, 1864-11-29
Qt)ifa9o Qribnlte>
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER %. 1864.
RHr


should be applied to the eixyears' lease oftht
Pcuitcntiary convicts, made to certain partie.
by the Legislature, at the session Of June
1868 II is the duty Of the honest men In the
new Legislature to rip and expose that dis
honest transaction, and If on investigation it
shall he found to be the swtndic now believed,
1t will be the bounden duty Of the Legislature
to declare It null aud void, and order the
Commissioners to take possession Of the
premises In the name Of the State. If the
contractors arc not satisfied with the spoils
they have already secured, let them sue the
State. and collect their Judgment II they can,
as McAllister and Stebbens havc done.
The public attention was SO strongly direct
cd to tho reasonable and insnrrectionary
scbemcs Of The Copperheads Of the last Legis-
laturc, that the great frauds perpetrated in
relation to the Penitentiary, were wholly over
looked, OF scarcely noticed BY the people at
large, and they were SO rejoiced at the proro-
cation Of that infamous body that the grabs
on the Treasury escaped due attention at the
time.
Take the case Of the so-callcd tslcase." A
4'ring" was formed, consisting Of honorable
@ mcmbots and lobby vult.res, to put 1t
through both Houses under the gag Of the
previous question. A bill was introduced
cnactins that for the period Of sir years from
June 10th, 1868, al the consicts In the Pcui-
tcntiary, numbering from six to nine hun
dred, should labor for James n. Pittman, OF
Adams county, his executors, administrators,
and assigns, ut whatever trade or employment
the said Pittman and his confederates should
please, il competition with the honest me-
caanics Of the State; the State furthermore
to furnish lodgingptaecs and workshops
for the vorkmen; and in consideration Of this
labor of nearly thousand able-bodied men
Pittman and his partners are TO pay the State
what? Not one o1,.! They agree merely to
furnish the convicts with guards, cAcapp1ison
food, and cheap prison clothes, costing them,
perhaps. twenty cents pat day for each man,
Fhilc the services rendered realize the con-
tractors from one to two dollars per man.
The State has expended million Of dollars
already to put up enclosures, sleeping apart
ments, work shops, cooking and eating rooms,
and the like; and the contractors get the use
Of the whole premises rent free, not even
stipu1ating TO pay for repairs. No psrt Of the
earnings Of the convicts are paid to the State.
or arc set aside for the support OF the 1hmilics
Of the poop wrctcAes; no fund is accumulated
out Of which to pay the convict reasonable
SUN at the expiration Of his term Of service,
TO give him little start In the world and
enable him to lead reformed life thereafter.
AL the profits 60 into the capacious, rapa-
cions nav Of the ''contractors'' and the
@'ring'' with whom they divide. Pittman is
re +fo
that lie can do as he pleases with the con-
yicts. 1t is understood that the clear profits
on the lease for the first ten months, from
June, 1863 to April, 1SC4, were $130, 900,
and that the amount made from April, 1864,
to November, 16Gi, being seven months, was
&I5O.OOO. Whether these immense sums
include what the "11ng" may claim for their
share Of the plunder, or are exclusive Of ali
euch demands, We have not been definitely
informed.
We arc told TINT the late Speaker of
the Copperhcad House Of Representatives is
now the sole ostcnsiblc owner Of the leaee.
It is reported that he purchased the interest
of his copartners few weeks since for the
snug sum. Of $a5o, 900, taking to himself all
the risks and profits Of the reminder Of the
<tlcasc.n It is believed that he was one of
the lcssees At the time the bill was rushed
through the Legislature, though his interest
In 1t was not publicly arowed until some
time after the adjournment He is now,
however, reported to be sole owner Of the
nine hundred human beings in the. State
Prison, being, perhaps, the largest slave
holder in the United or disunited States. II
The "1case" is allowed to run the full six
ycars, Mr.. Buckmaster will be able to retire
with fortune Of one or two millions Of dol
Jars, wrung out of the toll Of his white slaves
working III competition with Chicago me-
ehanicA.
When the bill was before the House to
"lcase'' the convict labor, the Republican
members opposed It, making number Of
speeches against it, and various motions to
gain time. Mr. 4. G. Throop, OF this city,
presented ! proposition from Mr.. c. P. Brad
ley to pay bonus Of $a0,000 u year for the
lease but the copperhead Speaker refused
to entertain the offer for a moment, In
short, it was hooled ont Of sight by the Cop
peshead members, and no attention paid to
it. The s*rins'' had no interest in BEadley's
proposition. Hence Its fate.
The Republican members Of tic House man
aged to get the bill recommittcd to the Com
mittee that reported it. But the next day
1t vas brought into the House aud rushed
through by the Speaker and the Copperhead
majority under the pressure Of the previous ).
qucstion-eyery Republican Voting against it,
and every Copperhcad voting for it. This
dishonest measure became law February
II, 1868.
The State Treasury has been cheated ont