SIR: We have the honor to make to you the following brief report of the action of this Board during the past year.

The duties of the Board, under the law, are: first, the visitation and inspection of the State institutions, and, second, the visitation and inspection of county jails and almshouses.

I. THE STATE INSTITUTIONS.

All of the public institutions of this State have been visited officially by us, individually or jointly, as required by law, twice during the year. We have found them generally in a condition of efficiency highly creditable to the officers and trustees, and honorable to the State. We are of the opinion that few, if any, of the States of the Union have greater reason for just pride in their public institutions than the State of Illinois. The various building enterprises generously provided for by the liberality of the General Assembly are in a satisfactory state of forwardness. The Industrial University building, at Champaign, is completed, dedicated and occupied. At Anna, the north wing of the Southern Insane Hospital has also been completed and opened for the reception of patients. The same may be said of the dining room and hospital building of the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, at Jacksonville. The school building for the deaf and dumb has not made much progress above the foundation. The Eye and Ear Infirmary, at Vol. IV-96

Chicago, has laid the foundation of its new building, and no more. The center building of the Institution for the Education of the Blind, at Jacksonville, is under roof. The Northern Insane Hospital, at Elgin, has contracted for the completion of the entire building, and the whole will probably be ready for occupancy by the middle of next summer. At Carbondale, the plasterers are now at work in the new edifice designed for the use of the Southern Normal University. The Insane Hospital, at Jacksonville, has erected this year a carpenter shop and an ice house, and has partially completed a new filter, besides finishing and furnishing the chapel. A small frame building, used as a dormitory and wash-room for male pupils, has been erected by the School for Feeble-Minded Children, at Jacksonville. At Normal, the Normal University has put in new boilers, and made the long contemplated improvements in the apparatus for heating and ventilation. The aggregate cost of the building done by the State institutions, during the past year, considerably exceeds four hundred thousand ($400,000) dollars. At most of these institutions other minor improvements have been made, which we forbear mentioning in detail.

The trustees of the Northern Insane Hospital contracted for the erection of the south wing during the year 1873, in advance of the appropriation for that purpose becoming due; and had, on the first of last December, orders on the treasurer of that institution outstanding, bearing six per cent. interest from date, and payable April 1, 1874, to the amount of ($81,249 27) eighty-one thousand two hundred and forty-nine dollars and twenty-seven cents. The total interest on these orders will slightly exceed two thousand ($2,000) dollars. We think that this transaction, though there may be no law for it, will diminish the cost of erecting the hospital, besides securing its completion from six to nine months earlier than would otherwise be possible. The trustees confidently expect to have it ready for the reception of patients on or before the first of next September, and we regard the early use of that hospital by the insane of the State as of far more value to the public than the amount of the interest.

The center building of the Southern Insane Asylum would have been substantially completed by this time, but for a clerical or typographical error in the appropriation act, which was understood by all parties to make an appropriation of $99,000, payable out of the levy of 1872, but by some blunder the act was finally printed and passed with the year 1873 substituted for 1872, which has necessitated an unforeseen and unintended delay in the erection of the center building.

We think that the language of the fourth section of the act creating this Board obliges us to call the attention of your Excellency to the fact that the contract made by the trustees of the Institution for the Deaf

and Dumb, for the erection of a school building, chapel, dining room and hospital, exceeds the appropriation made for that purpose, by eighteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-two ($18,792) dollars, which we regard as unauthorized. The trustees, in their report, say that they hope to meet all obligations incurred on these buildings, without further aid from the State; but inasmuch as we know of no funds now in possession of the institution, or likely to come into its possession, sufficient in amount for this purpose, and as the diversion of the current expense appropriation to other purposes is forbidden both by the constitution and by the laws, we presume that this statement means nothing more than that they have provided in their contract for the cessation of work upon the chapel and school buildings whenever the funds already appropriated are exhausted. The expression is ambiguous, at least. We also call your Excellency's attention to the additional fact that the new boiler house and heating apparatus have been already erected, and the money expended on this account, which the trustees, in their report, say that they obtained by negotiating with private parties, "without entailing any expense upon the Institution or State," has in fact been drawn out of the State treasury. On the other hand, it gives us pleasure to state that the plans finally adopted for the erection of buildings by this institution have been materially altered from the original design, and that the alterations obviate, in a great degree, the criticism upon the former plans contained in our last report. Instead of erecting one building, with wings enfolding the rear building, the trustees have laid the foundation of a school building and chapel at a distance and entirely detached from all the present buildings, thus securing a better organization of the institution, greater security against fire, and a result every way more satisfactory. We are also highly pleased with the boiler house, boilers and heating apparatus.

With regard to the financial management and condition of the State institutions, we have to report, that in consequence of unavoidable delay, on the part of some of them, in replying to a schedule of questions submitted by us, we are compelled to postpone for a short time the special statement called for by a resolution of the House of Representatives, adopted at its last session; but will have it ready as soon as possible. We find that in two of the insane hospitals of the State a deficiency exists at present, amounting, in the Northern, to ($11,290 84) eleven thousand two hundred and ninety dollars and eighty-four cents, on current expense account, and in the Southern, to ($16,696 84) sixteen thousand six hundred and ninety-six dollars and eighty-four cents, upon building and furnishing account. The latter deficiency has arisen in consequence of the building commissioners failing to ask at the last session of the General Assembly for sixteen thousand ($16,000) dollars, then due Mr. Shinnick, the contractor, on his contract for the erection of the

north wing; of which liability this Board had and could have no information, in the absence of any statement of the same on the part of the said commissioners. The deficiency at Elgin has arisen during the year, but is largely offset by the amount of fuel and other supplies for the winter already purchased and now on hand; and the superintendent and trustees anticipate that by economy this deficiency can be wiped out before next December. We hope that this expectation may be realized, but we are less confident of it than they, unless a further appropriation for current expenses is made at the present session.

Several new appropriations are requested at the hand of the General Assembly, at its present session, which have been referred to us by the trustees for endorsement and remark.

The Northern Hospital for the Insane asks an appropriation of three thousand ($3,000) dollars for furnishing the lower story of the north wing for the use of patients, as soon as it shall be vacated by the officers, on completion of the center building; three thousand ($3,000) dollars with which to build a refrigerating and smoke-house, for the storage of fragile and perishable supplies-the only place for such storage at present being the basements under the wards; and an additional appropriation for current expenses for the maintenance of two hundred and twenty-five additional patients, to date from the completion and occupancy of the south wing. On the supposition that the Legislature sees fit to make any further appropriations to any of the State institutions, at its present session, we approve all these requests, particularly that for a current expense appropriation, without which the south wing can not be used before the spring or summer of 1875.

The Southern Insane Hospital requests an appropriation of ($66,196 84) sixty-six thousand one hundred and ninety-six dollars and eighty four cents, in thirteen items, as follows:

5th. To extend sewers and build cisterns for holding and utilizing sewage.

6th. For barn, ice house and vegetable cellar.

th. Additional furniture for north wing.

8th. For fencing and improving grounds..

9th. Making road along right of way from Anna to hospital.

10th. To erect coal house ..

11th. For carpenter shop, engine shop and tools.

12th. For additional stock, carriage and wagons.

13th. For library, musical instruments and amusements.

Total..

Of these items, all except the sixth, eighth and ninth have our unqualified approval. The sixth item might, we think, be somewhat reduced in amount; and the eighth and ninth, though desirable and perhaps necessary, might be postponed until another year. We hesitate to speak