Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-14
COMMON cn1rNcn

At monthly meeting on Monday. IItb instant
P'esent-Messsrs 5. ID. Crenshaw, James Cas-
ke, Jas DO ,her, G. A. Myers, VIM C. Allen, G.
W. Muniord, John Freeman, Joseph Mayo. Jas.
T. Heath, and WIN. A. Patteson.
| me President being absent, MIR. Munford was
appointed President pro TEN.
| n communication from William Tyree, oyerseer
OF the city hands, asking increase of his salary
was referred to the Commissioners of streets
The memorial of Il. Whitfield President OF the
Franklin Manufacturing Company was submitted
asking The Common Council TO bear half the expense
Of opening the cuIved which eonduc.s the water
from Judge Stewards LOT, 9Th street; = the said
culVeri being oostructed, is supposed in conse
quence OF the permission given to the said Compa-
ny TO place tank, for using the water flowing
through the culvert, on said street.
On motion Of Mr. Heath, the Memorial was re,
eFFeu 10 the city Surveyor with instructions - re-
port the facts of the case.
Mr.. Heath presented the following report.
The JOINT Committee appointed by the Common
COUNCIL and the Court Of Hastings 10 inuuire int n
the condition Of the City Jail AMI the treatmaot of
the prisoners therein confined, have executed The du
~ assigned them, and present the fOovSin, ,e,,,,,
The Committee assembled twice a. the J,;ii and
made personal examination Of its stale Of rep,ir
and general condition. The building tbeU tbi,k
Is extremely defective in its original plan and con,
strucuon. 4he part appropriated 10 conyicts and
persons charged viii criminal offences and misd,-
meanors, consists OF two ranges Of cells twelve in
each range on the ground floor, and ara necessarily
damp and incapable of proper ventilation vV,,bo..,
100 much exposure IN cold weather. The onfv .T-
cess 10 then Is thr0 Ugh an outer door, provided with
u II cross bars OF iron, admit ing freely the
air. and the only means provided to couBteIgr, ,Ie
cold, are Two iron pipes for steam and smoke which
pass rom furnaces on the north side of H.. al
tnroush o1ch o. the cells near the ceiling Absut one
miro, or perhaps oDe-hg, Of the cells nearest the
furnaces are sufficiently heated when the furnaces
are we'll supplied with fuel; but the reco,ind., go
pecaly those most remote, receive selfeeiv any
persePLJle warmth from the pipes The dsb,o,s,
apar men's which over the &c Is are douIlo ,b
5 Ze OF the latter, and are provided with windows
and hire places and may be rendered sufbc,e,ti,,
comfortable. The doors Of some few, OF In c.ly
are not provided with sufficient bolts and 'ocks ,r
some Of the windows Of the upper story rso,,i1. ,c
paT' ne IJofs OF lew oi the cells, also and the
wooden fence, which constitutes a part of tbc CO.
closure, are m a somewhat decayed condition IL
reference 70 The manner IN which the prsore,s .,o
traltedt and the general conduct and inaneyero.n,
Of the Jalior and his Deputy the Commute. IN o,'
ger 10 arrive al the most foil and satisfactory iolor
ma'Ion, secured the attendance of the Serge,n, -
Is principal jior his deputies, the attaining pl,ysi.
can Of the jail and other officers Of the corDo,,t,oo
lhey 80 examined the coroner md some ~ d..
Jurors Who were cmpannslled on the iDaue,t l,te'l
hed 81 the jan over the body Of deceased prisopss
and they now submit the results of tbe, ,,r,,,..'
v ith regard 10 he food with which tho 49,.
have been supplied, the witnesses, whose situotio,
enabled them % testify 20 that point coneu, l., 49,
opinion that u has generally been "yholesorne and
suhcent' There may have been occasional e,-
ceplOns, nut ibey were rare and might haze either
resulted rom accident or defective cooking-tbe f,
USED Tor That purpose eonseng for the most rart of
green pune. As 70 the other important er6uires
emOrhctd IN Tie % re- olutOn, 10 wit, Wbrtberfbe
prisoners have Teen provided with sufficient beds and
Oedding VIA c!nlny apartments and ndenu,,, np,,.
lhs IN sickness, the Committee ore constrained 10 81
press the opinion, thnt there has been cupo
"s neglect ~ s not necessary 10 20 into oil tie mi
hule details bearing upon this branch Of the sYL
lse' Dui u was satisfactorily shown to the Commit.
'es' haI heretofore and until very recently the sun.
ply o' Deas ana bedding has been Altogether insde.
quate 70 prevent human suffering n NOT perii ~ if.
" The prisoners. Neither have The esjls and o,b,
apartments been kept sufficiently elesnlv. Inc ,s,,i
siiion OF the law 10 whtowash the interior ~
building az least twice year, having been oi,nr,,
wholly disregarIed. The COMMITTEE are 80 y,
oplnion that there has not been in some instnness
at east suihcient care and attention bestowed upoD
SICK prisoners and lUnatics nor adfa1ate cIntb,og
iurhhhed when needed, although the law make
ample provision IN all such cases. On the contrary
instances might be cited, ard circumstances narrst'
co, u necessary, 10 show that B some of tbese "a
sPects, The ordinary claims Of bumaoitv have no,
been properly regarded wv
IT'S due TO the Sergeant Of the CITY. who il or
eUieto principal Jailor to sae that he ren,esen,sd
ne COMMITTEE, that for siX months past his health
h'u Oseh 30 precarous 90 10 disable him from n rro
per ana regular supervision Of the iail. On the
y'her hend, u appeared 70 the COMMITTEE that tbs
deputy jlor was inhibited from incuyrin0 deli, on
account Of supplies Of necessary beds and Idios
ana clothing for the prisoners the furnsbino Of IN