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turpitude of minor transgressions of the law, guards the mind
of criminal childhood from the depressing sense of hopeless
infamy and disgrace, which clings to the yonng inmate of a
public prison, and opens before the child offender the atten-
tive, moral and intellectual culture which promises atonement
for the past in a life of virtue and usefulness. Children of both
sexes, whose dormant, moral nature has never been awakened
to a correct discrimination of right and wrong, are placed
under proper, moral and religious culture, and carefully ed-
ucated for the pursuits of honest industry; plucking, as it
were, from the verge of a fathomless abyss immortal beings,
and causing the blighted bud, under kindly culture, to de-
velop the full blown flower, to shed upon the social atmos-
phere the fragrance of virtue and righteousness. This is
effected by careful, moral and religious instruction and dis-
cipline. Idle habits are corrected and habits of virtuous in-
dustry inculcated. The schools are directed to the cultiva-
tion of the intellect in subordination to morals and religious
precept and principle, the great regulators and directors to
the improvement of the whole man, soul body and spirit.
The fruits of this great charity are being gathered from
many of the beneficiaries, who, under the wise regulations
of the institutions, have been placed out at service, affording
the highest evidence of the utility and efficiency of the insti-
tution and its admirable adaptation to polish and prepare
from roughest materials living stones for our social and po-
litical temple. Our State may well be proud of such benifi-
cent institutions, and with liberal supplies replenish the
fountains from which flow such streams of gladness, and in
the future, as in the past, when like Cornelia asked for her
jewels, point to her children, especially those polished
by her care. We suggest an annual appropriation of
$15,000 and for the purpose of an additional building the
further sum of $10,000.