New-York daily tribune., 1844-03-09
III I'RIB u N z
THE STATE PRISON BILL.
REMARKS OF Mr.. HUNTINGTON.
ONTARIO,
IN the Nev- York assembly, on the Bill in relation
!" to State Prisons.
Reported for the Albany Evening Journal

on Of the North being under consideration Committee
IN. Whole Mr.. Coz in the Chair, Mr.. HUNTINGDON
addressed the Committee in substance ss follows:
Mn. CHAlRMAN-I advise the Committee that
do not rise for the purpose of speaking against
time, or to weary out the patience of the Com
mttee until they are compelled to leave their seats
As an humble advocate Of the mechanics, de-
sire to express my views upon this question.
am happy, Mr.. Chairman, that on this question
no political strife has been agitated. The inter
ests of the State are atissue-its whole system of
criminal jurisprudence is open for dellberatien
and fual action. I hope the Committee will re-
collect that | am but mechanic. | come not
here to play the orator, but to give such informa-
lion as my own long experience in business has
enabled me to treasure up, and to give such ad-
vice to the Committee as | am able to vouch for
The correctness Of. propose to submit some re-
marks on the peculiar hardships to which your
prison system has subjected the mechanics, in
connection with the abortive attempts of success
ss;ye Legislatures to afford them relief.
In 1884, in answer to the prayer of more than
10000 petitioners, the Legislature appointed Sc
lect Committee to investigate their complaints
and report to the next Legislature. A majority
report from that Committee was made, adverse
TO the petitioners. The Legislature Of 1885,
however, passed an act, forbiddng the teaching
Of new trades in the prisons, or any contracts to
be made for the services of the convicts, except
for the manufacture of such articles as were
chiefly imported from abroad Thus that Legis-
ature fully, though tardiy, admitted the justice
of our claims But, Mr.. Chairman, did any ben
efts enure to the mechanics from the passage of
that uct Not the least. Every provision Of it
4 L.. q
most open and unbushing manner by the officers
Of the prisons. This determination to defeat It's
object preceded its passage. While the law was
pending in the Legislature, those contracts which
mad but short time to run, were renewed for five
years-thus completely neutralizlng the beneficial
effect Of the law.
Many mechanics, disgusted with such periidy,
abandoned their business, and engaged, at great
sacrifices, in pursuits for which they were un-
qualified, and to which they were utter strangers.
But, sir, an indomitablc PhalanX remained, IN
whose veins the blood of IT'S flowed unadulter-
eted Another united effort III 1912 resulted III
full recognition OF the iustcc OF their complaints,
by the Legislature of that year. a law was then
passed. not repeating or modifying the law OF
lS34-not advisory OF its provisions as stated by
the gentleman from Cayuga, Mr.. Hall,l but
mandatory and penal.
Mr.. HALL said the law of 1912 altered the
law of lS35-not that it was advisory of It's pro-
visions.
Mr. HUNTINGTON understood the gentleman
TO say aduisory and | commented upon the re-
mark at the time This law required the Attor-
ney General to pass upon the validity OF the then
existing contracts. What an anomaly in Lcgis-
lation was here presented Rather let me say,
what a broad farce was then enacted. For sew
en- years. the Agentsan Inspectors otthe Prisons
had sported with the Interests of the Mechanics
and sacreligiously trampled upon your statute
book, and set your laws at defiance. Were they
called to account, for this violation of your law
No, sir Not the slightest murmur OF dlsappro-
baton was heard, save from the Mechanics, whose
complaints were unhecded. By those in author
ity, the offence was deemed too venal to deserve
comment Nay, more, sir 1; when that blll was
under consideration, it was gravely proposed by
its opponents to throw the shield of Legislative
protection over these violators Of law and affirm
the validity of these contracts But the good
sense and integrity of the majority revolted at
such monstrous corruption, and the bill passed oy
strong vote.
The Mechanics now fancied they had gained
the acme of their Wishes and that the long sought
relief would be- realized. But, Mr.. Chairman,
lot US mark the result, and bow to the glorious
uncertainty Of the law. We have seen that 1t
was made by that act the duty of the Attorney
General, to pass upon the legality OF the existing
contracts. In the performance OF that duty, The
major part of them were dissolved. thus were
the complaints of the Mechanics fully JUSTIFIED.
Thus-''O tell it not in Gath'-the Empire
State was adjudged by her highest law officer, to
have been for seven consecutive years, engaged
IN robblng her own mechanics But no sooner
were the old contracts dissolved, than new ones
were framed-the States losing IN the operation
about thirteen thousand dollars. In several IN
stances, these new contracts were made with the
old contractors, and by a fiction OF law the loen-
ucal conycts, who had been instructed IN VIOLA
ton of the law of 1885, were adludged not to
come within the prohibition OF the act OF lo4%,
and were once more placed at the disposal OF
their old masters. But to cap the climax and
complete the absurdity, the Attorney General
overlooking the indivisibility of Trades, as the
term is legally and technically understood, &c
clded, and that too, on an affidavit (the most
eScephonabe Of all cvidence)-and that affidavit
procured ct Sing Sing, whether within Oh with
oa, the walls Of the Prison, he has not informed
'ms House, and without the aid Of any statistics,
relating TO the manufacture of the article, that
Brussels carpetng was chiefly imported from
i0telgn countries and therefore, the art might be
Taught in the Prisons. But what arc the acts IN
The case? Why, sir, they are, that IN lSl2, we
Imported of Brussels, Wilton and Treble Ingram
Carpeting to the amount of S20o,S ,S95, while the
Domestic manufacture in the same year reaches
The enormous sum of S2,262, $50. Who Will
now doubt that the Attorney General has acted
conspicuous part in this farce | mean rot to
impugn his motives. / state the fact and leave
The committee to draw the inference. l beheve
NE gentleman from Cayuga, (Mr. Hall, sng-
gssted yesterday that but for defect in the law,
ne might have been indicted; and certainty
nave no disnnsitinn 10 contest that question WIN