The true Democrat., 1857-01-13
The Penitentiary.

As the session of the General Assembly is drawing to a close and nothing has yet been done in relation to the Pententiary, we wish to invite the attention of the members to the following extract from the Governors message
 Your attention is invited to the report oi the keepers of the penite ntary, and to the sug gestions therein made By the report you vii learn that on the first of October, 1856, there were confined in the penitentiary eishty-six convicts and, also, four slaves, subject to be re. lieved by their owners from whom they had escaped-making in all ninety prisoners; and that there are eighty four cells in the peniten tiary house.
 The Executive recommends that the policy adopted by the act of 10th January, 1853. and pursued by the act of 12th January, 1855, for keeping the convicts and making necessary i'm provementS. be adhered to during the next two years after the expirat on of the present con- tract; and that ample provision be made by law for constructing another workshop of the kind md lcated Ill the report of the keepers; war den's house, and room for hospital, and that all the additional cells which can be con- structed in the present penitentiary 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 cenvicts, if not suifocating them, when confined in these cells in hot weather.
 1 This building and the new ones recommed- ed should be covered with heavy slate. The Executive recommends that the wall around the penltentiary 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 ap- pearance of finished and permanent public structure.
 | All the work suggested could be done dur ing the next two years and then the institution might be made a source ok revenue, instead of 8 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 a tax upon the treasury, good po 1 Hey and true economy seem to require that pro- vision be made by Jaw, for constructing all the Improvements recommended"
 | These are wise recommendations in our iudg- ment When good and substantial buildings, are erected and completed, the penitentiary will become source of revenue to the State. It can be leased for valuable consideration. But so long as it is in its present condition it will and it must continue an annual burden upon the State. Had the policy of putting up sub stantial and durable buildings been adopted 1 from the first, one half the expense already incurred would have been saved to the State As it is, until the last few years, mere tempo rary improvements were made, and, at each l session, the General Assembly has been called upon for appropriations to sustain the concern.
 The State has now gone too far to stop. It requires but little more to complete it., but without that little the peltentiary will never be made profitable Good policy it seems to Us, would require the State either to go on and perfect the work, or to abandon it entirely.- To abal don it, afterso large an expenditure, and after nearly completing it, ought not to be for one moment thought of. Tie object of the General Assembly should rather be to complete already incurred.
 If the work proposed should be completed in the next two years, and the State is amply able to complete il, the next General Assembly would be enabled to lease it for a very valuable consideration. The establishment with 1t of manuiactory of cotton cloths, etc., besides, would be benefit to the people of the State, as well as source Of revenue to the treasury.