are many of the sparsely settled districts and those now being settled where the maintenance of schools will be difficult for some time to come. In some districts also, especially in the southern part of the State, thero is a strange indifference manifested by the people to giving th children school facilities.

The Normal School building in San José was located upon one of the public squares of that city under the law of last session. The progress made in its erection will appear from the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. A continuance of the special building tax will be requisite to insure its completion.

MILITIA.

The report of the Adjutant General presents the strength of the militia organization and some arguments in favor of its utility.

I regret that at the last session so little heed was given to the recommendations in favor of increasing the efficiency of the companies. They are the right arm of the State in the event of serious disturbance, and as an adjunct to the civil authorities could not be dispensed with. They have not been treated for the past four years with liberality, nor even with justice. Not a uniform has been furnished to the infantry, nor can one be with a tax of only one and a quarter cents. The companies use the old muzzle-loading muskets, which are practically worthless. An appropriation of fifteen thousand dollars would suffice to change two thousand or twenty-five hundred of the muskets now use into breach-loaders of improved pattern, equal to any demand for service. A tax of two cents would suffice to increase the allowances as they ought to be, especially for the artillery, and to furnish the companies with new uniforms as required.

It is desirable to manifest on the part of the public some appreciation of the zeal, esprit de corps, and discipline of the State military, which contains all the elements of a superior body of citizen soldiery, and the State ought either to make a respectable provision for those who give their time freely to its service, or else abandon the organization and trust to fortune for the suppression of riots and mob violence.

A single company of infantry in Los Angeles might, and probably would, have suppressed the recent mob in that city before it had brought lasting reproach upon the State by the barbarous murder of a number of Chinamen, most of whom were innocent of any offence whatever.

It became necessary during last Summer to remove the arms and equipments from the place of storage where they were rapidly going to destruction with rust and mould, and place them in a suitable armory obtained upon what were regarded as favorable terms of rent.

STATE PRISON.

The receipts and disbursements at the Prison are given in the report of the Resident Director. The number of inmates on the first day of August last was eight hundred and eighty, and in November last nine hundred and seven (907).

The Resident Director and the majority of the Board in their report make a variety of recommendations, to which your attention is invited. There is one change needed, however, without which, in my judgment,

it is useless to expect anything like a perfect system of prison discipline and management. This is, that the Lieutenant Governor should be relieved from the custody of the prisoners, and a permanent Warden appointed. A Board of Prison Directors of three, five, or seven ought to be appointed by the Governor, to serve without further compensation than their traveling expenses, as is the case with the Directors of the Insane Asylum.

The Directors should be appointed by the Governor, without reference to partizan politics, and subject to removal by him. The Warden should be appointed by the Board of Directors, and subject also to removal by them; and he should select his own subordinates. It is certainly strange that it should be so difficult to inaugurate this salutary reform. There can be no question of its expediency, both on the score of economy and humanity. At the last session a bill was prepared and introduced into the Assembly establishing this system, but it failed to pass that body, and in lieu thereof a bill perpetuating the present system, and making it, if possible, still more objectionab.e, passed both Houses, but was not approved. The Warden of a prison where eight or nine hundred men are confined ought to be selected with reference to his aptitude for the care and management of such an institution, and should not be subject to removal with the entire corps of subordinates whenever there is a change in party ascendancy.

There has been a gratifying improvement in the discipline and general condition of the Prison during the past four years. The obligation resting upon us to adopt every available means to make still further improvement in the condition of the convicts and in the management of the Prison is enforced by sentiments of humanity and a regard both for the public interests and the welfare of the criminal. With the change of system heretofore recommended and the erection of additional cell buildings, which are urgently needed, the system known as the Irish system could be introduced. A separate Prison or House of Correction ought to be provided for juvenile delinquents and for such as are confined for their first offence.

