Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-09-30
The New Jail.


pose by which the very respectable committee ap- |
pointed by the last County Court of New Hanover
county to build Jail are or have been actuated and
we all know what delicate and yet thankless duty
they have to discharge and therefore with what
sideration their acts should be canvassed. But on
the other hand the gentlemen composing that COM
mtee are altogether too intelligent to regard an
unauthorized intrusion the respectful remonstrances
of any of their fellow citizens who. citizens of
the County and of the town of Wilmington are
equally interested with themselves, and likely to be-
effected by their probable action public servants.
It is in this light that the matter should be viewed
and with this feeling that it should be approached
on all hands. decent regard for public opinion
on one hand, and proper appreciation of the mo-
lives and the other, all that are ne
cessary. and feel assured that they will not be
found wantingin this community.
The Jail. as it now stands has been found insecure
lis too small, and s in every respect, unsuited to
the purposes for which it was designed. This un-
sutabeness and Insecurity was the chief if not the
only cause which induced the County Court to d.
its removal; for, we presume that had the Jail
been suitable in every other respect action would
have been taken in the premses-not, at least for
long time to come. This much admit. But We
knG| that the Court was not ignorant of the fact,
that the Jail. in its present position. regarded
great Inconvenience by the puklc-but es-
pecialy by the citizens of the neghborhood in which
it is located; and in ordering it's removal to new
site, instead Of its reconstruction upon the old, it is
hardly possible to suppose that the end in view
a removal simply for the purpose ola removal with
out some compromising benefits oflocation sufficient
to pay for ard justify such step. Now. we may be
wrong, and the confession may he equivalent to
acknowledgement of extreme dullness of perception on
our part but nevertheless, must make confession
that we are unable to what pensating benefits
advantages reasonably be expected to flow from
its removal from square the next, when it is
to be placed upon lot scarcely larger, and not as
convenient or healthy as that upon which it now
stands We know that. in the last resort, the pub
lie good must override the interests the objections
of private individuals; hut, certainly the spirit
both of our laws and customs is against wanton or
unnecessary exercise of power in this way. and we
know that the gentlemen composing the committee
are the last men in the world to dream of such
an exercise-and this, presume, will be uni
versalIy, upon calm consideration, admitted
These gentlemen well everybody else, must
see, upon examination, that the inconvenience to
the proposed change of location from Third and
Princess to Fourth and Princess, which would
simply have the effect OF removing it from the doors
of # citizens to place it the doors of an
other set of citizens, including in the calculation
the largest and most permanent male and female
school in town :; and although, as we have already
admitted this matter Of inconvenience to the neigh
borhood might not have been of sufficient import
since it to be removed it is certainly consdera-
ton which cannot we'll be overlooked in determin-
ing its new location.
The great, and, indeed, the only tangible recon-
mendation urged in favor of the proposed site
is, that it has heavy spring of water arising in
near it, and flowing from it, which might be useful
in the publication of the prison. Other things be-
ing equal. this certainly a recommendation but
we would respectfully suggest, that if the Jail is
still to be continued in the heart and centre of town
the county already possesses abundant vacant
ground the Court House square, upon which the
construction of cistern of full capacity for every
want of the Jail. and which would always be sup
piled with water from the accumulation of two such
large buildings as it, and the Court House would
not, in connection with the extremely short cuver
necessary to reach the run of water before alluded
to, cost anything like much it would to render
the proposed location fit for the purposes desg-
mated Ii practicable it is certainly desirable how
ever that the public prison should be far out Of
the centre OF growing town possible
We have thus gone more fully into this matter
than we could have wished under other circumstan
ces-perhaps more fully than some may think right
But there is question about the fact that very
considerable opposition to the proposed location does
exist, and we have deemed it proper to state the
grounds of opposition fully and rly, that it may
be why others, we'll as ourselves d fer will
the gentlemen of the committee all of whom ou
y personal friends, and for whom have the highes
respect Personally the writer of this has not cent
worth of property in the negh borhood to be affecte
way the other. and in any case, prefers cain
reasoning to anything like personal feeling By tn
g way, it is proper to remark. that the price to b
# paid for the newly purchased lots Fourth an
d Princess is 81 900, and not 81. 500.
!. Daily Journal 26M inst.
is ESg~ The less said the sooner mended," is, W
n suppose, about true it used to be, and W
g. therefore suppress any harsh remarks feel
IF ings. which short article in the Commercial of thi
IF morning might have naturally elected excited =
e The writer of the article headed The New Cattl
Pound" has certainly lived in vain, if experienc
Is has not taught him that men may differ widely j
h opinion without any abatement of mutual friend
chip or reepeet OF th;s fact political contest
p affords constantly recurring evidences. We ca