Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-24
For the Nashville Patriot.
Aris brown & Co.

systematic effort TO annoy, SANDER ana insult
ESQ. Paul and myself, and compel Us to yield
TO dictation or prescription. 49,
First. Aris Brown is suddenly seized with
O par0xism of self-respect, and retiFes from the
Board and wantonly casts an insult at u.s.
Gov. johnson next plays his card in the farce,
and tenders to ESQ Hagsn the vacated ofnce-
he must needs play the part assigned him, by
declining and throwing another slur at Us. FL
nalIy the Union and american intimated that
the testimony published by Us was not the
same as that furnished to the committee. In
reply we challenged and de6ed the threatened
disclosures, and called for the original, but
that had been stolen from the archives OF the
Senate. We moreover called for the name of
the thief, who had committed robbery as
disgracefu and felonious as if he had stolen
sheep, or fobbed our purse. The theft was
committed not to enrich himself, but to rob Us
by inueudo of our fair name.
a week elapsed, aud the public were told in
"a hours the threatened disclosures should be
forthcoming-the "a hours came, but not SO
the disclosures" Indeed, the knowing ones,
adopts in lodges evasions and tricks, discoV-
cred all at once that they had played wrong
card, and cast about for scape goat. Our old
colleague had served them on a former coca
sion, and on the principle that Zone good turn
deserves another" and presuming upon his
good nature and his devotion to his party, Arts
was their man. So he is harnassed in the col
umns of the Union and american, and bur
thened with another load of filth wherewith
to bespatter u.s. Hear m-"bargaining," sin
| trguiug," "conspirng" to have the Peniten-
tiary leased out, &c.
The "behind the curtain gentry" mistake if
they suppose US so stupid as to accept Arts
Brown as a sacrifice in lieu Of the great offend
er, who ilched our manuscript from the com
mittee room. 1t either belonged to the al
chives of the Senate, or it belonged to us-if
to the former, he ought to be pointed out,
made known, and denied the privilege of Il Q
Capitol-if to us, lie deserves a place him
self in the Penitentiary.
But lest our old colleague should feel him
self sighted, we will turn aside to notice his
grave disclosures"
At the session of the Legislature, 1854,
Gov. johnson, in his message, used the follow
ing language in speaking of the Pententiary :
"The institution so far has failed in all the
leading objects of its creation. The system
has fallen far below the expenses incurred in the
erection Of the establishment, and the annual
cost of carrying it on, up to the present time"
Upon close examination of all the items
properly chargeable to the institution. after
giving it credit for all that it is entitled to,
there will then be deficit of not less than ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, probably much
more" "The State has sustained heavy loss
by the Penitentiary."
Now we thought that this ought not to be,
but that if properly conducted it might be made
10 paw all expenses and yield handsome profit to
boot So we wrote out definite and distinct
proposition which we submitted to many of the
members of both houses of the Legislature and
especially to the Chairman of the Committee on
the Penitentiary in the Senate, proposing to lease
the Institution for term OF years, pay every ex'
pense chargeable to it, and moreover, pay into the
State treasury $4,000 per annum We showed
from documents collected by US. that most of the
States had been compelled to adopt the leasing
system, in order to protect their treasures from
heavy drains.
The Legislature for reasons no doubt satisfactory
to themselves, if not to the taxpayers, refused to
make a change. The measure was, however, only
lost in the Senate by one vote, if my memory is
not at fault.
At the meeting of the last Legislature my pro-
fessional and other duties had so increased on my
hands, that could nor would not have been wills
ling to renew my proposition, but was, neverthe-
less, satisfied that public interest demanded that
some change should be adopted. The Board Of
inspectors, therefore, made the following sugges-
tons on that subject to the last Legislature.
Not designing to cast any reflections upon the
present Agent and Keeper Of the Penitentary, or
upon any of his predecessors, we would recon-
mend that tue manner oil conducting 1t be changed.
We cannot here give more than general idea OF
the plan we propose. We are OF opinion that a
Warden should be appointed in the place OF an
Agent-that this duty should be to guard, feed,
clothe and assisted by his guards exercise all NUM-
Agent should be created, aud that such Agent
should have entire control of the labor of the pris
oners, and employ them in whatever pursuit be
might deem best. That he should be required to
give bond and security to indemnity the State
against any loss, and TO pay the State a liked sum
OF money per annum for the rent OF the prison aud
services OF the convicts; and that the profit arising
from the products OF the concern, If any there
might be, after paying the expenses and the reut
should 20 TO the said Agent in lieu OF a salary.
We think that experience demonstrates the Tact,
that under the present system, agent cannot con
duct so extensive aud varied a business as that OF
this prison, as successfully as could who was
interested, because OF his capital and time being
invested IN its business. Under the incumbent
tys;em the Agent is compelled to purchase 10 this
market all the raw materials used and often at high
prices. He must necessarily sell the manufactures
at the prison, when better prices and a more ready
market might be found elsewhere. The sale Oi tbs
manufactured articles az the option OF the Agent
and the purchase OF the materials in other mar
kets and in quantities. would, in our opinion, afford
profit sufficient TO attract men OF enterprise and
industry TO accept the office OF Fiscal gent Near
ly all ol the States, far informed, la re
adopted similar plans of conducting their state
Commentaries, and we think it would work well
here.
Very respectfully, your obedient servants,
b. w. HALL,
ARTS BROWN : Inspectors.
ISAAC PAUL.
NAsHILLLE, October. 1853.
Because thought that the tar payers Of this
u 4 A.. If -