At present all the inmates, young and old, those capable of reform and amenable to good influences, and those hardened in crime, are confined together, to the great detriment of the unfortunate young men who are thus educated in vice and turned loose to prey upon society. This evil can only be effectually remedied by a separation of prisoners and providing an intermediate Prison or House of Correction, which has been recommended by my predecessor in office and myself. During the last two years a teacher has been employed to instruct the prisoners, with gratifying results. One hundred and ninety have been taught to read and write since April, A. D. eighteen hundred and seventy. I invite the attention of your Honorable bodies to the report of the Resident Director, which contains many useful suggestions. In the management of the Prison the Directors have studied economy, and have endeavored to make a judicious use of the moneys appropriated; but it must not be forgotten that while it is desirable to reduce the cost of the Prison the reformation of the convict should be the paramount consideration.

The State cannot afford to economise expenditure at the cost of failing to make the Prison reformatory, and such disbursements as are necessary for this purpose ought to be cheerfully made. When the present Board came into office the labor of the prisoners was let to contractors at thirty cents per day per man. The price was considered too low, and the

Board resolved to increase the rate to fifty cents. This was done, and some of the contractors threw up their contracts. To avoid being left with nearly the whole labor unemployed, the price was reduced to forty cents, as there was no possibility then of employing the labor on State account. The present Board adopted the system of advertising for sup plies, which has reduced the cost of subsistence and at the same time secured a better quality of provisions. It would occupy too much space to detail the improvement in the condition of the Prison during the past four years. It has been so marked as to attract the notice of all who have visited the institution, and yet with the change of system recommended and suitable cell buildings the condition of it can be still further improved and still better results secured.

The contract system might then be abolished and the Prison possibly be made self sustaining, which can never be done under the present system.

The sole responsibility of the exercise of the pardoning power under the Constitution and laws of this State is devolved upon the Governor. Under an Act passed in eighteen hundred and sixty-eight the Board of Prison Directors are authorized to select such cases as they think worthy of pardon and present the list to the Legislature, and upon the approval of their recommendation by the Legislature the Governor is authorized to act. The practical working of this Act is not satisfactory, and its repeal would be advantageous. The selections for recommendation are liable to be hastily and indiscriminately made, and the Legislature has not the means of acting intelligently upon the report of the Prison Directors. It would be better to leave the sole responsibility with the Executive.

It is an onerous and oppressive responsibility, but the public interests are better secured by having it fixed upon one, than by having it distributed between the Prison Directors and the Legislature.

INSANE ASYLUM.

The Reports of the Directors and Superintendent of the Insane Asylum show at present in that institution one thousand and ninety persons, of whom seven hundred and eighty-six are male and three hundred and four female. The care of its insane is a sacred duty resting on the State, and all who are jealous of its reputation for humanity cannot avoid a feeling of chagrin that this large number of these unfortunate beings should be crowded together in quarters so insufficient for their proper accommodation. It has been an arduous task to make adequate provision for the care and treatment of this large number of insane in buildings, the dormitories of which are fitted to contain not more than two thirds of the number.

The great increase in the number of patients has caused a deficiency in the expenditures of the institution, the amount of which will appear from the reports.

This ought to be provided for early in the session. The management of the institution by the Superintendent and assistant physicians has been unexceptionable, and the Directors have been actuated by a single desire to promote the welfare of the inmates, and at the same time to make a judicious expenditure of the appropriation.

The members of the Board are men of good business judgment, and enjoy the confidence of the public, and I doubt not have aimed at economy. I trust the recommendations of the Superintendent will not

be passed by at this session. The inclosing of the grounds so as to prevent escapes, and the building of the north wing, recommended by him, are urgently necessary, and provision for these ought to be made without delay.

It has also become a necessity to provide another asylum in this State, and its location ought to be fixed upon by a Commission of three or more persons, to be appointed by the Governor. The unanimous opinion of medical gentlemen, and of all intelligent men, is that the additional asylum for the insane should be located in one of the counties bordering on the Bay. There are cogent sanitary reasons for this, aside from the question of economy and facility of transportation, so large a proportion being sent from San Francisco.

In this connection allow me to call your special attention to the report of the Commissioner, Dr. Wilkins, who was appointed under the Act of last session to visit the asylums in the East and Europe. It presents a great number of interesting facts and statistics, and a careful perusal of it will aid very much intelligent legislation upon a subject which addresses itself so strongly to the sympathies of every man who has a heart to feel for the affliction of these victims of mental disease.

