The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-01-11

practical plans for the advancement Of trtI
knowledge, and for promoting among tn
masses pursuits of industry.
FKSTTENTIARY.
The condition of the Penitentiary is sucl
as TO demand your prompt attention Tn
lease under which the eonviets have beei
held since 1867 expired by limitation on tn
first day OF November, 1871. In the absence
of adequate provisions for the care of the con
viets under existing laws and in order TO re
lieve the Legislature from the embarrass
ment of being required to take forced actor
| at the very commencement of the session,
contract was entered into by my predecessor
with Mr.. E. RICHARDSON, the former lessee. Il
| retain control of the convicts until the frs
of March, 1872, on the same terms As wers
agreed upon in the original lease. This con
tract needs your approval, which, i trust, i
| will promptly receive to give it the force Of
| law. The policy of leasing for a period OF
! years the convicts sentenced to confinement
in Che Penitentiary. to be paraded through
| out the State and placed in competition with
! free labor. is calculated in my judgment, IL
| corrupt public morals, degrade industry, pre-
vert justice and thwart the true objects oi
| punishment.
| Mankind are so far the creatures of circnm-
| stances as to be controlled in great degree
| by their surrounding Even vice, the mon
| ster Of such frightful mien if seen too Oft
is too often embraced And to bring the
| free, honest laborers of the country into con-
/ btCI anu CouDtlitlOn WIFI the idMitsS NdRd-
| bonds of the prison, is to place on apparently
| equal footing two classes Of society as differ
| ent as virtue and vice and it viii have the
tendency of obliterating. in the public mind,
the distinction that should exist between the
good citizen and the degraded outlaw.
The Penitentiary buildings belonging to
the State are in adilapidated condition, and
are not sufficiently capacious to accommO-
date more than one-half the present number
of conyicts. The cells are too small and lily
ala4, h
prison are inadequate and not favorably stu
ated for the purpose.
/ recommend that suitable officers-a SUI
perintendent, clerk, and board of control,
chage of the Penitentiary, The superlnten-
dent and board of control to be appointed by
the Governor and confirmed by the Senate
| further recommend that the board OF
control be authorized to dispose of the grounds
on which the present Penitentiary is located.
together with such of the buildings, machine
ry and material as cannot be made available
in the establishment of a new Penitentiary
and that it be required to purchase a farm o.
not more than six hundred acres, in tn'
vicinity of the Capitol, on which the new
penltentlary buildings shall be erected. In
order that this may be accomplished with the
smallest possible outlay on the part of tn.
State recommend that the conyicts, unde
the direction of the superintendent, shall b.
used in prosecuting the work, and that suoI
con victs as cannot be made available for tie
purpose may be hired out for short period,
by the board of control, to labor on othG
public works. or elsewhere until such time
as they can be given employment within tie
Penitentiary walls.
If the plan above briefly outlined shall
meet your appreciation, L would advise tint
ample time, not less than five years be l.
lowed to carry lit into effect, and the Offices
appointed be subjected to suchlimitations and
placed under such ample bonds as will insure
a faithful dienh Of nfx op1 .
interests of the State.
The superintendent should have the servi.
ces of the State Architect, and one otter
skilled mechanic in preparing the plans and
buildings which should be modelled after the
most approved prison architecture adoptedin
the United States.
The following table of statistics is CON
piled from the very excellent report of tie
superintendent, which is herewith submit
ted:
Total number of convicts during IL, ;76
Total number discharged for various
ctuses---.-- II
Total number remaining Dec, Is, 1871 "a
1t is a fact worthy of your attention, tlat
amc ng all the convicts now sentenced to he
Penitentiary, only two were mechanics who
had previous to conviction learned trade
Fully twO-thirds of all the convictions
throughout the State have grown out of st
of law. Many Of this number il may well be
supposed, on account of the absence of remu-
nerative employment, have violated law TO
secure the necessities of life, perhaps to drive
tho hungry wolf, Famine, from the cabin
door. The Justice of the government should
be tempered with mercy in dealing with such
cases as these. 1t would prove a blessing to
the State if every convict sent to the Peni-
Tertiary could be returned to his homo the
master of good trade.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS
Our benevolent Institutions are the pride of
the State. Although maintained at heavy
cost the contributions that have been from
time to time levied for their support have
been cheerfuly paid, and they now stand rs
proud monuments 10 the people whose Chris
tian charity and enlightenment they epre-
sent.
The two new wings to the Lunatic Asylum.
authorized by the last legislature, have not
been completed within the time agreed upon
with the contractors, much to the detriment
of the public interest. The work on them
however, is still progressing
The treatment of patients, as shown by the
number reported, as restored to sound mind,
has been more successful during the past
year. than for any other since the establish
ment of the Asylum. The farm in connection
with the Asylum, consisting Of fifty acres
has been admirably managed, and made to
yield products amounting in value to over
ten thousand dollars.
The Superintendent, DR.. William NJ.
Compton, in his elegant and very interesting
report to the Trustees of the Asylum repre-
sents the necessities of still further additions
to meet the growing demands upon the in
stitution His recommendation on the sub |
jects, treated in his report, show compile
hensive benvalence which takes into syr1-
pathy all the afflicted of the Sta4 | reeoml
mend it to your careful consideration.
SCHOOLS FOR THE BLIND AND Fob THE DEF
AND DUMB.
IT is an erroneous impression Which nm !
walls generally among the people that the !
institutions for the blind and fer the deaf
and dumb are asylums. The last legislature
was so far misled by this false mprEsion as |
to denominate them asylums in tie New
Code They are simply schools wlere the |
unfortunate blind and deaf and dumA youth |
of the State instructed and taught some |
kind of useful employment suited to their
condition.
Under appropriations made by the list
Legislature, the Institution for the Blind hs |
been partially refurnished, and an additional |
building has been erected. Under the skill |
full management of Mrs. Merrill, as Superb |
tendent, it meets very fully the demands #
The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb |
was established last year, and only opened |
for the reception of pupils on the first of De !
eember. Under the able Superintendence If
lar favor. There are now nine pupils in al
tendance, and thirty-fFe applications for adj
mission.
STATE HOSPITAL AT yICKsBU 70.
The Hospital ut Vieksburg was made
State Institution bv an not of the Legiaa-
ture approved March, II, 1871. An appso-
priation of twenty-five thousand dollars vas
made for its support the first year, and Ir. 4
John r. Hicks was appointed medical supd- /
intendent. In the past nine months sevel- |
teen hundred and twenty-three patients haze |
been treated, ont of which number fourtea |
hundred and seventy-four have been die
charged as cured.
The management of Superintendent D1
John r. Hicks is very highly commended byd
the Trustees of the Hospital.
An additional appropriation Is demanded
to meet deficit for the third quarter.
REPORTS TRANsMITTED.
/ herewith transmit and recommend tol
your attention the following reports:
Report of the Superintendent and Bpardbf1
Trustees Of the Lunatie Asylum.
Report of the Superintendent and BoardPfl
Trustees of the institution for the Deaf all |
Dumb. !
Report of the Superintendent of the Ins- |
r. L.. id l