75,000 towards the establishment of a new penitentiary-the rapid increase of criminals during the last few years having quite outstripped the capacity of the one already in existence for their suitable accommodation. The commissioners chosen by the legislature to superintend the location and construction of the necessary buildings, immediately set about the work, and seem to me to have prosecuted it with economy and energy. After careful consideration of the relative advantages of the various places suggested as sites for the proposed institution, the commissioners fixed upon Joliet, as, under all the circumstances, the most suitable location. Adjoining that city they purchased seventy-two acres of land, at the price of $7,219; and I take pleasure in expressing my entire satisfaction with the selection of the site, as well as with the purchase of what may seem at first as rather a large piece of ground for the object contemplated. It will soon be apparent, however, indeed already is so, that the quantity is none too large. Should it turn out otherwise, and be found at any time desirable to part with a portion of it, we shall find no difficulty in selling it at a great advance on the original

cost.

But I apprehend that we shall never be willing to dispose of any part of it-so obvious will its convenience and necessity become. The plan of the prison was adopted under the advice of competent architects, after a careful personal inspection, by the commissioners, of several of the most excellent institutions of the kind in the United States. Its design is most admirable-leaving nothing to be desired

which human hands and human ingenuity can accomplish. I hazard nothing in saying that these buildings, when carried out to completion, will surpass in excellence any thing of the kind in the United States. Permanency and solidity have been especially regarded-the commissioners very properly deeming that it would be neither economical nor creditable to the state to construct buildings, which can never be dispensed with, in any other than the most durable and substantial manner. The prison is calculated, when finished, to accommodate suitably eleven hundred convicts-as large a number, it is to be hoped, as our state will be called upon to provide for, for many generations.

About $100,000 have been expended thus far upon the buildings, walls, &c.; and they are so far completed that it already contains one hundred and ninety-two prisoners, all taken from the over-crowded penitentiary at Alton. It is estimated that about four years, and a further expenditure of about $450,000, will yet be required to finish the work. This sum, together with what has already been expended-that appropriated by the general assembly, and a portion of that received from the sale of the old penitentiary at Alton-will amount to about $550000. This is, probably, as fair an estimate of the aggregate cost of the work as can now be made. And, large as is the sum, it is yet but a trifle, compared with the advantages of having a penitentiary so noble and so lasting, and in every respect so well calculated to answer the purposes of such an institution.

Of prisoners there are at the present time four hundred and fortynine in the penitentiary at Alton; and, as already stated, one hundred and ninety-two in that at Joliet. Others will be taken from Alton to Joliet as fast as the progress of the work at the latter place will admit of other convicts being received. But it is probable that the entire number can not thus be transferred before July, 1860.

Thus far I am entirely satisfied with what the commissioners have done in the matter of erecting these new buildings; and I deem the state peculiarly fortunate in having committed this important work to hands so competent and so faithful.

A very disastrous fire occurred in the yard of the prison at Alton last summer, which consumed several buildings used as work shops, hospital, kitchen, sleeping rooms, &c., and threatened, at the time, to seriously embarrass the warden of the penitentiary, and render the condition of the convicts most uncomfortable, if not absolutely distressing. By the energy of the warden, however, and his promptness in repairing the injured buildings, and erecting some new ones, the sad effects of the fire were soon obliterated, and the comfort of the inmates of the prison not materially interfered with. The warden of the penitentiary is entitled to much credit for his energy and perseverance in repairing the evils of this serious conflagration.

NORMAL UNIVERSITY.

Thus far the success of the Normal University, established by the legislature at its last session, has been such as fully to justify its friends and quite disarm its enemies-if, indeed, it may now be supposed to have any. In selecting a site for the location of this institution, the

board of education was governed mainly by the premiums offered by different towns as inducements to its location, at their respective places. Bloomington, having not only made the most liberal propositions to the board, but being in itself, perhaps, not surpassed by any other place in advantages as a location for the university, was selected for that purpose. I regard its choice as in every respect most fortunate. Easy of access, healthful and beautiful, it leaves nothing to be desired as the permanent situation of an institution of this kind.

The citizens of Bloomington and of McLean county offered as inducements to its location at that city what was regarded as equivalent to $141,725. A large part of this consists of land, one hundred and sixty acres of which, lying adjacent to the city, has been reserved as the site for the buildings while the balance is being sold off, at fair prices, as purchasers present themselves.

The building was commenced in August, 1857; and when completed at its estimated cost of $83,000, will be the most elegant, as well as the largest and most convenient normal school building in the United States. It will probably not be completed before the end of this year. The building, when completed, it is calculated, will accommodate five hundred pupils. Everything, thus far, gives promise of a most successful career on the part of this institution.

