The true Democrat., 1856-11-04

work in . manner highly creditable to them. selves and beneficial to the State.
 Your attention is invited to the report of the keepers of the Penitentiary, and to the sug. gestions therein made. By the report you will learn that on the first day of October, 1856 there were confined in the Penitentiary eighty six convicts and also four slaves subject to be retrieved by their owners from whom they had escaped-making in all ninety prisoners; and that there are but eighty-four cells ia the Peni- tentiary House.
 The Executive recommends that the policy adopted by the act of 10th January, 1853, and pursued by the act of l2th January, 1855, for keeping the convicts and making necessary ina provements, be adhered to during the next two years after the expiration of the present con- tract; and that ample provision be made by law for constructing another workshop of the kind indicated in the report of the keepers, a warden's house, and room for hospital, and that all the additional cells which can be con- structed in the present Pententiary House be built as early as practicable, and that this build ing be placed in complete repair, built up so as to have windows to admit sufficient air to ven- tilate the cells in the upper tier and thus avoid inhumanly injuring the health of the convicts, if not suffocatng them when confined in these cells in hot weather
 This building and the new ones recommend ed should be covered with heavy slate. The Executive recommends that the wall around the Penitentiary House be built up so as to be of uniform height on the inside, and the whole of it then extended up at least five feet higher and finished with stone coping. This would add greatly to the security of the prison, make the wall more durable, and give it the appear ance of finished and permanent public struc- ture.
 All the work suggested could be done during the next two years, and then the institution might be made source of revenue, instead of regular tax upon the Treasury. The State will have ample means to pay for all of these Improvements; and, since they are necessary, and the Penitentiary without them will remain as heretofore tax upon the Treasury, good
 
 policy and true economy seem to require that provision be made, by law, for constructing all the improvements recommended.
 The Bank of the State of Arkansas, to ob- tain banking capital sold 1169 bonds of the State, each for SlOOO. One thousand were six per cent, and one hundred and sixty-niDe were five per cent. bonds Two hundred and sxty-nlne of the six per cent, and one hun dred and forty-tour of the five per cent bonds were cancelled and filed with the State Treasu- Ter, as fully paid off before the 1st of October, lS56 leaving on that day twenty-five five per cent, and seven hundred and thirty-one six per cent. bonds uncanceled; but two of these six per cent bonds, paid by the securities of the late Samuel Adams on liabilities incurred by him as State Treasurer, remain uncanlcled in the State Treasury and two, taken by the Receiver of the State Bank, were in his pos session, uncanceed, on the 3Oth September, 1856. There were, therefore, twenty five five per cent, and seven hundred and twentv-seven six per cent. bonds mnrecteenped on the first day of October, 1856; making in all, seven hun dred and tifty-two bonds, amounting to S752- OOO,OO, upon which the interest unpaid Jy the Banh, on that day, amounted to S664,763 A. The Secretary of the United States Treasu- ry holds in trust for the benefit of the Smith sonan Institute, thirty-eight, and the Treas urer of the United States holds in trust for the benefit Of the Chcaksaw Indians, ninety of the unredeemed six per cent bonds issued to and sold by the bank of the State of Ark ansas The Secretary of the United States Treasury also holds, in trust for the benefit of the Smithsonian Institute, five hundred six per cent. bonds issued to and sold by the Real Estate Bank of the State of Arkansas.
 The act of Congress to appropriate the pro- ceeds of the sales of the public lands, approv- ed 4th September, 1841, was modified, and the distribution of this fund to the severa. States suspended by the tariff act of the 30th August, 1842 But the sum of S5,O12 Is had accrued to the State of Arkansas under the act of 4th Septemper, 1841, before it's mo- dfcation, and, under section four of the act, was retdlueu dl tHe Uhftcu OtateS treasury, and $4658 15 of it applied toward the pay ment of interest on :he five hundred bonds issued to the Real Estate Bank; and the resi- due, S354 01 toward interest on the one hun dred and twenty-eight bonds issued to the bank of the State of Arkansas
 The whole amount of the five per cent. of the net proceeds of the sales of the pu blic lands which accrued to the State of Arkansas. under the compact between the United States and this State, from the first day of January 104l, to the first day of January, 1855, was $60424 96. Under the joint resolution Congress, approved Sd March, 1S45, this mo- ney was retained at the United States Treasury and $54,49 16 of it applied toward the pay ment of interest on the 800 bonds of this State issued to "The Real Estate Bank of the State of Arkansas" and the residue S5, ,94O 80 toward the payment of interest on the one hundred and twenty eight bonds issued to "The Bank of the State of Arkansas" Therefore, from the S664, 763 fl interest, unpaid by the Bunk ot the State of Arkansas, on the 1st October, 1856, the sum of S6294 81 applied at the United States Treasury toward the payment of inter- est on bonds issued to this bank should be de- ducted and then the amount of interest which remained due and unpaid on the seven hun- dred and ffty-two bonds will be shown to be S658, 468 60. The seven hundred and twen. ty-seven six per cent. bonds, amounting to S727,O O. will not be due until the first day of January, 1868; and the twenty five five per cent. bonds will not be due until the first day of January, 1887. Then the princ pal, not due, was $752,OOO % and the interest due and unpaid, S658, ,468 60, making together debt of $1,4lO, ,468 60, on account of tht Bank of the State of Arkansas, on the frs day of October, 1856.