Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-01-22

ment in regard to the financial condition o
the Prison:
The receipts and expenditures of the In
stitution for the past fiscal year, are as fol
lows:
Total receipts as certified as the Audito
of State, six,y-four thousand three hundret
and twenty-four dollars and forty.three cent,
-S64 324 43.1o0-total expenditures sew
enty three thousand four hundred and TWEEN
ty-one dellurs and forty cents-S73,42 4O. !.
l0o-showiDg an excess of expenditures ovel
receipts Of nine thousand and ninety-six dol
lars and ninety-s ven cents-S9 ,096 81. 100
In referring to proceeding "offic al reports
from this Institution, we find, in quite mum.
Der, an array of figures presented, to show
that the Prison, instead of being tax on
the State, is source of revenue.
Since April 18th, A. d. 1854, all the re-
ceiPts of the Institution are paid into the
State Treasury, and ali expenses are taken
therefrom. The account at the Treasury
shows that since that time there aas been
receiyec from the PrisaB, $ls2, ,0s7 55, and
that there has been drawn from the Treasu-
ry on account of the Prison $lsl ,6O7 56,
showing that the expenditures have exceed
ed the receipts by $l9.52O O2, and that all
but Sl9,l36 10 of this excess of expendi-
lures wus previous to November 18th, 1855,
and the balance previous to Juns 1s,, A. D.
1855, the time when the present Warden
came into office.
From June lst. AID. 1856, to November
LIST, A. ID. 1856, the accounts show small
balance Of receipts over expenditures, in
cluding repairs which have been unusually
large.
The history Of the Institution, from its es-
tablishment to the present time, shows that
it has been a constant tax upon the State
lfthe same system and economy, with which
good business man manages his own pri-
vate affairs, can be introduced and enforced
in the business of the Prison, there is no
doubt the Institution will support itsnl If, anu
yield small revenue to the State, after it
is put in such state OF repairs as tho inter-
ests OF the State demand.
1t has been our object to intro luce and
enforce such a system. Whether we shall
succeed or fail, the fnture only can deter
mine.
The committee believe it to be a short
sighted and bad policy tor the State to suf-
fer the buildings and other property TO be
exposed to decay, merely for the sake Of
showing present and delusive profit to the
State accrung from the Institution, and thew
have endeavored to remedy the evils which
existed. as far as their means would allow.
Additional repairs to the amount of five thou
sand dollars are absolutely required, in order
to protect the property of the State, and rid
the Institution of the vermin with which it
is overrun.
Unless the Institution can be rid of the
vermln that infest it, the courts should shor-
ten the term of sentence, for the prisoner is
not only doomed to hard labor sdHring the
day, but tortured nights by those ''pests OF
humanity" and We are fully of the opinion
that he only way to remedy this evil, will
be to supply iron beds,eads in place of the
rickeiy, rough board bunks, The open JOINTS
of which afford safe retreat for breeding
plantations.
The experiment of iron beds,eads was
successfully tried during the last sumner,
but was necessarily abandoned, alter max
ing dbout twenty five, fr the want of suffi-
cient means. Another great berefit to be
gai led BY the use of iron bedsieaIs, if they
are made to turn up at the side, will be the
increased room of the CELL
1t will be necessary also to remove :he
board floors of the cells, and put in either
stone or cement instead.-San. Reg.