The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-02
MARYLAND LEGISLAIURE.- SPECIAL SESSION

FREDERICK, July 81, 1861.
The non-appearance in either chamber of th
General Assembly yesterday of the members of th
opposition-who were known to have then been il
the clty-seemed to confirm the current repor
that they had determined to take no part in tho
proceedings Of that body until an organization
should have been first effected without their aid
and as 1t was apparent that persistence iu that
determination might delay an organization for sew
erai days at least, anxiety felt as to the
course they would pursue to-day and the proba-
bties of the arrival of sufficient number to place
the majority in an independent position.
The appearance of Messrs Smith of Carroll snd
Stone OF Washington, in the Senate, prior to the
hour of meeting, indicated the attendance of the
remaining opposition members, and the upper
chamber organized at 10 o'clock.
AS the missing Senator's did not make their an
pearance the Doorkeeper was dispatched to an
nounce to Messrs. Goldsborough of Talbot and
| klmmel of Frederick, that the Senate was in Sos
sion and their presence required for the
! OF business. Upon the return of that official and
| after sufficient time had elapsed to enable the
| absGntees to reach the Hall, Mr. McKaig moved
that the rules of the Senate be enforced ainst the
absent Senators, to the exaction of the heavy
me imposed upon acts of wifu denduepcT
| Pending this motion, and before any action had
been taken upon it, Messrs. Goldsborough and Kim
mel entered the Senate aud took their seats
The attention OF this Chamber du its forenoon
session was almost exclusively claimed by number
OF resolutions, and orders submitted by Mr. Kim.
mel locking severally to the displaying of the ma
tonat nag over the Capitol, pro tenn, during the
session; to speedy acti"n upon the amendment n
the Constitution Of the United States pronosed nv
Congress at its last session and to an adj urnment
SINE die on the lst of August, none of which nrono
slions commanded the favor of the Senate The |
Senator from Frederick then presented a pream-
bic and resolution, referring to the Crittendan
resolution adopted by Congress and insisting on |
the necessity of supporting the Government
Speaker BROOKE (Senator Stone in the char) |
thOuuht tho urp3mhIa W. tha Gor r,o.
Frederick had said it was, echo of Mr. Crtteu-
den,s resolutions. If he remembered Alright, those
resolutions charged the responsibility Of this war
upon the diSuni lnists Of the South
Mr.. KIMMFI replied that be had purposeIv avoid
ed embodying that view of Mr.. Crittenden He
desired to avoid offending any party, and left the
country to fix the responsibility for this fratricdal
strllc where it properly belouged-to the fanatics
OF the Worth and the hOtspurs of the South
me resolution, under the rules, was laid over
until Wednesday
Leave was granted the Committee on Federal
Relations to introduce bill to ratfy the proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
T. me House met pursuant to adjournment shortly
after II o'clock. the Union men appearing in their
seats, with the exception of two or three of them
who are yet absent fro the city. The following
members answered to their names:
Messrs. kiiburn, Speaker Durant, Raisin Med
ders, WelcE, Mackubin, Brscoe, Ford, Denison.
QnInlan, Renshaw, Jones of Talbot, Chaplain, Dem
mis- of Somerset, Holland McIntire, Maxwell Miller.
Legg, Restless. Caggett, Routzahn, johnson, Sal
mon, n all, Goldsbornugh, WaTfed, Brane Winans,
Harrison, Thomas, Wallis, Sangston Morft, Scott, |
Wilson, Bayless, Mccoy, Coudy, Eakle, Brining,
Fiery, Griffith, Gordon, Barnard, MCleary, Cor,
such, Mills, Turner-d9.
Absent %.
MIR. BRIsCOE. of Calvert, offered message TO The
Senate proposing the appointment, by joint resolu-
tIon ot three members from each House to arrange
he time and place of adjournment.
The message was then adopted and MessrS
Scott, Briscoe and Holland appointed on the com :
nittee. |
The desire for an early adjournment appears to ..
