The Placer herald., 1859-05-28

pulI.s EYr.-A correspondent of the
Daily Call in speaking of this break of the
.,;.onsrs, and Of Prison matters says:
"wHAr LED TO IT."
A. nrelude TO what occurred on Satur-
.,.v NIGHT may state that the action Of Nc
~" T:,ley in discharging all but five Of the old
y'.rd is the unmistakable. Under the man
ssasment s. of the State these guards performed
.Ss;r duty most faithfully, and in a manner
.h.t ran only be acquired by experience.
Th".s sT.. Efficient men were discharged for men
-ho do not understand the duties OF their
;.,nortaut office; and the consequence is as
above.
CONDITION OF THE PRISON.
The discipline Of tho Prison has also been
.,..red for the worse. | am informed that
during nine days the six hundred prisoners
. ~ars lent pent up in their narrow cells. Of
.omr.e the result of such confinement must
hs general filth, to make the Imprisonment
lo.tb,ome and deadly, and make more des-
nsr,,e men already desperate enough, God
lnows. and ready to take any chance to es-
..n. They have only been fed twice
dsy. and then, probably, scantly enough.
PILE OF BRICK.
McCauley, with characteristic pertinacity,
,of,ses TO hand over to the State two millions
of brick. which were manufactured during
.ha administration of the State authorities,
and which properly belong to the State
These brick will probably be sod by Nc
Cauley. and realize for him sake to get
his system" in operation.
HOW TO MAKE TESTIMONY,
Il is the custom, if n stranger visit the
Prison. for what they call prison Trotter"
1o act rs the cicerone, and show the visitor
npmber Of cells, which are kept unoccupied,
and in proper order. He then takes the
stranger around and points out all the de.
cent appearances of the place, whereupon
tho visitor is requested to make affidavit to
the proper condition Of the Prison, the ex
ccllent manner in which it is conducted,
and his approval of the "discipline." Ihi,
voucher is carefully filed away, to be laid
away to issist McCauley in getting his slO,-
OOOa month. In this manner, you will
perceive, any quantity of testimany can he
manufactured, which, although true as far as
it goes, is ne,sided and unjust"
The Call, and people generally are labor
ing under some mistake with regard to the
&c: to provide for condemning the interest of
McCauley and Estel in the State Prison
grounds and buildings. This act provides a
means for condemning whatever interest
they may either of them have in said
grounds and buildings from the time of trial
a,n,i the 27th March 1861, or in other words
ahc use and occupation conceeding it belong
40 those claimants was for that period to be
value Of the use and occupation, waS to be
ron~idtrcd not w;M ,,ie,c to its use as q
pinre ot confinement for the States prisoners,
battor any otdv purpose.
The eleventh section Of the act, appropri
x,rS the moneys necessary, out of the "l'rison
Fund.-" and G"v. Weller admits this fund
20 contain, in cash, on the 18th April last
ahou' eight thousand dollars, add 20 which
then WAS about fifteen thousand dollars in
brick that could have been used The use
and occupation OF the prison grounds and
bindings for any other purpose than State
prison is almost valueless, net perhaps worth
nns hundred dollars per month, and now
how can it I've said that the law is nugatorvl
who has u right to say that eight thousand
dollars is not sufficient! who can settle the
probable value until the jury has acted
The fault lies with the Attorney General.
lie should have acted under the law at once,
ne should long since have had all question
with regard to the legality Of the Estell
lease decided, or shown that the courts were
guilty of maligencc and unnecessary delay,
instead Of suhjecting himself to such
charge. Why does he allow McCauley to
seize upon and hold the brick of the State?
that certainly was not included in the writ
of restitution.