Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-04-24
LOCAL NEWS.

NIIrrye OF rKE BOARD OF rRApK-There
was an ad dJou<ned meeting OF me Board OF
Trade Monday evening q; their rooms, with
Woe President Samuel Ba cOr "A the chair
Ihe following cemIn unicaGon was recei we'd
from I'm. ID. Wise, Esq.
10 ae Board cf Traae-GeniIemen: l beg
Rave 10 submit TO your consideration The fol-
lowing proyeot for the deepening of the chan
nels OF the Potomac and Eastern Branch, IA
subject long discGssed,) and the reclaiming
OF the narrow iron. OF water-lo,s between the
Navy Yard and Georgetown. The value OF
sucn an improvement cannot be oyerestmated
for the purposes of the arsenal, Navy Yard,
ana other Government works, as well as the
city; but the obstacle that has always faced
Us has been that it's expense would be TOO
great to be borne by our people in the way Of
ordinary taxation, but the ad vantAges that
would accrue to he Government theretrUm
would lead las 20 expect that Congress would
MAKE an appropriation TO assist In that object.
whether Washington 10 destined - become
place OF commercial impor lance or not from
ITS location as The sea. OF government, no one
can deny TIA. az is extremely desirable 20
have here ufteient depth o { water for sea-
gong vessels a. all times. This work is emi-
nently practicable. Washington has had such
channel, which has become partially filled
mp from sewer and surface drainage, and cul.
uVatlon and Improvement on the river front,
ana the BED OF our river is OF such a soft, al
luvial nature, that its material could be easily
e1cavated by dredging. The advantage Of
sucn an Improvement, II II did no more than
furnlsh safe ingress and egress to and from
our Navy Yard for Government vessels
wouia justify very considerable appropria-
With the material excavated 1 propose to
NIL mp and reclaim the water-lots between the
banks OF the Potomac and the edge Of the chan
mel. THIS wonld be great improvement, bat
Its necessity lie not imperative. 1t can well
be carried on gradually. The Government
owns several frst-class dredges, which can
be N ade readily available for this work For
eacn oredger a crew OF some six hands, who
nave had some experience in this class of
work, would be requisite, and each dredger
Will require from nifty to sixty laborers to
remove the material excayated, level IL Gc
But the greatest expense in carving on this
Improvement would arise from the force of
laboring men employed in managing the
from the dredges, and levelling 1t along the
banks OF the river. This labor 1 propose 10
have supplied from the conyicts who, at each
term OF our criminal court, are sent to the Al
eany penitentiary, and there supported at
Government expense, though kept at labor
L weuld not have the work carried on too
rapidly at first 1t could be commenced as an
experiment, and though would not at pres.
ent suggest all the details for carving IL ont
l think there are not many objections that can
be urged to it's practicability. For the safe
keepin G Of the prisoners / would suggest that
their place OF confinement at night should be
on some OF the many vessels al the Navy Yard
They could be held on one of them as safely
Albany.
Some may urge the reformatory advantages
OF the penitentiary system. In this connection
would suggest that the discipline over the
prisoners III us employed can be almost per-
fectly assimilated to that over those in peul-
tenuaries. The restraint would be perh ans
somewhat different, bat the identical moral
lnnuen ces, which experience shows have been
attended with such beneficial results in prison
walls, could be exerted on the prisoners thus
held. Every inducement held out TO reform AT
Albany could be held out at Washington The
vessels employed to hold the conyicts would
be safe al anchor of the Navy Yard, Arsenal
Old Penitentiary, and in fact any where along
the line of channel, as the work progressed Ii
would aEord 10 the conyicts thus employed a
healthful occupation, and their employment
In this manner would silence some OF the
many complaints made against the employ
ment OF conyicts IN man ufactures. and bring
ing their labor in conflict with that OF honest
skilled mechanics, thus TO some extent de-
grading the labor and sepsibIy decreasing the
pionts OF the latter. BY thus employing those
conyicts, great public Improvement will De
effected. which. when finished, will more than
adequately repay for the money expended in
carrying II out, the convicts thereupon en-
ployeo will have been rendered more than
self-sustaining. while their employment in
this manner will not, to use a current express
sion, stake bread out Of anybsdy's mouth
having thus deepened our channel and Im-
proved our river frent, our attention could
next be turned 10 the channel leading TO Alex.
andria.
made a similar suggestion in 1860 20 the
Board OF inspectors OF Washington Peniten-
uary, In reference 10 the employment OF con-
vict labor on James Greek, the dredging of
superintendent II was approved by them,
and recommended by Secretary Thompson in
his last report.
Should these suggestions meet the approba-
ton of the board. should be most happy 10
unite with Its represen tatives in bring ing the
subject TO the notice sf the Secretaries OF the
War, Navy, and Interior Departments.
Respectfully, your obeaient servant,
VIM. ID. WISE.
Washington, April IS 1867
Mr.. Wise was requested to inform the board
the advantages OF his scheme in the EMPLOY
ment OF convict labor, which he did in brief
and hoped that the Board Of Trade would re-
Ter the matter to the committee 10 represent
the interests of the District before Congress for
further consideration.
The communication was so referred
Mr.. owen Thorn, from the collecting COM
mlttee, informed the board that over -. 900
had been subscribed to relieve destitution in
the Sorth, which was being properly dis
trlbuted. He also stated that Mr.. Cole, Of the
steamer Wawassett, haC rendered the use of
that vessel 10 the Board OF Trade at any time
FOR an excursion down the river, the proceeds
to be applied 10 the poor Of the South The
proposition was accepted.
The fund for the relief of destitute southern
ers now in this city was further increased by
the following additional copaiious John
MarkriteT. sit: John Watterson, IS: Thomas
Gallagher, SIS Henry Wells. IS
VIM. II. WisslE Jotter, n. Acker and Miehl
Green were elected mem bers OF the board; after
which, the board adjourned.