'e general and 1t Is very probable that the COM :
nttee viii report in favor of adjournment on >
saturday next to meet Sgain at the close of the ,
nSllng september, and that the report will be
dopted with little if any dissent. =
THE STATE PENITENTIARY. =
The Special Committee of Three-Messrs, Sanr- q
ton, Pitts and Ford-appointed to investigate the !
nanclaI affairs, general management and discip. | =
me, and the manufacturing resources, &C.. of the n
larylard Pententiary, reported that in addition
those subjects of inquiry they have had under .
nvestigat alton: -
l. The memorial of John H. Duvall and William u
oward. asking relief for losses growing out of the +
estruction of their property BY fire IN the pepi-
entiary, which originated in carelessness
.. IhJ memorial OF Charles Murdock, asking re- =
et BY a modification of his contract with the =
Directors OF the Penitentiary, and the eauitabe +
'ttlem Mt OF claims 10 dispute between them "
Inc investigation into the memorial of the .i
essrs. Duvall aud Howard was conducted. the u
eport says, by eminent counsel both sides, q
mo examined numerous witnesses. Yet the
ommlttee were unable to recognize in the case -
ny iu grounds for claim against the State. =
The differences between MIR. Murdnck and the E,
rect IS OF the Penitentiary were adjusted priOr y
the ;aking of any evidence in the case The v
rms II adjustment being, the part of Mr. h
urdo~F, to pay in full the amount of the claim in =
l<pu !: and n dee re'sp the lahQr of fifty convics at
.apSsst,t1s ..L a few iGsoys end coarse CARPETS Il
nd q embarrassed
o time has it proved a source of much revenue, 7
wing to the inability of hand loom labor to com
etc with poSer looms, but the blockade OF the t
outhern ports in cutting off at once source of C
Is supply of yarns and its chief markets. has, for r
he time at least, almost entirely destroyed it,. [
The stock of manufactured goods on haud the
Committee estimate at Sl0,500 and of material d
2 800, which, when made up, will increase the a
primer stock to SIS, 600. y
The entire system of labor in this department is 7
to be radically wrong by the commit j
ee, and unless change be effected in it the nsti
ution must prove a burden upon the re- I
ources of the State The chief defect is the credit
ystem upon which the department has hitherto |
,een worked-the depressing effect of which is IL :
ustrated in the statement that the amount OF in
crest alone, paid during five years, reaches to
sl3 los.
careful analysis Of the operations of this des
oartment during the past five years exhibited
20 the committee the fact that the net earnings OF
Ill the convicts employed averaged but ii cents
per day. without deductiug anything for cost or De
nreciation Of machinery, DC. The same number OF
convcts employed by contractors at so cents day
EACH gave a revenue of SIS 500 for labor, and 500
for rent of shops. Thus practically contrasting the
two systems the committee recommend the total
abolition ofthat of manufacturing account OF the
and the substitution OF the contract
system.
The total expense Of main tanning the institution
is estimated at S37 600. The avarage number OF
prisoners is about 42O, of whom 400 are males
From the labor of these it is estimated that the
su,n offs r0uld be annually realized,
institution be rendered selfsustainng.
The Investigation OF the financial condition OF the
and which was much facilitated, they
report by the admirable system of MIR. j. j. Z.
Dougherty, the Financial Clerk and Bookkeeper,
exhibited the following result:
Liabilities and above cash in hand, July mn r.,
l, ,ls6l............ s45, ,2ss Al
Appropriation made at the April session and not ~, ~
yet collected. ;.co gSS5
Suspended debt due by merchants OF hitherto ,,
soods and on
Total Observation-Disclosures. $40 848 Al
As 529s4
Nominal surplus. ,'oo0o
Until peace be restored and trade restored to Its
ordinary channels, the Committee think the lnstl
tuition will be a heavy burden upon the State, and
thew estimate that appropriation of at least
S25 900 will be absolutely necessary to carry 1t
through the next twelve months
The COMMITTEE compliment In tue nlguesb Ie' his |
the Directors, together with the Warden, Deputy |
Warden, and the officers under them, for the faith
full and efficient performance of their official duties
The entire prison, they report, presented an air OF
neaness and cleanliness rarely met with IN puollc
buildings, and the discipline and business system
of the institution were found to be equally worthy
of Recommendation.
One evil which the Comm tee thinks demand i'm |
mediate legislation is the practice throughout the
State of sending parties TO the penitentisry Tor
small offences. They illustrate the evil with the
following literal transcript of record OF court
in Calvert county:
"George Norfolk presented for feloniously en-
tering the dwelling of William Ogden and taking
therefrom bottle of wbiskey, pan OF milk, and
some bread and meat. Verdict Of the jury: Guilty,
and insane the time Of the commial of the act, and
insane nop,' and sentenced by the Court to be con
fined in the Peutentiary house OF the State OF Ma
rylapd until he shall recorer his redSon or be dis
charged by due course of law"
This sentence, the committee argue, is virtually
| IMPRISONMENT for life for the simple offence OF
| stealing something to eat.
| Mr. WALLIS was astounded at this disclosure, and
| disregarding the ordinary impulses of humanity
and the simplest promptiugs of Christian spirit,
| which were equally violated in this sentence, he
pronounced it a clear, open and uDmistakable vio-
A. nf fho Stoto he