The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-29
Wednesday,, Oct. 81.
SENATE.

tee OF three to visit the State Prison, and, by
the examination of officers and inspecting OF
accounts, construct a table of the nnual ex-
penses, and annual number of prisoners since
its establishment, and also to inquire whether
the prison could not be advantageously re-
moved to Isle La Mott upon the site Of a mar
bic quarry.
Mr.. Harrington said he was satisfied that
the accounts Of the prison were loosely kept,
and that its business was far from being prof
table. This last fact resulted chiefly from
the misapplication of labor. The boot and
shoe, and carriage business, which had been
great expense in the provision of proper ma
t%crials, and moreover, the articles OF manutac-
ture being extensively disposed of in way of
barter, unavoidably involved the accounts in
great confusion. He desired that the Prison
should be so located and so conducted as TO OBJ
viate these difficulties In New Hampshire
the prisoners were employed, he believed, in
working stone provided them for the purpose.
The prison at Sing Sing was situated on a
quarry, as they all know. And SO advantage
Gus had this plan been found in New York,
that the State had recently established anoth-
er penitentiary near Plattsburg, where the
convicts were to be engaged in the manufac-
ture of iron, obtained on the spot. On Isle
La Mott was found a bed of marble, superior,
he believed, to any in New England. There
were now employed upon it laborers whose
number was more than twice that of our pres
ent ~convicts. At least nine tenths Of the
work now performed there was of such a
character as to require no more skill than that
possessed by the common laboring man. No
apprenticeship would be necessary. The ma
terials were inexhaustible, and could be OBJ
tanned and wrought without expense to the
State. He would venture the assertion that
five years of labor devoted on that spot to the
erection and completion Of proper buildings
by the %conyicts would cost the State less than
the maintenance Of the present prison had
done for five years. He would not say that
the prison had been wrongly or injudiciously
managed. There was something in the very
nature of the employment now prosecuted
that resulted in confusion and loss. Yet he
thought it very desirable to make inquiry if
the present state Of things could not be rene
died.
These views were forcibly sustained by
Mr.. Smith. He stated in the course of his
remarks, that there was a capital of $14, 900
invested in the boot and shoe department of
the prison, and yet that owing to irexperi-
ence and the want of machinery about a days
labor was required to manufacture a pair of
shoes, while in other states a pair could be
made from IA to II cents and also that the
carriage mandatory at Claremont on the
opposite side Of the river sold carriages from
10 to 20 dollars cheaper than the prison could
do.
After a few remarks by Mr.. Hodges in ia
vor of charging the scope of the inquiry as
to the location so as to embrace the State, on
motion of Mr.. Onion, the resolution was re-
terred to the Committee on Finance.
Report by Mr.. Bradley, from the commit
tee on Banks, against the incorporation of the
Green Mountain Bank at Bennington bill
laid on the table.
The Governor transmitted the Report of
the Commissioner for the Deaf, Dumb and
Blind, from which it appeared there were
nineteen Deaf and Dumb persons supported
in whole and in part by the State at the Asy- |
lum at Hartford, six of whom have been adj
mitted the past year: and that there are SOW
en- blind persons in like name supported at
the Asylum in Boston, one of whom has been
admitted during the past year; also that
Commissioner has paid, the last year, to the
Hartford Asylum $2,257 Oh and to the Dos
ton Asylum 1907 rs.
Adjourned.
HOUSE.
Bill introduced. From the Senate, extend
ing charter of Farmers Bank; referred to
committee on Banks.
The House took up the bill (Which has
been superseded by another already passed
both Houses,) relative to the Passumpsic and
Connecticut Rivers Railroad Company, the
question being upon adhering to the diagree-
ment to the amendment Of the Senate the
House adhered without asking a conference,
and this kills the bill-a consummatlon de-
sired by both Houses and all concerned.
The Senate came in, and the following APP
pointments were made:
OFFICERS OF I'll STATE PRISON.
HIRAM HARLOW, Superintendent.
Harlow 1870, d. S. Ewing 80.
SILAs II, JENIsoN,)
ALLEN WARDNER, Directors.
HORACE FIFIELD,
TThe first two were elected unanimously
for the third Director the vote was for Hor-
ace Fifeld 141, VIM. Sanborn 81, scattering
A..
REV. THOMAS K1DDER, Chaplain, unan-
imously,
Commissioner for the Insane, CALEB B.
HARRINGTON, Esq, of Middletown, unan-
imously.
State Superintendent Of Common Schools
His Exc'y HORACE EATON, unanimously.
The joint assembly for county officers adj
iourned to Saturday next, 10 A. NJ, and the
Senate retired. Adjourned.
Thursday, October %.
HOUSE.
The Speaker announced the select COM
on the bill relating to appeals from
commissioners-Messrs Miner, Rus
sell of Burlington, Harrington ofMiddletown,
Tyler and Jones of Chelsea.
Resolution. BY Mr.. Pope, suspcnding the
of the journals on the opening Of the
morning session passed.
Bills introduced By Mr.. Churchill, relat-
ing to licences to inn-kecpcrs and retailers,
rGon To SO fine for sale without licnnse=