New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-05

VOL. sEE. NO. 257.
.4--zzarazseazzrsza.sr-z=
Report OF the Committee on State Prison.
On the Bill entitled g An act IN relation to State
Prisons, made 10 tie assembly, January 27h,
1914.
lir. SUDAN. from the Committee on State Phi
sons TO whom was referred an act entitled An act
in relation to State Prisons
REPORTS:
That since our appointment as said Committee
we have had under consideration the various peti-
tons to YOUR honorable body, which pray for the
passage of law TO establish State Prison for the
employment OF conyjcs in mining and the manu-
facture of ron We have also availed ourselves OF
such information as has been heretofore presented
to the Legislature on this subject, as we'll as ev-
dence obtained by subsequent researches, corrobo-
rating the opinions of the commissioner appointed
to examine in relation to it, and reported to the last
legislature together with the statistics furnished by
the recent reports of the officers of the existing State
! Prisons.
Your committee believe the truth will be denied
by none, thar the advance Of every country in civil
zation is estimated by its progress in the mechanical
arts. These have given us the apparel in which we
are clothed the implements with which we cult
vate the earth; the dwellings which we inhabit; the
ships in which traverse the ocean; the grand dis
penser of power to man, the steam-engine; the in
exhaustible distributor of intelligence, the printing
press. In short, is these arts that distinguish us
from the SaVageS; without these, we have neither
| science nor literature.
At the organization Of our Republic, the predc-
ton, if made, would not have been credited that
| thereafter our numerous body Of mechanics possess
ing vast funds Of intelligence, giving to national
character its currency throughout the world, iDds
| pensabe to our daily comforts, indeed TO very
existence, should by thousands, from year to year.
| complain to free government OF unredressed
grievances. Yet history proves such to be the truth.
In the opinion OF your committee, the existence
of the grievances complained Of by the mechanics,
has been too often set forth by petitions and argu-
ments, TOO repeatedly admitted by legislative ac-
| ton, to be denied conroverted On the
other hand the present system of working the con-
victs and dividing their earnings with contractors,
is making rapidly increasing distractions from our
scanty Treasury, and thus increasing the burdens
| of the tax payer.
Byreference to the presentreports of the inspec-
tors of our present prisons, it appears that the
ceipts from the earnings Of the convcts at Auburn,
who are under contract, have been for the past year
| S44 033,04.
That when to this is added the estimated valne
OF their labor in completing work shops, and making
repairs in the prisons, their earnings supposed
to amount to- $4,000 o.
! During the same year the receipts from
the earnings of the convicts at Mount
Pleasant amount to-. 36,97O 81
Thus making the earnings of all ourcon
vcts the past year amount to.---.--- S89,82I 10
At the end Of the fiscal year. the number OF con
victs at both Auburn and Mount Pleasant was $3.50.
| Divide the amount OF earnings by the number OF
| the convicts, and we have SOD ~, as the average
earnings of each for the year. This sum, divided
by the number OF days in the year. gives fifteen cents
the daily average earnings of each convict This
pitance, then, the compensation the State receives
for the hard labor of her convicts at mechanical
| trades. 1t is not, therefore, matter OF surprise
that both prisons will require aid from the Ireusnry
for their nortf hn p1sI
The number OF convicts Sng-Sng, including
females, was 914. They have earned the past year.
S36970 81, which is less Than eleven cents and SIX
mills each per day. The inspectors OF this prison
inform us, that - the expense OF supporting each
convict is about twenty-five cents day. The con-
vics at this prison then, lack each, thirteen cents
and four mills per day OF earning his support Al
lowing the number OF the convicts the expense OF
supporting them, together with their earnings 10 re-
main he same Tor the ensuing year, the sum ofS4l,-
747 "a will be required from he treasury 10 SUSTAIN
this prison until the end OF lie year. The lspec-
OF both prisons, IL is true, indulge the hope OF
better success hereafter. similar hope has sus-
tanned their predecessors for several years, while the
financial conditions OF the prisons have been sinking
with accumulave velocity. We therefore submit
10 your honorable body, whether we have not arrived
at crisis requiring immediate acton! Whether the
prayers of the petitioners shall longer remain una-
Swered and our treasury exposed TO unnecessary
exhaustion? The delay of the past year has only
well as on financial losses and enlbarraSsnents We
cannot expect to escape from morasS with more
ease when we shall have sunk still deeper
The objection raised By some that the establish
men of the proposed prison will be attended with
| some expense may be brought with similar sho"
of reason against the general administration OF JUS
tee The demand for this prison is made as an act
of justice to the petitioners, justice TO the taX-pay
ers The sanity of an individual who would lie
languishing with disease rather than detray the eX-
pense of a physician 10 heal him, would certainly
! be very questionable. Judging from past eXpen-
ence as we'll as from future prospects. your Com
mittee is constrained to believe that the treasury
will in very short time suffer more by the contnu
ance OF the present system than by The immediate
| adoption Of the plan proposed in the accompanying
bill.
1t will be seen that by the provisions of the bill
herewith returned, the conyicts IN the proposed pr
sons are to be employed without the intervention of
contractors, so that their whole earnings will
crue 10 the benefit of the State That this SYSTEM
securing all their earnings III business so inter-
minable as the manufacture OF iron, will produce
handsome surplus above the support OF The con-
victs is not with your committee matter OF doubt
! Such employment, too removes them from compet-
ton with our citizens as eiectually as if they
! transported to Russia or Sweden. Even 10 the
manufacturers of iron in this country, who fall so
far short OF supplying our demand, 1t can make no
difference whether our convlcts contribute towards
furnishing the deficiency by labonng here or IN the
| countries referred TO.
s perseverance in the present method of employ
inc the convcts Will leave remedy upon the drafts
Of the Treasury as remote as ever the complaints
of the petitioners unremoyed, and attachment 10 our
| free institutions endangered.
All ofwhlchls respectfully submitted.
FLs.TING ALARM WHISTLE TO GIVE MARINERS
NOTICE ON SHOALS AND RocKs.-Amongst Mr.
| Hobbs numerous inventions for the preservation