Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-17
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURES.
Senate.


charter OF the Tennessee Manual Labor
University, as 10 authorize the trustees tC
establish branches of the institution in any
Of the counties ia this State they may
think proper.
BY the same A bill to more efiectually
suppress tresspass upon the timber, rock
etc, of the citizens.
Mr.. Garner: A bill to change the time Of
holding the Chancery Court of Lawrence
county.
Mr.. Carey: A bill TO incorporate the
Wand's Patent Car Roofing Company. :.
Mr. Eaton A bill to authorize Henry
Mcpherson to build a turnpike road be-
tween Kingston and CrossYiile, ten miles
in length.
BILLS REJECTED.
The bill to increase the fees of Justices
of the Peace, was rejected on second read
ing.
The bill fixing the legal rate of interest
at seven per cent and authorizing a con-
tract in writing for any rate not exceeding
twelve per cent was rejected, s.srf
LOYAL INDEMNITY.
The indemnity bill, coming up on its
second reading, was, on motion of Mr..
Lyle, referred to joint special committee
of five on the part Of the Senate, and snch
number as the House may designate. The
Speaker appointed Messrs. Lyle, Mccall
Keith, Aldridge and Carey.
PENITENTIARY REPORT.
Mr.. Carey presented the Report of the
Directors of the Penitentiary, which, by
permission, Judge Mills read as follows:
TO the Honorable Legislature Of Tennessee :
The Directors Of the Tennessee Peniten-
tiary respectfully submit the following re-
port commencing December /, 1856, and
ending October /, 1867
At the date of the last report, the con-
Wet labor had been leased cut 70 Messrs.
Hyatt q Briggs, agreeably to an act of the
General Assembly ito lease out the peni-
Tertiary and for other purposes" but sub
sequently Mr.. Moore was added to the firm /;
and notwithstanding much complaint has
been made of the favorable terms under
which said lease had been granted, yet two
of the members of said firm, to-wit Messrs.
Hyatt and Moore, have both sold out their
interest, without any bonus, and the firm is
now Messrs. Ward & Briggs, and your
honorable body is respectfully requested to
recognize said Ward & Briggs as the pre-
sent and only lessees of the convict labor,
instead of the original firm of Hyatt &
Briggs. Under the new system of realizing
productive results from the convict labor,
we are justified in saying, that the wisdom
of the change has been demonstrated by
every succeeding month since its going
into operation.
The systematic and constant application
of convicts to some regular branch of me-
chanical industry, assisted by the use Of
laborssaving machinery, all tend to elevate
their ideas of work, and serve to qualify
them for occupying a higher place in the
various departments of physical pursuits
when their term of service shall have ex-
pired.
The certain and prompt payment from
the lessees, of their contract price for the
labor constitutes large and reliable fund
for the general expenses of the institution,
without any responsibility as to a skillful
and hazard of loss, incident
to only salaried positions of State appoint
ments.
The actual receipts for the last ten
luC lllSl vi NCtOU6E, lIOul
said contractors, amount to S27,785 81.
This sum would have been increased nearly
$4,000, had not the disastrous fire of June
Dist, destroyed one entire wing of the
penitentiary workshop, thereby throwing
out of employment almost the whole
available labor of the convicts, till the
erection of a new building. By satisfac-
tory arrangement with the lessees, after due
with the Governor, Secretary
of State and States Attorney, contract was
entered into by the directors with the
lessees to construct a new and every way
more substantial and commodious edifce,
by which agreement said contractors were
to employ two hundred and fifty convicts
till the first of October, at which time it
was expected the building would be COM
pleted, and the entire labor of the peni-
Tertiary would then be turned over to said
lessees, and the wages account of the whole
number of able bodied conyicts, date from
said first of October.
The character of the building erected by
said contractors is of the first class, and
every way a credit to the State. It's d.
mansions are one hundred and eighty feet
long, by fifty wide, three stories high, each
averaging fourteen feet in height. Perhaps
no other workshop in the State has been
with such wise adaptation for
and permanency as this, and
finished by contract for $4,000. The build
ing is as near fire proof as both skill and
Judgment could devise. In addition to
this, house for an engine and boiler, and
q separate building for drying lumber,
together with large brick chimney, sixty
feet in height, have also been erected
II still further cost. But notwithstando
ing the most commendable zeal and en-
srgy have characterized the efforts
Of the contractors to complete the
Improvement by the specified time
till there will be- nearly or quite
months delay, in the ability of said con-
tractors to proftably employ the surplus
work thrown out of employ by the destruc-
ion of their machinery, materials and
place of business-ere their arrangements
or successful operation of the whole force
If convicts shall have been perfected. In
Iiew of SO great a calamity, and the heavy |
)ecuniary loss thereby to the contractors,
t may reasonably be asked if some abate- |
nent from the strict letter of the contract,
night not be justly granted, in reference |
o the payment for the number of hands |
lot actually in service during the progress
If the improvements-till their compile |
ion, if not from the date of the fire.
But for this disaster lessening the num-
Der of hands employed, it will be seen by |
he tabular statement at the close of this
'eport that their labor would have ex-
,eeded all expenses for victualing aud |
clothing the entire number of convicts,
Turing the said ten months, when all arti-
lies Of provisions were extraordinarily
high.
The number of convicts at the close of
he last report, December lst, 1866, was
Sll-on the LIST of October, instant, they |
lad increased to 4Sl. There will, there
ore. be large addition to the labor en-
,loyed. and with said increase of numbers |
here will be proportionate diminution Of |
expenses of board and clothing, as COM
Jared with a lesser number in service, as
be past number may be said to be self sup
porting in that particular.
The energy and capacity Of the lessees
or their place is thoroughly demonstrated !
" the rapidity with which they have re- !
nstated themselves since the fire in a |
much more enlarged and improved condi- |
ion. by adding great variety Of valuable |
machinery. thus enlarging their invest
nents and employing a capital of some |
$4,000. The local as well as the general |
advantages to the State Of Tennessee, of so |