New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-15
THE VISTA IION At THE CLINTON
Sr1TF prison..
Couepordenee Of The N. Y. Tribune.

in detached cDrps First came tn. three State
Prison Inspectors, for their usual quarterly meet
| ing At Clinton Prison. They performed needed
| duty in the removal OF Mr.. Conda, the Agent and
/ Walden OF the Prison, and OF one Of the keepers
/ Mr. CuDdo Was an exceedingly good officer "hen
master of himself but a bad habit Lad grown up IN
| hin til bis Removal WIS lmperatNely demanded ~
| the interests u the State. The Keeper rcierred II
was a beadstrOng laWless man, Win whom discl-
! pline was Impossible. The Clerk, Me- Mcneil fell
! a VICTIM al the same time, 70 political rather than
| public Bece..i'y The Dew appVintees, Nf Squres
| abo Mr.. Pierce, are admitted by every one 10 be
| good men for their places.
| Aft.r he Inspectors came Messrs. Nard Hum,
! James PaIker and Isaac Day ION, Commissioners
appointed under act Of the last Legislature, Tor
| The purpose oil settling the noted and notorious
"Ayenll O,e-Bed" Clam. With them came Tue
| A1torbey.General Nr. 1rsmalDe, 10 represent the
| State AID Mr.. COchIabe OF AlO'ny ON behalf 81
the claimants. The history OF tins famous CLAIM is
| interesting. The ClbtOn Prison was located here
| IN the midst and IN consequence o1 clam1r
| sg,inet the employment OF cOnvicts IN those
| pursuits which should bang the products oi their
| labor IN due Il competition with mechanics Out
side pooo Democrat had a bed of iron ore here,
ard bis party beng III power, BE- managed 10 avail
himself Of tie clanUr 70 sell bis land 10 the State
| al a good price. The prison was erected, but the
| iron ore on the land was soon exhausted. ne
State then hired lot adJo DDg, and began ~ W0rR
ore from that Before this lease bad expired, the
oubers Of this adjoining lot-tbe Averll ore bed
procured the passage OF an act authorizing .he
Commissioners Of the Land Oiice to purchase the
land at price not exceeding SIOp,UOU, II
they deemed IT for the interest OF the State
to do So In spite Of brides and sOlIcita-
tons, and after examining the locality, the Com
missoners did not deem il for the interest OF III.
State to purchase, and refused TO do So. Ihe
next year the American State officers, ny Some
curious means and without visiting the locality,
were induced To make the purchase, or t. attempt
it They made contract, but the Supreme Court
has twice d, clsred that the contract was invalid,
because the Comuiiss of the Land Office had
10 power 10 make IT, the power gwen ny th9 act
having been exhausted by the former actoh ana
refusal. However, the State being then 10 posses
zion under the lease, continued III possession d''er
#. expiration and has ever slnce remained so,
treating the property as IT'S Own. inc ioihiei
ON ners cl,m 10 be- pnd nr their land, and give the
Stale tle alternative of affirming the sale and paying
the contract price 100000 with two or three
yrats interest and retaining the lat d. or OF paying
modest bill of s"mc Sl60,ucO Tor damages already
d,pe al surrendrIing the land. IT Is OF course
easy 10 make clam, and It IS impossible To say
how il may be finally decided, but cannot resist
feeling that 1t Will result III the States beng obliged
t. pay IA good round far yaueless piece of land
in consequence If the swndtng contract made by
the Know. Nothing State officers. trust they made
something out of it. The State never will. This
famous Averlll ore bed has already been practically
exhausted. and the ore now used by the State is
being taken by trespass under ground upon an adj
oinlpg lot the owners OF which want iity or SKY
thousand dollars therefor. Ii is fair To say, how
ever that there mdp still be ore IN the Ave'lil ore
bed but IT can only be got at after considerable
pense, if any exists The only benefit the State
gets from il at present is the use OF stream of
water which is vauable The Commissioners on
this claim remained only Day They are to meet
10 few DAYS at Saratoga, but if they are to go into
any exit nded examination and endeayOr to PROBE
the iroud that surrounded the purchases they
shoud-thry should meet on the spot. The inter
e.ts of the ate and of the party in power though
strictly speaking the latter is IN way responsible,
demand Il car, tul examination on the spot.
These Commissioners were succeeded on Thurs
dav morning last by Coy. Morgan, Lieut. Gov.
Campbell Controller Church and Secretary Bliss.
The three gentlemen first named are the ones To
| whom the expenditure OF some SoC,OUU, aPpro-
pIiaied for the enlargement oi the prisons, IL ia
| trusted All our prisons are OVERLOOKING aud adj
| dtional accommodation must be provided; but the
question is, where and how Sing sing is already,
as many think large enough for safety, economy
and good discipline. Auburn is not quite large,
but sufficient addition there will be eYpens-
i've. Clinton is small, containing less than
Dali Ms Uldll HlitoutIc ue CIlucl VI INC OtutIc.
aud il can be enlarged more cbeaply than
they, but It has hitherto cost shout twice
much to support convict here rs al the other
prisons. Tins great difference seems 10 be, and
probably is in great measure. unnecessary; but il
has existed. Could il be removed, Clinton Prison
would undoubtedly be the proper Que to enlarge.
What decision the Governor and his associates
came 10 do not know. but il seems 70 be- under
stood that on! one OF the prisons will be enlarged.
A fourth PRISON, located somewhere on the line Of
the Erie Railroad, will probably BE- called for
sooner or later. bat il must be postponed till the
Treasury is better filed less emplied than at
present. Meantime. We here think, of course, that
our oil! State Institution should be the one selected
for enlargement.
Church-who, as We'll as the Governor, was ac-
eompalied BY his wifc-remaued TIL Saturday
morning
The Governor, with lir Bliss. remained till sat
urGGy bioht, and devoted most OF h.s time 10 tue
eNausstion ot ~ .soners with reference to pardons
In three days he examined about one hundred
ard seyenty-hye convcts, giving 10 each All
syersge of ritten minutes. lie i.rst eNamined all
who hsd papers before hun with reference 10 psr-
| don. and then those sho had asked permission to
see hm. After this he took successfully those who
/ had BEEN ten and five years IN prison, aud then
/ those WHO had been here two wears aid one
/ year without punishment. The examination
was very thorough and was directed 10 dis
/ coyeIy Of the prisoners, antecedents and
MODE Of life and the circumstances under
I which their crimes were committed. The state.
meuts Of sccomplices were carefully compared
| The answers were all tsken down IN writing This
course cannot iau 10 BE- productive o. good. TIE
Governor Is OF the opinion that his former exsm.
na,Iots al surg Sing and AUburl have been If much
use 70 ban IN the decision oiappicalions for pardon
already made, aud haye enabled BIN 70 discover