Washington telegraph., 1850-11-13

relaxation of discipline will endanger the lives of
those in charge, and involve the State in pecuniary
loss. For further and moie minute details of this
affair, together with the management and opera
tons OF the Penltentiary, refer you to the report
Of the superintendent, herewith transmitted
| The contractor, upon bis own responsibility, has
recovered portion Of the building in order 10 pre-
serve the walls and cells, in which the prisoners
have been from necessity conined from the inju-
rious effects OF exposure to the weather 1t will
be for you TO determine what compensation he
shall receive Tor his labor and EXPENSES in this
particular.
| In September last. portion of the prisoners re-
volted, and attempted TO escape The movement
discovered in time to be arrested. These
frequent attempts TO escape. by revots and de-
siroying the Buildings. be attributed to no other
than he Insecure condition Of the bddings
tending rather to invite revoits and INSTRUMENTATION
than discourage them, by cutting off all hope
of escape. 10 continue this institution, under such
arrangements as have heretofore existed, cannot
fail 10 fix the Pententiary, for all time to come,
constant drain upon the treasury, and would
seem TO eviuce absence Of any thing like pru-
dent legislation. This has been he case since the
day OF Its establishment, and wall continue be
uuii different counsels prevail and method
| fixed aud determiuate shall have been adopted
! The buildings have been of temporary and inie-
rior class, and the appropriations made and d-
(
| Of money to very little purpose.
| The peniteniIary system, in my opinion, must
be abandoned, IN justice TO the State, something
! resolved upon substantial in its character
| We cannot pursue the former course, without
! tRrnipg cut upon society band OF desperate and
reckless men. who will, in all probability, return
| to their career Of crime Then, the only alter
native. liberal appropriations must be made, and
efficient means adopted to rebuild the institution,
either anew by reconstruciing it upon
liberal plan, thereby PLACING ii beyond the power
of the inmates either 10 destroy the building to
make the r. escape.
l have not ceased to hope that the Penilentiary
can be rebuilt and conducted in such manner
| that it will no longer remain expense to the
State, but IN time become source of revenue.
In relation 10 the pardohlng power, have
deemed it my duty, under circumstances as ,hey
have been presented to me, to exercise it IN but
two instances, where he convicts had any leagth
Of time to serve; and in Two three instances,
| where their term ol Imprisonment was about
p,ring, after having conducted themselves well, in
order that they might be restored TO their rights
citizens. / have deemed 1t my duty to exercise
this rig! t, under Il very humane provision of the
Con.titution, thus seldom, under the conviction
that tie proper tribunal to determine the guilt
Innocence OF AN individual, is Iry of the coun
Try, and when they nave with all their synpalhics
enlisted on The side of mercy, pronounced verdict
o; guilty, L feel no disposition to interfere with
their iudiBg, unless III OF manifest injustice.
Within the last quarter OF a century, the char
aeter oi legislation has materially changed. The
s,yr,, that once guitrd and controlled the law
making ,.ower, no longer obtains. When the
prNlegcd few legisl.ted for the Inauy, the debtor
was at the mercy OF lhe c'editor lie could
trol his property, ilcarcerate ms psrson and save
his family; and never was the stranglng grasp OF
the relentless creditor weakened upon the throat
of the unfortunate debtor until, by the aid of rea-
son, directed by the light of science the masses
upraised nearer to level with the moneyed
few. and taught that, as governments were sup
ported by them, they had right to deman Jist
such government as would best protect aud
guard ther interests.
Much was obtained for tie people at the organl-
zation Of our Federal and State Governments.
Much more has been obtained since. Then The
people were thought competent TO seiSct lew oi
Their officers. Many selected for the.,, u on
the principle that they knew not what suited thein
best TINS monstrous political hsresy has been
successfully assaed and over:hrown. Many Of
the States, and among the number, have
eTinced disposition to concentrate all power in
the hands of the people, as lis only legitimate
resting place. Believing, / do, that
better governed by the many, tAan We have ever
been by The few, | would recommend that the
Constitution be amended as To require every
State aud county officer TO be elected 10y The pco-
pie. Experience proves that, whenever this policy
has been adopted and lairly tested, it has worked
We'll.
The doctrine Of imprisonmen, for deb, has been
exploded ana no longer remains disgrace upon
our statute books, and biut upon The records Of
conrls Of Justice. Lin this, much has been
gained IN the cause Of human rights.
The time YVES, wi.en oue-i.all, and that the
farcr, utterly unknown in the scale Of polti
cal being. They bad no rights, either personal or
poi,ticai in the eyes of the law. The wife and all
she might possess became, upon marriage, Tie
property, the mere chatiei, of tie husband, rho
was expected ~ control, feed or starvr her, as he
chose; all under the sanction Of tie laws OF her
country. This state of things, for the sake OF
Iiunanliy aud common sense, rejoice 10 say no
louger exists among us. Our wives and mothers
elevated in the scale of being, and stand
in the eye of that law, upon higher platform
than our horses. Upon these subjects we b we
m ide considerable advance rncui--ave kept pace
with the in. provenents OF the are. But there re-
mans other subject, equally Important IL is
character, and as inperious rs demands upon
your attention and consideration, as these AL
lude to The policy of exrmpting the home oil every
man, together with the necessities OF life, from
execution. True, the prison doors have been
closed, and no longer staud the Instrument OF OPP
preston IN the bands of the malienaut creditor;
the civil authorities can no Ion Ier he made lnsiru-
mental in crushing and running the untort innate
debtor; YOU have secured tie married female
c,ltain rights, and assigned her place III society
worthy Of her; but you have lelt the unioT-
tunate debtor still! dependent upon the mercy
of the unfeeling creditor, for the support oi his
family
TCoaclaae2 nert Ureh.l