The Nevada journal., 1855-12-14
The State Prison.


vass was his actions on the several State
Prison Bills passed by the last Legisla-
ture. On all occasions a parade was
ostentatiously mad. of the amount of cash
saved the honest hard working tax pay
ers OF the State by the immaculate Gov
crnor by his especially those of
State Prison Bills. In his Santa Clara
speech the last State Prison Bill was
characterized as even worse than the first.
In that speech it was declared the last
Bill for the adjustment of State Prison
affairs appropriated the sum of Sll7,O
which is false every word oft. The sum
OF $4,000 was appropriated by that Bill
III the following manner: A sum not to ex-
coed 500, 900 to purchase such property
as might be necessary to keep the con-
victs properly employed, and the residue
to furnish guards, clothing, subsistence
&c. until the meeting of the following
Legislature. When this Bill was presen-
ted 10 the Governor for approval, he with
held it in his hands till the Legislature
adjourned, and then published in the pa
pers, an anomaly in the history of logisla-
ton, veto after the Legislature was no
longer in session. By the Wholesale ex-
erslse OF the veto power, State Prison
affairs fell in great measure under the
control and management of the Governor.
The representatives of the people had no
sooner returned to their constituents than
bis Corpulency set out on an expedition
to Point San Quentin. What the nature
of the contract may have been, entered in
to by the Governor, by which the priso-
ners were once more surrendered into the
hands of the officers of the State, has nev-
er yet been divulged, but the facts which
have lately been brought to light, show
conclusively that tho amounts Of money
appropriated by the last Legislature for
the State Prison wero moderate in com
parison with the sums expended since the
convicts were surrendered to the State.
Since the 9th day of July the enormous
sum of upwards of SlS5,O0O has been
drawn in Controllers Warrants for State
Prison purposes OF this amount near
$4,000 were expended for the purchase
of property to keep the convicts employ
ed. The remainder has been spent for
sal ries of officers and attaches, provisions,
and what else the Governor and God
probably only know. 1t has been sug-
gested that the last grand haul lately
made of $4,000 was to bolster up the
rotten sinking concern of Palmer, Cook
& Co.
| Thus all the parade about economy and
saving the state immense sums by patri-
otto vetees, was grand farrago of nom
sense. Five months have suficed to spend
near two hundred thousand dollars on the
State Prison and its inmates, aud yet the
claim of the Lessee, which the Attorney
General the counsellor of the State re-
CARDS as legal and equitable one still re-
mains to be liquidatcd. The subjoined
statement from the Tribune of the several
sums drawn in warrants on the Treasury
and the purposes to which they were os-
tensibly applied, we give for the edifca-
tion Of our readers:
From an examination of the registry
book, in the Office of the State Treasurer
we find that the enormou. amount of one
hundred and eighty five thousand seven
hundred and seventy-one dollars and nine
ty-seven cents has been paid in warrants,
on account Of the State Prison, between
the 9th of July and the 5th of December,
Of the current year.
In July there was issued to j. NJ Es-
tell and A. Woods, $33, 900 for purchase
of property at the State Prison.
In August the sum of $l1 ,S54 80 were
paid for the purchase of property and for
salaries Of attaches of the State Prison.
In October $3,4l3 33 were paid
for salaries of attaches of the State Prison.
In November $l,l1s 26 we're paid to
attaches Of the State Prison.
In this present month Of December the
last grand haul has been made. On the
4th inst, the sum of 1927, 1896 AZ was is
sued to James Smiley and l. S. Cohen, for
materials used at the State Prison. On
the 9TH, $6,4s9 Sc were paid to the at
taches of the Prison, for salaries; and, on
the same day, $4,000 were paid to Smi-
ley, for materials, &C., sc, furnished to
the State Prison