The Placer herald., 1859-06-11
PORT
OF THE
SENATE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE,
RELATIVE TO
aEFqJRS At THE ST.AIE PRISON.

# The undersigned. Commit.ee aPPoih'cu py
8the Senate of the State of California in pursr-
#nnce of q resolution adopted on the loth DAY OF
March. 1859, in the following words:
II Besolred That a Committee of three be ap-
#rointed. with full power to send for persons ana
napers to visit the State Prison and examine all
#imatters connected Herewith.
81 And continued after the adjournment OF the
SLegislature. by resolution adopted on 'lle lo'h
5<lay of APRIL A. D. 1859, in the following words:
81 ResoIred That the State Prison investigating
Committee consisting of Messrs Berry. Andcr-
&son and Bradley be, and they are hereby author-
ized to continue their investigations after the ad-
iournment of the Legislature, as to all matters
Fconnccted with State Prison arrangements, with
3full power to appoint Clerk to send for persons
Rand aperS. and to publish the result vi c'i l"-
fycstgatiOnS.
Have concluded their investigation. and make
the following
Report:
The Committee have twice visited the State
Trison located al Point San Quentin, q secluded
position. away from any OF the great hatural
II thoroughfarcs of the State. without any cores
pomling advantageous there is no living wafer
ON the Prson-grounds. and that afforded from the
wells is far from being fresh and pure; neither Is
there anv timber, except n few stunted SHRUBS
8 and two or three dwarf trees, Whch are barely
sufficient to attract notice, that naturally drca-
s. ~ spot-and examined together. the Irlson-
rr and all the personal property they could find
Belonging at the Prison. and also. the BOOKS ana
s. papers relating thereto, AMI the transactions OF
the officers in charg', the results OF when loio"
STATE PRISON AND GROUNDS.
~ The State Prison grounds consist OF thlrty-sX
acres more or less. situated at Point San quentin,
a in the county of Marin. BY reference to Exhibit
IN twill be seen that b. r. Buckelew on the
9th of July. 1852 conveyed to the State twenty
arrps Of urOund with certain privileges OF the
parks and streets of the City of Marin. 1t is
upon this ground that the Prison proper, and sur
rounding walls are built.
Buildings necessary to the accommodation OF
the officers, guards, and employees OF the Prison,
have been placed, by the persons formerly III con
troll, in the street, on the eastern line OF the I'll
son-grounds, and part of the public parks re-
terred to. have been graded by the present Board
n Of Directors and embelished by the erection OF
handsome stone building, designated store
house, and now used for that purpose by the
present authorities.
1t has been stated that these buildings were OIL
the Prison-grounds, but the committee consider
them as secure an investment on the part OF the
Estate, as if built upon the aforesaid twenty acres
The contract on the part of the State has been
!uiy complied with, and If the streets nave peeil
quilt upon, that fact could only be made SUBJECT
OF complaint by the corporate authorities OF the
Ohy OF Marin. and the city of Marin is purely
belonging to the Prison, existing in the imagl-
' nation, only
ny reference to deed number two. OF the same
Exhibit, it will be seen that Archibald Woods, on
'ne 3d day OF July, 1855. decided to the State
all additional sixteen acres of land adjoining the
northwest and west line Of the said twenty acres
"nlch nils the complement to thirty six acres.
we have obtained copies of five other deeds
relating to this property, to-wit:
oae from J. b. R. Cooper and others, to B. IL.
nICkiew, embracing the entire city OF Marin, $50
N .ai,ea,) and the other four relating entirely to
sSV .Su sixteen acres conveying it from Buckiew,
Msougn James M. Estell, to the San francisco
a. woods, also from James T. Stocker, (who,
~ snef'r sold the said sixteen acres under execu-
%u %ou against the San Francisco Manufacturing
Vemmtpany) to John Center.
uca an!s latter deed embraces what is called the
HeH'er Claim" on said grounds. The deed from
sets forth that the execution against sald
CConip"hy was issued out of the Twelfth Dlstrlct
on December goth, 1854, and the deed from
W." W. company for the same sixteen acres to SAID
os", ous, was made of record, in the Recorder
1"M 1"Ie' IN the County of Marin, on or about the
amo m ol Jaly. 1854 prima facie it does not
wn oan. 70 lien, if these be the only facts, and
we 40 not doubt the truth of the same. The COM
hltee have not thought it necessary TO incumber
corn rr report with anything but the deeds which
convey directly to the State. The more curious
tho n nu copies of the other conveyances on file In
Of ~" buce OF the Secretary of State, also map
"a " 'he city of Marin.
III nj, BRICK CLAY.
hean ane materiNl fit to be worked into brick, has
nearly, If not entirely exhausted, upon the
tho W; grounds, and, in fact, there is no clay in
that purpose NV ''''" u " s0'N 4'"''' ~
shonns me warden's book Of account with the Board
at .n mat IN 1858, they were obliged to purchase
cromnSs SSSoIoltant price clay from the adjoining
u'' 70 serve their purpose of brick-makng
III. NE-QuARRY.
ton De of committee have made personal examina
tore nsos sne quarry, from which the stone hereto
3Wh,toS.eu, and sold at the Prison, has been taken
sons ~ may have been the expectations of per-
Xbcen aaus ,u tns connection, we find that what has
IA larca oaied the Quarry" was nothing more than
se isolated boulder, which has been worked