When it is considered that the object of this institution is to supply competent and qualified teachers for the common schools of our state, and that it will have the capacity to turn out so large a number annually, we can hardly estimate its ultimate advantages. Hitherto we have suffered, sensibly, for want of suitable and competent teachers, and for such as we have had, we have depended mainly on other states. But we have now entered upon a system, which, if carried out energetically, as it should be, without over anxiety about the comparatively trifling cost, will soon place us, in respect to education, in a proud position among the states of the Union. This, I regard as a subject, the importance of which can hardly be over-estimated-and I confidently look to your intelligent body for such legislation as may be required to render the complete success of our educational system certain and speedy.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

The admirable report of our superintendent of public instruction, which will shortly be laid before you, shows the condition and working of our school system in a most gratifying light. It is only necessary for me here to direct your careful attention to that elaborate and interesting report, in which everything that need be said on that subject is clearly set forth. The increase in the number of schools, school houses, and in general attention to the subject of education during the last two years, shows a state of things in that regard which cannot fail to gladden the heart of every patriot and philanthropist. The labors of the superintendent have been arduous and incessant; and, by a manifest oversight on the part of the last legislature, he has failed to receive anything like an adequate compensation for his services. No officer in the state has discharged his duties in better faith, or with more benefit to the public; and I shall be glad to have his report extensively read, and him fairly compensated for his labors.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

Some seven years ago the legislature very wisely provided for a geological survey of the state, which has since been prosecuted under sufficient encouragement from successive legislatures. From the unsatisfactory progress made, however, and from the fact that nothing in relation to the survey had ever been published or even prepared for publication, (with the exception of a pamphlet of a hundred pages, the publication of which was obtained by the state officers after much effort, and within the last eighteen months), it was deemed essential to reorganize the corps. This was done early last spring, and Mr. A. II. Worthen placed at its head. The corps, under this new organization, has been actively engaged during the summer and fall, and is now ready to report. The report will comprise a volume of some 300 pages. I hope the legislature will at once order it to be printed, that all may know what progress has been made in this important work, and realize such benefit as is derivable from what has been done. The work is now progressing quite satisfactorily; and I hope that the report presently to be submitted to you will encourage a continuance of the requisite appropriations till the work is completed. Four years, it is presumed, will be sufficient to finish up the work. For defraying the expenses of publishing the report above referred to, I availed myself of the contingent fund; but for the printing of that now to be submitted to you, the legislature must make provission.

Your attention is also called to another matter connected with this subject. There is no building or room belonging to the state, which can properly be used as a depository for specimens, and for other purposes connected with the survey. The armory, formerly used for that purpose, had to be given up, since which we have rented private rooms of citizens-paying for them mostly out of the contingent fund. This, undoubtedly, will no longer be done; as the legislature being in session and its attention being drawn to the subject, will, of course, provide for the exigency.

BANKS.

Our present system of banking is, in the main, satisfactory. So far as the security of the bill-holders is concerned it seems to be amply sufficient. Of the six banks which have closed within the last two years, every dollar of their paper, with the exception of that issued by a single bank, was redeemed at par by the auditor, out of the securities in his hands, and the loss on the paper of that one bank was a mere trifle. The auditor is entitled to no small credit for his judicious and successful management of the affairs of these suspended banks, by means of which, notwithstanding their reputed and supposed insolvency, every doliar of their paper was fully redeemed.

There is at the present time on deposit with the auditor $6,740,745 95 of stock securities, calculated according to their strict value in market: while the entire amount of circulation of all the banks is $6,205,122; or $535,623 95 less than the amount actually pledged as security.

There are, however, one or two defects connected with our system which it is highly desirable should be remedied. One of these evils is

the large number of mutilated small notes in circulation. Our currency, in some places, seems to be composed very largely of small bills so ragged, torn and mutilated, that even their denomination or the bank which issued them can hardly be made out. This is a serious evil, and tends very much, and justly, to keep paper money in disrepute among the people-besides which the facilities it affords to counterfeiters is a matter well deserving our consideration. It has been suggested that if banks were required to redeem their mutilated notes by others at some convenient point, the difficulty might be obviated. Whether this be the true remedy, or whether, in fact, there be any remedy for this grievance in your power to apply, are questions left to your own wisdom. Another circumstance connected with our banking system, meriting your notice, is, that our bank notes are only current at par within our own state, or to a very limited extent beyond it. Hence he who would travel but for a short distance beyond the state is compelled to submit to a sacrifice of one or more per cent. upon bills the redemption of which is perfectly well secured. This, manifestly, should not be. The currency of our own state is at this very moment as good as that of any other state in the Union-nay, it is even safer, more secure than most of that which commands a premium over it. It may not be in your power to correct this evil. I suggest it to you, however, as a matter well entitled to be considered. As already intimated, I regard our banking system as amply fulfilling all our reasonable expectations, and any essential modification of it I would not at this time advise.

SCHOOL FOR IDIOTS.

I would again call your attention to the subject of establishing a school for idiots. Ample experience in other states has demonstrated that a large portion of that unfortunate class of our race are susceptible of improvement under a proper system of training, and that nearly the whole of them may be more or less improved in those particulars essential to their comfort as human, not to say rational beings. Schools for this object have been in existence in some of the states for several years; and their success has been such as to encourage the most liberal outlay of means for their maintenance and support. This class of persons have been regarded, until recently, as wholly unsusceptible of advancement in any kind of useful knowledge, and they have consequently been left to group their way through life in the most utter destitution of every capacity necessary to render their life enjoyable, or even endurable. A brighter day has at length dawned upon them, and it is now regarded, by reflecting and right minded men, as one of the most imperative of our duties to supply the necessary facilities to enable them to raise themselves in the scale of humanity. A very moderate appropriation is all that would be required at your hands, at least until it is shown, by actual demonstration, that such appropriations are not only philanthropic, but judicious and wise.

RECORDS OF SURVEYS, &C.

You are aware that the government surveys in Illinois have been completed, and that the maps and all the records belonging to the survey have been deposited in the surveyor general's office in St. Louis. They