The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-11-25

CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILROAD MEET
ING TODAY The stockholders of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company
will meet in the Hall of the House Of Dele
gates to-day at y O'Clock.
VIRGINIA PESITENTIARY-INTE STA
TIsTIcs-PRoPosED REMovAL.-At II O'Clock
Yesterday morning the commission ap-
pointed by Ma ajor-General Candy, composed
of the Auditor of Public Accounts, the SUI
perintendcnt and Directors of the State Peni-
tentiary, and Mr.. J. w. Lewellen, to take
"into consideration the necessities OF that
institution, and report what measures will
be needful to provide for those necessities
until the Legislature of the State shall be
enabled to act upon the question: met at
the State Auditors office, and organized by
eecting G. w. Smith, Esq, chairman.
Major Stanton read the order of General
Candy appointing the commission; and
then, for the information of the members,
the report Of the Board Of Directors was
read.
The report states that the capacity Of the
present buildings is inadequate to the ac
commodation of the conyicts, keeping in
view their safety and health. The cells are
all oyercrowded, and additional ones are abb
solutely necessary. Byremoving the female
prisoners from their present quarters, ac-
commodations may be afforded for eighty
male conyicts. The Board think the wO-
men are now in two close proximity to the
men; but to remove them the State will
have to incur the expense of erecting new
building, which the directors think ought
to be constructed beyond the prison walls
proper. They believe this building will
cost comparatively little, inaSmuch rs the
State has on hand the granite and brick,
saved from the ruins Of the State court
house. out of which to erect the walls and
partitions. Most of the labor for this work
may be performed by the convicts, many OF
whom are now necessarily supported in
idcneSS because of the inadequacy Of the
workshops to their employment.
OF the number of convictS employed in
the prison (240 their laborS are thus distr-
buted In the bcdStead factory u, by J. j.
Bowen e Co.. and by A. Oswald, con-
tractors. On State account, - are employed
in the wcayeshop, 16 as blacksmitbs, -
ShoemakerS, 13 wheelwrights, 10 carpcn-
ters, II cooperS, II basket and chair-makers,
Is in the cook-houSc, 13 in the WaSh-housc,
keepers, , as hospital Stewards, Is bar
berS. librarians, pipc-tenderS, &C. b as
tailors, and IA on the Public Square. Total,
2f9. On public works, % are hired to the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, and II with
out pay are at work OH the James River and
Kanawha canal-mkin@ IN aggregate OF
3lj convictS who are employed, leaving :.S2
unemployed. Total number Of prisoners
597, of which number 3G are colOred
women. There are also in the penitcntiary
five colored children, from one TO three years
OF age. three OF whom were received with
their mothers, and two were born in prison
These children ought TO be turned over to
some one of the orphanages. or otherwise
provided for.
The Board complain Of the difficulty en-
countercd in dispoSing of the prison manu-
features. This is probably owing to the
most Of the articles are substantial, and
offered ut moderate priceS.l
The Board recommend the manufacture
Of tobacco, and the making and burning OF
brick, on State account ; and believe num-
ber OF convctS could be thus prohtably en-
ploycd because of the fact that all manu-
features on State account are exempt
from revenue tax. But they state that, IN
order to introduce any new branch Of mail
utactures, it is necessary to increase the area
of the workshops, which they suggest may
be done by adding another story to the pre-
sent shops, which will cost about $1,000.
The supply of water is inadequate be-
cause of the limited capacity OF the pipe
leading from the State springs. This they
propose to remedy by Introducing waite!
from the city water works, which being
done, a portion of the lot adjacent to the
springs from which water is now drawn
may be sold.
Looking to removal of the State prison
at no distant day, the Board favor the pur
-, Of 1,c han A. Il,nI,S.inI a.
land oil some nayigablc stream, the canal
or Il railroad, where Il portion OF the con
Yicts may be employed III cultiyatinS tht
soil. [The present site is entirely too small
and at the same time too valuable to he helt
for prison purposes. If lands are purchased
elsewhere, and prison buildings erected
thereon, the sale of the present grounds vii
20 far to reimburse the State for the new
outlay.l
The Board recommend an application t
the Legislature of West Virginia to repea
their statute concerning the introduction o
convict labor in that state from anothe
State, ut least till the Chesapeake and Ohl'
railroad is completed.
They also recommend the employmcn
and pay of prison chaplain and concltld
bv urging the erection Of new buildings 10
the accommodation of two hundred and fifty
The present prison has one hundred ant
seventy three cells, averaging in size SIX b,
twelve feet, all Of which are packed rs ful
as they can well be.
By way of showing the steady increase o
prisoners for the past four years, we glv'
the number at the beginning OF each year
rs follows
Number Of prisoners, January |, 1856
White men, 100: colorcd men, 70; COloreC
women, .. Total, 1T9.
Number of prisoners, January /, 1867
White men, 1OG; colored men, 240: coloret
women, Il. Total, 3G3.
Number of prisoners. january J, 1868
White men, 103: colOrcd men, jlI coloret
women, Il. Total, 443.
Number of prisoners, January /, 1869
White men, l19 colored men, 80 coloret
women, 80. Total, 52l. or the total, ls'
were employed on public works, and 33o il
| prison.
Number of prisoners, September !, 1869
White men, 125; colorcd men, 1856; colore'
women, IS. Total, 597. OF this total, &
were on public works, and 53l i'll prison.
The commission, after hearing the report
deemed an inspection of the premises ne
cessary; and thereupon adjourned to NEE
at the pententiary this morning at 1
o'clock, having first invited Governo
Walker to accompany them.
The invitation was promptly accepted b,
the Governor, who professed an anxiety t
examine the prison, and who viii doubles
accompany the commission If he Is not call
ed from the city before the hour for meeting
| COMMISSIONERS N CHANCERY.--Geners