New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-23


band, publicly recognize him friend and pohacsa
cyony converting ana Joking with him as an equh,
on5 commanding him AZ "a ID good fellow" IN the |
presenee Of Warden guests, and prisoners Such be-
hav;or !. must be obvious cannot fail TO prove de-
s,ru,ye TO The discipline which ought to be maintained
among the inmates Of penitentiary. With the fe-
s,s nrsopers the Governors equally free, and in
hi, mandolin moods some of them converse with the
women in q strain Of revotpg indeceney. A,
,hr dinner parties it was ufual for the female prison
era 70 90 into the presence Of the Governors and plead
for their liberty. At such times although the War
dens might remopstrate, and remind the Governors
that there women had been committed dozen times
during the quarter and released by them only few
DAYS before did no good. make ont their discharge,
Mr. Warden" was the usual reply. The effect of all
this lax discipline and familiarity between prisoners
and Governors may be imagined A short time ago
the law was amended to also require the sigma
ture of the committing magistrate TO the discharge;
but ii is no difficult matter for any Governor to obtain
this for those whom be would befrisnd. For while
The wardens fought against this icene, but as did
no good, they yielded TO circumstances.
When the Wareens lest control over their sub
ordna,es, they hsd means of enforcing their COM
mapds. Neglect of duty, insolence, and insubordi-
nation, consequently characterized the conduct of the
keepers toward their superior officers; and taking
heir cue from the manners Of their patrons In the
Board in their intercourse with the male convcts they
became familiar and with the female prisoners shame
fully profeate. In a number of instances children,
the offspring Of this criminal intercourse, we're taken
by the Governors and placed at in the city, the
suilty keepers being retained in place, to continue
their misconduct if they chose, the only punishment
imposed being fine of $25, toward paying the out
door nurses to when the infants conhded.
The downfall of the rapidly declining Department
was contaminated by combination between Ger
man Republican, two Americans, and three Demo
cratic members of the Board about a year ago, to
override he organic law, and turn ont Of Office that s,
to degrade in the hope that they would resign several
of the Wardens, who had the manhood to resist the
encroacbmens of the Governors upon their legal pre-
negatives, and 10 rebuke their heenlions condact
There Wardens placed in subordinate positions,
and their places given TO creatures more easily con-
troltd How worthy were some of these successors
may be inferred from the fact that the family OF one OF
them has been obliged to complain to the Board of his
criminal intercourse with the female inmates Yet that
I Warren has not been removed. Another was the
confidential clerk and tutor of Governor who, when
he came into The Board could not read, nor write HE
own NAME and said to keep his accounts at home
by chalk TALES On his door-posts.
II is currently reported that the Governors are not
above suspicion ia the awarding Of contracts, and that
pottery, drain-tie bricks, mortar cement latb paint
dry goods iroD and other articles sold by them in
directly to the Department. case has been reported
TO u.s. in which certain firm, who for years had fur
nished goods for prison clothing, have recently lost
Il at cusom. The explanation offered was that hereto
fore they had ted set OF blank els 10 officials In
the DepaI tmen bat this year. as they felt TOO poor,
they Gid not DO So and tie prison cloth was procured
elsewhere. Another esse WAS cited, in which COM
stiOns bad beer paid to Officials, and upon the fast
becomi known 10 third parties, the commission was
refunded. We cay how much reliance ID 10 be
placed upon these 81 but take them in connec-
ton with the fact that the Governors rarely dine
together AT the institutions without openly charging
each other with being Cd id thieves" and
"bloody robbers" and that, too in TIE presence OF
the prisoners who wait upon their gormandzing,
and the inference is obvious. Is II not fair 10
suppose that pertons who elected ID serve the
public without compensation, who seek the Office know
ing The conditions and yet deliberately 60 to work TO
eat drink smoke, and ride to the tune Of $4,000
$50 coo year. will hesitate to further their own pecu
mary interests by appropriatDg the public patronage
at their disposal. Jolly gentlemen Governors Teasing
the pick OF the market and paying your poor pension
eIs in eaIrets and cellars dollar week. to feed and
care for the fatheress babes and the forlom little
foundliDgs, whom hard fortune throws under your
charge A shameful spectacle truly. Well might
the Grand Jury present your conduct s they did, and
put you TO the blush
There is not an institution in the Department which
is not provided with pantry to which every Governor
hes key, AMI in which the most costly Wines liquors.,
and cigars are kept for their TIE friends Of the
Governors not only feast and get drunk in tee nsttu-
tons but many of them poke. and carry oil cigars by
the bunch and brandy by the bottle these officers con.
niying at the theft The Rotunda in the Park
lie notorious as a dram-sbop, where az all hours
Of tie day Governors may lie found drinking
at the expense Of the Alms-House fund. With
full supply of champagne, liquors, and cigars, always
at band and pressing inv atoms from the Governors
to psrake it is not surprising that worthy officers at
this place are acquiring habits which unt them for
business, and must in the end work their ruin.
Tie best friends Of these this, and deplo.e
it, Perhaps the persons Themselves see it too; but
how they hope remain in place if they refuse to
join their employers, those who keep them In place,
when pressed to "take drink :" IL would be con:id
cred that they were stuck up" they would be s1s
pected of wisbing to seem better than the Governors
their refusal would lie taken assumption Of supe'
roIity, and 60 they do as they cam Perhaps rather
than they would. AT this place Tuesday evenings
after the exhaustive labors of the weekly meeting
over, the Governors, with their friends sit down to
feas Of good thpgs, and then under the exhilaratirg
influence Of the winecup ard the sedaive cigar for
get their promises Of improvement and rescind in phi