Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-28

to prison property. 4th. For AL outStand-
ing claims in favor of the prison. 9th.
Discount on warrants. For more particu-
lar statement of the credits, reference may
be had to the statement herewith fled, and
heretofore referred to as a part Of this re-
port.
The credit allowed for improvements and
additions to the prison property, including
the extension Of the prison wall, would have
been inquired into more particularly, if the
time allowed for making the investigation
had been of sufficient duration to admit of
the delay that would have followed thor
Ough and complete investigation. The COM
mittee would have preferred to take proof
as to the part of the wall built after the 1st
of March, 1870, and to have had an esti-
mate made, by competent parties, showing
the value of the work done on that part Of
the wall by the Board of Inspectors for
| 1901, but want of time prevented it.
There has been some doubt expressed as
| to the correctness Of the estimate made by
the authority of tie Inspectors, but the
committee are not sufficiently familiar with
the value of such work TO express any en-
| lighted opinion as to the correctness or in
correctness of the estimate.
The Inspectors insist that the estimate
was too small, and seemed anxious that the
committee should have an estimate made,
which would have been done but for the
reasons before stated.
1t may be proper to state the reasons
which induced the committed to allow
credit for the discount on Comptroller's
warrants, as they will have to be redeemed
by the State, dollar for dollar. The war
rants here referred to were issued to the In
spectors for Improvements made on the
Capitol Grounds at the rate of one dollar
per day for each convict employed, which
was the market price of labor, and the war
rants were sold in the market at heavy
discount to obtain money to pay prison ex-
penses.
Now, in determining whether the institu-
ton has been selfsustaining or not, we
must be governed by the market price of the
labor, and the actual amount received for
this labor performed for the State, and allow
the Inspectors credit for the difference be-
tween the market value of the labor and the
amount actually received for it.
While the committee allowed the In
spectors credit for the full amount of the
claims outstanding in favor of the prison, it
would be unreasonable to suppose that the
full amount will be collected, for we very
well know that individuals or corporations,
that deal extensively with the public, under
the credit system, must inevitably lose some
thing in the way of bad debts.
After making all just charges against the
Inspectors, and allowing all proper credits
in their favor that could be definitely ascer-
tanned, the committee find that the actual
deficit amounts TO the sum of $36,011.9S.
See full statement of the account herewith
fled.
The Inspectors maintain that they are
entitled TO credit for the difference in the
valuation of the property received by them
from the preceding Board Of Inspectors, and
the valuation of similar property sold by
them to OCOnnOr and LOOney, the present
lessees.
From an examination OF the Ward and
Briggs inventory, and the inver--y made at
the commencement Of the present lease, it
appears that the difference in the value of
the same kind of articles was quite remark
able in many instances. The committee do
not hesitate to express it as their opinion,
that the State sustained a heavy loss in
purchasing the property from Ward and
Briggs, at the prices fixed in the inventory;
but the appraisement was made under law
which made it conclusive and binding upon
the State, and she is compelled to submit to
the fraud practiced upon her by those who
should have protected her interests in the
matter.
When the property was appraised to the
State, she was forced to pay more for it
than it could have been sold for in any
market, and when she appraised the prop
80 h laoeaao -,
accordance with the contract of lease, at
bare cost.
Justice to the Inspectors demands that a
credit should be allowed them for the diff
ference in valuations, which would amount
to no incOnsiderable sum, and would very
materially change the showing of their ac
count.
The committee would have made thor
Ough and critical examination of the two
inventories, and obtained from them an ap-
proximate statement Of the difference in
the valuations, and entered the difference to
the credit of the Inspectors, but for the
same good reason before stated-a want of
time.
The Inspectors are clearly entitled TO
credit for the success they achieved in the
management of the prison during their
term of Office, considering all the difficult
ties surrounding them and encountering
them at every step in the commencement
of their administration.
The State had but recently terminated
most disastrous lease, and the institution
was thrown back upon the State without
money, and without credit, at home or
abroad. The State was financially embar-
raised and in no condition to loan her i'm
paired credit, which was little better than
that Of the prison itself, and the cOnse-
quence was that those who sold supplies or
material to the prison must be paid an ex-
orbitant per cent. upon every thing, for the
risk incurred in selling on credit to an in.
solvent institution.
In many instances the Inspectors were
forced to loan their private credit as in
| dividuals to procure necessaries for the
prison.
They applied to the Legislature for per-
mission to work the prison labor outside
the prison walls, and recommended that
branch prisons be established at various
points in the State.
The Legislature adopted these sugges-
tons, and the increased value of prison Ia
Dor at the present time is living evidence
of the wisdom Of that policy, and but for
that policy the prison would be to-day a
heavy tax upon the State Treasury.
From 1866 to 1869, the Comptroller's
books show that the penitentiary has cost
tie State the enormous sum of 1858, 1861
or an average of $114,937.67 per annum.
A considerable portion of this amount
was paid out by the State during the years
1S70-7l, but the books in the COmptroller's
office show that it was paid out on account
of debts contracted prior to 1870, and prin-
cipally to extricate the prison from the I'M
fortunate lease to Ward Il Briggs, made on
the 10th day of July, 1866.
The prison is now paying the State a
handsome profit for the first time in the
history of the institution.
The State after paying all her officers al
the prison, receives net profit from the
prison of $27 400 per annum, and this sun
is certain and fixed beyond perchance OF
preadventure.
Epidemics may prevail, contagion may
spread death and vastation all over the
country-debtOrs may become insolvent anC
cause the prison to sdstain heavy losses
| the labor market may be dull, and no re
munerative employment be found for the
convicts, but the SKATE is Unidentified against
all these, and if any loss is sustained il
| must be borne nv the lesseeS and not by the