ILLINOIS. 



429 



discharged convicts; 192 warrants for surren- 

 der of fugitives from justice on requisition of 

 Governors of other States, and 335 requisitions 

 upon Governors of other States. Commissions 

 have heen issued during the two years to about 

 4,000 justices of the peace and to 1,800 nota- 

 ries public, besides those issued to all State 

 officers and officers of all State institutions. 

 Since the last report 15 cities and 30 villages 

 have organized under the general law. 



The average number of patients in the vari- 

 ous charitable institutions of the State during 

 the last two years was 2,282. It is anticipated 

 that in consequence of their enlargement the 

 average for the next two years will be about 

 3,000, or an increase of nearly one third. The 

 appropriations recommended for the ordinary 

 expenses of the nine institutions amount to 

 $1,114,000. The previous Legislature appro- 

 priated for the ordinary expenses of the same 

 institutions for the last two years the sum of 

 $1,035,636. The proposed appropriations are 

 to be distributed as follows: 



Northern Insane Hospital, Elgin $290,000 



Southern Insane Hospital, Anna 180,000 



Central Insane Hospital, Jackson ville 216,000 



Deaf and l)umb Institution, Jacksonville 160,000 



Blind Institution, Jacksonville 50,000 



Feeble-Minded Institution, Lincoln 120,000 



Soldiers 1 Orphans 1 Home, Normal 88,000 



Eye and Ear Infirmary, Chicago 40,000 



Beform School, Pontiac 60,000 



Total for two years $1,114,000 



The estimates for all these institutions, in- 

 cluding ordinary expenses, repairs, etc., amount 

 to $2,027,215. 



It appears that more than half of this ap- 

 propriation is to be applied to the maintenance 

 of the Insane Hospitals, viz., $686,000. A 

 fourth insane hospital is in progress, called the 

 Eastern Insane Hospital, calculated to accom- 

 modate 800 patients. The capacity of the other 

 hospitals is 450 patients each. The sum of 

 $200,000 was appropriated for the construction 

 of the Eastern Hospital, and $480,000 more is 

 asked for its completion. The number of pa- 

 tients at present in the Central Hospital is 534. 

 During the two years ending October 1, 1878, 

 1,075 cases were treated. Of these 167 were 

 discharged recovered, 220 improved, and 69 

 unimproved. In the Deaf and Dumb Institu- 

 tion there are 516 pupils, 20 teachers, and 20 

 other employees. The average attendance for 

 1876-'77 was 358; for 1877-'78, 408. The cost 

 of maintaining each pupil, including board, tui- 

 tion, books, medical attendance, washing, light, 

 fuel, and in many cases clothing, for the past 

 year was $194.93. From a statement of the 

 comparative cost per capita of the pupils in 

 each of the deaf and dumb institutions of the 

 United States, it appears that the highest cost 

 is in California, $525 ; in Iowa, $343 ; in Penn- 

 sylvania, $245 ; in Missouri, $205 ; and in In- 

 diana, $217. In none of them is it so low as in 

 Illinois. The principal, at the request of the 

 Board of Trustees, visited a number of simi- 

 lar institutions in Europe in the summer of 



1878, but " in no country did he find such an 

 exemplification of fostering care and public 

 benevolence in behalf of the unfortunate as is 

 exhibited in the United States." 



The principal source of revenue to the State 

 is the taxes, as will be seen by the following 

 statement of receipts : 



From taxes of 1871.. 

 " " 1878 . , 

 " " 1874 . 



" " 1875 . 

 " " 1876 . 



$4,49218 



5&3 59 



512 16 



152,8(50 59 



1.680,041 50 



1877 1,947,69143 



redemption and sale of real estate 8,195 88 



judgment debtors 8,880 60 



sale of property 760 00 



superintendent of Eeform School 400 00 



proceeds of sale of Eevised Statutes of 



1ST4 4,566 00 



Secretary of State, for fees collected 15,l5i> 45 



Auditor, for fees collected 86,882 00 



Total amount received $8,856,024 88 



The excess of receipts of general revenue 

 over disbursements was $351,840. 



The school fund receipts have been as fol- 

 lows: 



From taxes of 1873 $326 40 



" 1874 80437 



" " 1875 24,463 76 



" " 1876 1,106.928 84 



1877 986,23572 



Total amount received $2,118,259 09 



The excess of receipts over disbursements 

 was $96,266. 



The receipts fron the Illinois Central Rail- 

 road have been applied to the payment of the 

 principal and interest of the State debt : 



From 7 per cent, on gross earnings for six months 



ending October 31, 1876 $179,644 57 



From 7 percent, on gross earnings for six months 



ending April 80, 1877 139,745 17 



From 7 per cent, on gross earnings for six months 



ending October 81, 1877 176,606 77 



From 7 per cent, on gross earnings for six months 



ending April 30, 1878 151,229 64 



Total amount received $647,226 05 



The excess of disbursements over receipts 

 was $299,424. 



The following chows the balance remaining 

 in the State Treasury, October 1, 1878, to the 

 credit of the various funds : 



Eevenue $1,750,503 66 



State School 275,482 77 



Military 7,213 58 



Illinois Central Eailroad 124,821 82 



Delinquent land tax 331 06 



Illinois Eiver improvement 867 99 



Unknown and minor heirs 6.891 22 



Total $2,165,65312 



When a State so entirely relies upon taxes 

 for the support of its institutions, and the 

 amount of these is so large, it might be sup- 

 posed that the penalties for non-payment would 

 be rather severe. - Such, however, does not ap- 

 pear to be the case in Illinois. The State Au- 

 ditor complains that the insignificance of the 

 penalty seems to offer a premium for the failure 

 to pay. In many counties there is little or no 

 purchase for investment at tax sales. The tax- 

 payer allows his property to go to sale ; he ir. 