In enforcing upon your attention the absolute necessity of additional provision for these unfortunates, both at Stockton and in a separate institution, I only second the appeal of the officers of the Asylum and of the Commissioner in his report, which it would be a violation of duty to fail to urge upon you, and to which common humanity requires the Legislature to respond.

The people of this State have reason to be proud of the improvement in their public institutions, and deserve credit for the disposition to make suitable provision for them, but there is danger of a neglect to provide properly for the insane among us which would bring upon the State merited reproach.

ASYLUM FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, AND THE BLIND.

The number of boys and girls in this institution September eighteenth was one hundred and two (102), as follows: sixty-four (64) deaf and dumb-thirty-seven (37) male, and twenty-seven (27) female; thirtyone (31) blind-eighteen (18) male, and thirteen (13) female. The number would be increased doubtless if the people of the State were more generally informed that no charge is made in the institution except for clothing and traveling expenses.

The Directors report à deficiency of twenty-eight thousand dollars ($28,000), of which more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) appear to be for permanent improvements. The gentlemen composing the Board of Directors, and the ladies who visit the Asylum, give their time without compensation to this benevolent work.

It is a source of gratification to know that the polluting influence of party politics has not invaded the charities of the State during the past four years. If the Prison could be rescued from this influence also, and these institutions could be kept free from this contamination, there would be a great gain to the cause of humanity, as well as to the public

revenues.

The reports of the Directors and Superintendent will give a correct view of the operations of the Asylum for the period of twenty-two months ending July thirty-first.

The management of the Asylum by the Superintendent and Assistants

cannot be too highly commended. The estimate of amount needed for current expenses of the next two fiscal years is thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000) per annum, or seventy-two thousand dollars ($72,000) for the two years.

STATE HARBOR COMMISSIONERS.

Under the present system, jurisdiction over the water front and wharves of San Francisco is vested in this Board. The Board ask for authority to make a further reduction in the rates of dockage, tolls, and whariage; also, the purchase of a dredging machine, and recommend an amendment to the present law, placing every part of the water front, including the frontage on Channel street, more distinctly within the jurisdiction of the Commissioners. There is no doubt that the public interests would be promoted by action upon these recommendations.

If the purchase of a dredging machine had been authorized at the last session this work could have been done at much less expense than under the present system.

The sea wall, so far as constructed, seems to answer the purpose, and the plan adopted and thus far pursued has the advantage of economy over any other one advocated. The dockage upon vessels has been reduced from twenty to twenty-five per cent, and there has also been some reduction in the rates of tolls.

Three thousand two hundred and fifty-two feet of the sea wall have been constructed, terminating at a point fifty-two feet north of Howard street. The engineer recommends a reduction of the length of the Market, Mission, and Howard street wharves from six hundred to three hundred feet, and the location of wharves of the latter length between those streets. This would diminish one half the area to be dredged between those wharves.

TIDE LANDS.

The report of the Board of Tide Land Commissioners gives the results of the operations of this Board, a summary of which also appears in the Controller's report. The nett proceeds of sales to November first, eighteen hundred and seventy-one, are stated by the Controller at nine hundred and eighty-seven thousand seven hundred and fifty-five dollars and ninety-two cents ($987,755 92), of which six hundred and seventy-nine thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents ($679,829 95), are deferred payments, not yet realized in cash. The tide lands in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties are advertised for sale on the eighth day of December instant, and together with amounts to be realized from releases and compromises in San Francisco will swell this aggregate considerably. Of the net proceeds of these lands the sum of eight hundred and thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars ($833,333), sufficient to produce fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) at six per cent, is devoted to the University endowment, the surplus being payable into the School Fund. The hydrographic survey of the tide lands in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Alameda Counties has been necessarily expensive, but is thoroughly done, and will prevent controversies hereafter. The removal of this source of contention from the Legislature has been a great relief to the legitimate business of the sessions, and has secured to public institutions the cash value of these lands.

There are some valuable lands unsold in San Francisco, and beside