New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-01-08


Pleasant Prison, of thirty of the Auburn con-
victs, probably diminished the number remaining
IN the latter prison to about the same extent,
whi!e the change of the prison districts would
have diminished the number Of commitments
Tor the latter potion of the year. The whole
expenses OF this prison for the last fiscal year,
were Sos, l07 10, but this included sonic five
thousand dollars OF debts standing over from
prcvious years. which were PAID during the last
year, from special appropriation made from the
treasury Tor that purpose. The earnings OF the
prisoners employed up1n contracts, during the
last year, amounted u SD $50 10, and the same
earnings inF the current year, are estimated al
500 Gee, while the expenses OF the prison for
the year, for general support and repairs, are es-
tlnatcd al the same sum. The report from this
prison contains Hany interesting facts, relating
10 the discipline and moral aad intellectual con.
dition Of the convicts, but which, as they will
probably be repeated IN the annual report of the
inspectors IN the Legislature and as they cal! for
10 action on your part, omit to notice.
For several years previous TO the last, extensive
complaints were made, on the pert OF the Me
CHANCES Of the State against the manner Of en-
loving tie Convict Labo. in The State Prisons,
as particularly unjust and oppressive upon them
rs class OF our citizens. The ordinary branches
of mechanical end manufacturing labor chosen
for the occupations of the Prisoners, and the
manler Of employing them in the branches ST.
lected, by hiring their labor 10 Mechanics aud
Manufacturers in those trades, it was urged,
raised UP al unequal and unfair competition, III
favor Of those employers against their fellow cit
zens Of the same trades bui without that facility
TO procure cheap labor; that the State could
afford 10 higc out these cunv!cis at a Ia;e OF
wages merely equal to their own support, in the
| economical way in wh!cn that support is pro-
yided N tGe Prisons, because the services OF the
boxer were To cos it nothing more; hat sucn
labor could be made TO supply the market with L
better article, at css price, ana greater profit,
thdn the mech mic manufacturer do who
mas not the benefit of this artificial standard 10
Govern the wages Of his aborels.
| A further ground of complaint was that this
mode of employing The convictS, thus cqnstitu-
ting them mechanics confined to lew trades,
and those, 10 a great extent the most common,
and necessarily followed ~ l!parts OF the State,
was throwing The whole body Of these State
criminals, after their discharge from prison, upon
That particular class Of society, and making them
TIC associates Of the apprentices and Journey
men IN those trades.
The last Legislature considered thes3 COM
plants worthy OF an effort to change the policy,
and authorized the erection OF new State Prison,
| in the iron region OF the State, with view 10
the employment CT the cOGv:cts IN mining, max
ing iron and such branches OF the manufacture
Of iron as arc not commonly practiseG by the me-
chanics of the State. A site hss been selected
for the proposed prison, by the persons, and in
The manner, pointed out in The law, located in the
county Of Clinton. Two hundred acres of land
have been purchased, including what is believed
10 be very extensive bed OF IRON ore, of excel
lent quality; and the location, with reference 10
COAL water, and other requisites for the proposed
business, is considered very favorable. The an
nusl report Of the agent of the proposed prison,
will place you in possession Of all the facts
important for your action IN furtherance Of this
experiment to change the labor Of the convicts
in our prisons. Your predecessors adopted and
established the policy Of the measure, and ST. 800
have been paid for this site for prison, as one
important step towards tire execution OF their law.
\ pan for the new prison will accompany the re-
port of The aeent and further appropriations will
doubtless be wanted 10 enable him to proceed with
the erection of it, and the necessary buildings
for the proposed manufacture of iron. OF the
amount of appropriations which will be necessary,
am not advised, but you viii be informed by
that officer and presented by him with the facts
and views upon which his estimate IS based.
The course having been deliberately resolved
up9n it should be prosecuted with energy and
good faith and the work should be nastened as
rapidly Us the means al your command applicable
to it, and true economy oil expenditure, will per-
init. Still these who feel an interest in The &C
complishment of the change should constantly
bear IN mind that time is required; that the work
to DC performed, and the expense 10 be incurred,
must be very great, before the revolution Propos-
IL. ep,N,,l a
be attended with complete success. The enter
prise is one of deep interest, but ono which I'M
patient haste may endanger, and cannot serve.
The public charities OF the State form another
class of objects for your patcfnai Gaze. Among
them no one stands more prominent than the pro
vision made Cor the insane, and especially i)r the
insane poor The State Lunatic Asylum, lately
established at Utca, is particularly designed for
the relief of this most unfortunate class OF cur
fellow beings, and the mnfcence of preceding
Legislatures towards it, and the prcmptuess
with which tic Counties and Towns vi the State
nya;lcd themselves of It's benefits, afford the high
est evidence of the strength of that charity in the
affections of our people. There is not, perhaps,
ON instance upon record where public lnstltu
liun OF that description and eatent has been so
promptly filed with patients, and certainly few
where Inc llappy result Of entire restoration To
reason, considering The condltlon OF the patients
when received and the duration of the malady
before that time, have borne Il greater proportion
10 the whole number of cases treated. There
were IN the Asylum, at the commencement OF the
last year, 1876 patients, aud recelTed INTO II dur
mo The wear 275, MAXIM the whole number of
cases within the year AL. OF this number 1872
were DISCHARGED cured, A improved, 10 not I'M
proved, and Is died, leaving 260 patients in the
institution al the close OF the year. Oh this num-
Der I3l were males aud l29 females, and patients
were included from foriy-nnc o! the ti'ty-nine
organ zed Counties of the State
ihe patients remaining, at the close OF the
year, filled the Asylum and indeed croweed It;
but All pooC patients chargeabie to the towns ana
counties had been received, ana there were
number in addition supported by their lriends, or
from their own means. The price OF board dur
ing the year was reduced from 81 3O to 81 per
! ..,l,o ~ = a