The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1854-03-09

the river bearing evidence ii hayinl
beer sui 6ct to violence. The prison
ers were At once suspected and th,
: fact that they had been seea to por
new clothes and plenty Of money, be
sides they beng the ones who wers
Last seen In the company Mthe muir
: dered man. an enditement yuas found
and they have been found guilty O
manslsughter and recommended to the
; mercy Of the Court" BY the jury.
Nothing has yet been heard Of Mr.
Lawrence, whose disappearance some
weeks ago caused so much talk and
Of which | told you at the time. The
present is an age Of blood, unparallel-
ed in our history, and if. things go on
at this rate, the laws will be set aside
and men will have to resume those
arms which i6sless civilized times
were used for personal defence.
The Democrats are agitating the
questions OF the Mayorality and other
city offices to be filIedat the ensuing
election. The wings seem to be lay
ing on their arms for the present, and
so far as | can judge, they will make
no nominations though by so doing
they do the very worst thing they
could, for the party, as they will find
to their sorrow. CYRUS
Report Of the Joint Committee Of the
Penitentiary.
I0the Honorable the Pyesideuk Of
the Senate and Speaker IF tie
House Of Representatives.
The Joint Committee on the Peni-
Tertiary begs leave to submit the fol-
lowing report:
In discharge of'the duty devolving
on them, your committee have visited
the Penitentia-y, and examined the
premises generally: the cells, the food
furnished the prisoners and also their
personal appearance.
The examination and enquiries of
your committee we're minute and partic-
ular, from certain expressions contain
ed in the report at the Directors Of the
Penitentiary. The expression alluded
to are as follows: =
1--WE found the prisoners had scarce.
ly sufficient time allowed them at
meal time to eat, not being more than
ten minutes. We increased the time
one hour at II o'clock
And on page s:
your board are decidedly opposed
to the system of leasing the labor Of
crime in our State to a company, there
10y creating monopoly, and enriching
a few to the detriment Of many, and
at the same time changing the spirit
and Intention from a place where pun
ishment for crime is meted out, but
that the criminal may have an oppor-
tunity Of reformation where even-hau-
ded justice may be dealt out, where
the force Of example, instruction and
advice of the officers connected with
the institution may have full and prop |
er effect, and not where dollars and !
cents are the controlling Interest, either
in the scanty allowance of food and !
or the low price paid the
officers and guard employed in the in
stitution. The great importance of
every office connected with the in-
stitution, aud having proper and COM
potent men assigned TO the various sta. /
tons, is not in general fully understood,
and can scarcely be appreciated by |
the public at large. who have no ale-
quate means of oblaing the proper in
to enable them to Judge
The capacity and qualifications required
in this branch Of the public service"
Enquiries we're made of the prison. &
ers themselves, as to the quantity
md quality OF their food, also the time
allowed them at dinner, &c.
They stated that they we well fed,
md that they preferred the plan
pursued of going to work as
'oon as they finished there dinners,
n preference to being locked up for
IN hour, which is the present rule.
They stated that they had as much
ime as they wanted to eat, and were
lot called to work, but went as each
inished his meal.