The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-01


of this humane institution, as recon-.
mended by its officers, I fsel it myduty
to caution you against making more il
boral appropriations than the income oi
the State at present justi6es, 4
THE SOUTH CAROLINA PRNTtENTsAisx.
The Board of Directors Of the South
Carolina Penitentiary furnishes the an.
nual report OF the Superintendent Of the
institution, with its accompanying ex.
hibits, showing fully and satisfactorily
its practical Workings. / regret that the
late hour at which it was furnished pre-
oludes q more exhaustive analysis of its
contents. which throw much light on the
workings OF this institution, % impor-
tant not only to the material interesta Of
the State, but to the moral and indus
trial interests Of it's inmates. + can do
but little more than refer yon to this re-
port. and call your attention to its re-
Communications. ,,.,,.. i.
The expenditures OF the Penitentiary
for the year ending October Is, 1870,
for allpurposes, amounted to $lO4, 134. .O2,
and the value Of work done and manu-
faotured articles produced, to 500, ,626. .O2,
which leaves IS, ,658 as the actual cost to
the State Of its Penitentiary, an exhibit
which reflects much credit upon the Su.
perintendent and Board of Directors for
tue efficient management of the institu.
ton, as we'll as to their subordinates, for
the skill and zeal with which they have
directed their Iabors.
On the 10Th day of October, 1870, the
Penitentiary contained BIT inmates; re-
celved under sentence since, 231; recap
tured, 9-total during the year, 557;
from which we're discharged by expira-
ton Ut sentence. SO; pardoned, 153;
died, 13; escaped, 13-248; number now
in confinement. 300. whereof 301 are
males and 8 females. Two OF the latter
have each child, one OF which was
born short time after the mothers ar
rival. The evils edverted to in the Su-
perintendent's last report, of imprison-
ing, women IN penal institution unpro.
vided with facilities and conveniences
necessary for an absolute separation of
the sexes, are still unabated, and il is
earnestly hoped that they may be pro-
vided for in some appropriate asylum.
The estimates accompanying the Su-
perintendents report, which he claims
will admit of no abatement, for salaries,
materials. clothing, &C.. aggregates in
the neighborhood of $3.50. 900. In ad-
dition to which, there is an actual de-
fioienoy Of $l7, 7,457, the items and the
necessity for the expenditure OF which
are explained. The erection of perme-
uent workshops ia OF imperative neoes-
rlty for the welfare and true prosperity
Of the institution. Tie time is rapidly
approaching when the unskilled labor
now utilized must be dispensed with,
and the force now 80 employed will have
to be otherwise occupied, by gradually
,nstructing them in the mechanic arts
appropriate to an institution of this
kind; and, if provision is not made in
time for teaching the inmates these in
dustries. much loss will be incurred by
the State, and disease aud demoralza-
tien result to tho convicts.
1t will be seen from the above table
that 1853 convicts have been pardoned
during the past year. OF these, eighty
five were pardoned on the recommenda-
tions Of presiding Judges and the peti
tlons OF numerous good citizens of the
Counties in which they were convicted,
and sixty-eight. when within few days
| of the expiration of thoir sentences. 70,
good conduct.
Very harsh criticism has been in
dulged regarding an alleged excessive
use of the pardoning power. This oriti
cism Is unwarranted, and leaves out o
view the causes that have invited and
justified the exercise of Executive Gle.
mency. In many cases, unimpeachable
testimony, now of record in the Execu
tive Department. has clearly shown thai
their conviction was contrary TO the evi
dence and due to political prejudice
and, in others, that the witnesses wer.
in conspiracy to effect the conviction o
the accused; while still larger number
were convicted of such minor offences as
did not appear to mo to warrant thei
imprisonment in the penitentiary fo,
any great length OF time. AS an instance
OF the last named class, I cite the case O.
convict who was sentenced to term O.
eighteen months imprisonment ii .h;
penitentiary for stealing few ears O.
corn, amounting to less than q peck
from the feed-box of his employer.
horses. The current statement, tha
pardons have been granted by me in 6
spirit of partisanship, discriminating il
favor of colored convicts, is not true.
have granted as many pardons to white
as have TO colored convicts, in proper
ton to their respective numbers. Dur
ing the pnst year. have granted but two
pardons to homioides, and both of these
convicts were achite men, one from Cam
den and the other from Charleston, and
in both cases. the victims OF tho homi
cides were colored.
The whole number OF pardons granted
by me does not exceed the number
granted by my predecessors, for tht
same period, when compared with The
number of convictions Moreover, unde,
previous administrations. the penaltie.
for petty offences were not as severe q.
they are now, there being then no peni
tentiary system Of imprisonment ut hare
labor.
LIBRARY AND CAPITOL BUILDING.
coll your attention to the recon.
mendntions OF the State Librariun, who
has charge OF the capitol and grounds