Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-11-10


EUBuLIDEs No. III. is received and shall
appear in our next.
FOR TIE ARGUS.
II Uie7v ofIhe ohera;ionS Of the Penite4ti-
arg Of Yirginia, since he adjournment
Of ne Legislature, on tie 22d e Jan4a-
~. 1907.
EVERY friend 20 humanity must rejo &C
at the important change, VIII eli, in the
course of Il few months, haas been wrought
in the Peniten;iary System adopted i'll Nir
GINA. Instead Of looking forward TO 4 pc
riod, not far distant, when this monument
Of the philanthropy of its founders must
have tottered into ruins from defects in the
organization of the system, we may in
duige the pleasing nope that the expecta-
lions OF its cary and Jealous advocates
viii! be fully realized instead of seeing the
public treasury drained by accumulated
losses, arising from the inadeQuacy OF the
labor Of the coivicss to meet Ihe expense
a.: their maintenance, and the cost VI the
materials en- loyed ia tie various branches
of manufa cture, we now discover Il c0Isi-
derahIe balance in favor OF the common
wealth.
II can hardly - credited, but It is ne
vertheiess true, that between the FIRST daV
Of April, and first of September, 1897, the
internal operations Of the Penigcn,iary have
yielded Il profit To the commonwealth Of
merc Than fee Thousand dollars. These
assertions are not the offspring of . vision
AIRY mind, ju;cnt upon lis favoritc theory,
bu, are grounded on authentic information
derived from official documents. How, it
may be ASKED, has thja Change been eject
ed! From what causes Ccuid II nave arisen
that an institution which, in 5hc year 1904,
lost s 1913 CT, in the year 1865, s 1851 SIS,
and in thr year 1906, $ $3.50 IS, should, IN
the short space of 1--we months, produce a
gain OF, /ive M1usaAd seocn hWNdycd dof-
lars.
The following report of one of the acting
Visitors with ths accompanying state
ment of the accounts between the Com
monwealth and the penitentiavy, trans
mittel 20 the Executive Ivy the Board of
Visitors, may be regarded as official do
cumeuts, and !uliy Confirm the pos items
above advanced.
have this day again visited the Gii;Sr-
ent apartments and work s."lis IN The Jaii
and fcuiteutiary, and ar pieased 70 fad
;hat almost al! %; the coHvicts nave re-
covered from the Influenza, and are en-
ployed ~ their usual labor :-.Ihcre is but
one person nuw seriously III. ANA IRON APP
pe;,r,mc: shis disc: acvL.a ken favorable
turn-O!c o! Lhe women has the .tgUe au5
Fever, and three or -Four OF The men are too
unwe!i - labor. The unusual health pre-
yai,.ng in lnc PeuitUnIiIry st this season
l"i the year, have 80 dCuot has been 0w-
I ;rss 10 Ihs cleanliness which with pleasure
have observed to be used.
Ia taking Il view of the labor which h9.
| been performed since the 1st al tlN. 4. Ii
month last, 10 the 1t OF tlic present month
! (being nionthS,) fad it :,nlounts TO TWEEN
ty-hve thousand five hundred and twenty
nine dollars, sixty-tAree ard half cents,
| and the amount of the expenditures for the
| same period, exclusive OF some few items,
which cannot now be aScertaincd, bu;
: which it is supposed will not amount to
more than between two and three hundred
, d3llars) amounts to nineteen thousand Eve
( hundred and ninety-one dollars, seven and
one third cents, leaving nett profit Of a.
/ bout FIVE thousand seven hundred dollars
! for five months This statement when con-
/ tras;ed with the one rendered last year,
! commenting 12lh month, 1at, 1905 and
ending 18th month, 1t, 1866, shelving the
/ amount Of labor performed IN that year, tn
amount TO oniy 9 II 500 10, and ba-
= lance against the institution of 8 $3.50 SO,
{ l''r the said rear; prcsS nts pleasing
and encouraging prospect. Put il uluSl
/ b. cons dcrCd ;hat The above statement ~
! ciules five & the mes, favorable months IN
! the year for labor 4; aud period in which
| the expenses particularly of fuel is much
/ less Sc; th.,t Il cauHct be expected that
more, If IS much labor Can be periormed
/ in the REMAINING ScveI months, aud the OK
| venditrres hcing more Will not leave near
as much ~ oft. Bot ii he profit should a
mount to half ~ much, the institution will
then nett o yearly profit Of upwards q
| eight thousand dollars.
! trnst and hope when the Legislature
iiads The institution netting Il handsome
/ profit ms cad If bringing the stae Largely IL
deb. as It has heretofore done, that 1t will
completely do away the prciudiccs many
I OF them have entertained against this iAu-
dahlc humane and honorable institutions
And it has ever been my opinion, IS the In
s;ituton did ivl through, 1T would he for
the want Of proper management, and not
the fault of the institution Installation
Wilnm Prices absence is occasioued by
indisposltion.
Given under my hand this 9th month
18TH, 1857.
(SiEucd) THOMAS LADD.
N. y. In tho foregoing statement the a
gents commissions arc not taken out, which
. will probably amount ~ about FIVE hundred
dollars. Nor is any thing allowed for TIT