The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-01-09


rightly stately to the occasion of the deficit,
inasmuch as the labor of the convicts employ
ed upon it, with the cost of materials, and
every other expense thereby incurred, are car
ried TO the credit of the institution. The fact
which appears, is the more interesting and i'm
portant, as it tends to defeat an expectation,
which had become confidently INDUCED, that
without yielding any thing of intended I'M
provement in discipline and salutary and more
severe restraints, to views of profit, the Prison
might nevertheless well be made 10 indemnity
the government from expense in its future
support. The hammering of stone had tur-
nlshed the principal proportion, of the amount
of earnings in former accounts, and this en-
ployment, decidedly the best adapted to the
character and condition of healthy convlcts,
was looked to, as a certain and permanent
of productive labor. 1t has lamentably
happened, however, that this branch OF busl-
ness, both in extent and in value, has greatly
fallen off, at the prison, during the year
On receiving the Report of the Directors by
which the unfavorable state of the accounts
was first communicated to the Executive, at
their annual visitation of the Prison in October
last, such explanations were orally requested,
as the occasion seemed to demand. Suisse
quently, upon the suggestion of the Directors
themselves, addressed to them, as also to the
Warden, written communications proposing
precise and definite interrogatories upon the
several points of inquiry which were deemed
important to a right understanding or the
subject To these, answers have since been
given, and copies of the'whole correspondence
with the Reports of the officers of the lnstltu-
ton, are transmitted for your consideration.
1t is but proper to add, that the government
of the prison, in its influence upon the deport-
ment of the convicts, through the year, mas
been entirely satisfactory. The Directors and
other officers have, with assiduity and success,
applied themselves to detect and repress every
improper indulgence, and to enforce sobriety
of behaviour and submission to authority
The Reports of the Directors and OF the fhy-
sician, respectively, will be found to contain
an earnest and elaborate vindcation, deserving
of your particular attention, as Guardians OF
the character of the Commonwealth, and its
Institutions, against imputations which have
been recently and extensively circulated IN
popular publication of mismanagement anu
abuses in the government of the Prison.
In answer to inquiries directed TO the War
den, he has furnished general statement OF
the progress which has been made IN the erec-
ton of the new building with the aggregate
amount of cost hitherto, and an estimate OF
expense for its completion. BY this EXHIBIT,
copy of which is herewith communicated, you
will also be informed Of the manner and time,
and of the necessity of further appropriations
TO the purpose. An inspection of the work
must produce entire conviction, that 1t has so
tar been executed in the most thorough and
durable manner. Il should be prosecuted and
FASTENED to its accomplishment, by the appli-
cation of all reasonable means. In whatever
else there may be disappointment, no appre-
hension should be INDUCED that the utility Of
this improvement will be lost upon the future
favorable condition of the convicts The day
OF the occupation of the structure will be re-
garded as an epoch in the history of Peniten-
tlary reform Solitary confinement in its mar
row cells, viii constitute an outward secusion
from crime and powerfully tend to subdue eve
ry inward Indictment to sin.
During the past year, the Com missloners
under the Act for the separation of Maine
from Massachusetts,, have made further pro-
gress in the surveys and divisions of the pub
Ge- lands, and have divided and assigned in
severalty, between the two states, in distinct
townships and tracts, nearly eight hundred
thousand acres, lying Southerly of the line
run West from the Monument and East and
West of the Moosehead Lake. Transcripts of
their Records duly authenticated by them, with
plans and field notes taken under their direc-
ton, which respect this division, have been
turned to the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, and are deposited in the ar
chives of state, pursuant to the provisions of
the Act. Copies of the instrument Of Parti
tition and assignment of the lands, containing
a descriptive enumeration Of the respective
parts and quantities, together with communl-
cation addressed to me by the Commissioners,
are transmitted for your information. Under
this Commission there have now been divided
and assigned of the public lands in the state of
Maine, an aggregate of about free millions of
acres, which, the Commissioners sag, 1" en-
braces probably all that, for sometime to come,
will be needed for actual settlement, and also
the most of that which is exposed to depreda-
ton and plumber" They represent " that the
residue of the undivided land lies in regular
and compact form, to the greater part of which,
the British Government is understood to have
laid claim which, however unfounded," (Lhey
suggest.) would much embarrass their furth-
or proceedings . and they ask direction from
the Legislature of the respective States in
relation to their remaining duties, and for an
additional appropriation of money to the pur
poses of the commission, if they shall now be
required to prosecute them.
Although the inquiries suggested by the
Commissioners are particularly addressed to
the consideration of the legislatures and can
be disposed of only by them, yet | cannot but
feel it proper to remark, that the Act of Separ
alton being in the nature of compact between
this Commonwealth and the people of Maine,
the execution OF one of the terms of it, which
requires the division of the public lands within
the period of ten years. is not to be dispensed
with, but by mutual agreement If therefore
that portion of the allotted time, which is yet
unexpired, might be regarded as too short TO
admit of delay in the completion of the SER
vice, a suspension of the work should not be
insisted on by either of the parties against the
consent of the other. But considering the sit
uation Of the remaining undivided tract, there
seems no urgency for Fastening the division
i: is Represented to lie in shape susceptible of
easy partition hereafter by geographical lines,
and it is mostly situate too remote from settle
nents, in yet almost unexplored wilderness,
to justify the expense, at present, of that par