The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-28

4
, your special consideration. Should 70,
be unwilling 10 adopt their recommends
ton, the only mode Of present relic
would be 10 secure aceomm onatlons 10
these patients elsewhere, and there hayl
them maintained and cared for. Tn
adoption OF either oneof these expedlent
would afford only temporary relief, ant
: should in no wise tend 10 relax proper el
forts to complete tho hospital buildings
The board Of directors estimate that /
will require $3.50, 600 TO build the mex
two sections north Of the centre building
and request Tor this purpose On appropria
ton Of $4,000 for the present year, and {
similar amount tor tho next year, In thu
absence Of sufficient data to estimate the
probable condition Of the Treasury during
this period, l can mako no speCifce re-
commentator, but ] trust that you viii
provide as literally for the further con-
structlop oil the hospital buildings as The
condition Of the finances will permit
The report will show tho amount OIL
money desired for current expenses. L
Is larger sum than heretofore, granted
and somewhat larger than the probable
wants Of tho institution would seem to
require. I have every confidence that
you will CheCrfully make ample appro-
priatons 70 meet the ordinary or usual
wants Of the hospital rW
There is on urgent necessity for making
suitable provision for the cOlored insane,
Of whom there are from ten TO fifteen In
the State. Bya joint resolution, adopted
by the last Legislature, was authorized
and directed to contract with the officers
oil the Central Lunatic Asylum Of Vir.
ginia, for tho admission OF the colored in.
sane Of this State. l promptly complied
with the terms OF the resolution by open.
ing correspondence with the .superin.
tendent OF that institution, and afterwards
with the Governor of Virginia, but the
authorities Of that asylum declined to
receive these patients on the ground OF q
want Of authority, and also Of a want Of
room. as the power conferred by this
joint resolution was limited TO single IN.
stitution, nothing further could be done
for these unfortunate people. ] call your
attention to the subject, with the belief
that You will provide Tor the care Of this
class OF patients in the future.
PENITENTIARY.
The report OF the directors OF the Pen.
itcntiary will give full information in re.
gard TO that institution. There remained
in prison, October LIST, nine hundred and
nine convicts During the preceding
year, tiity-twO had been discharged upOn
the expiration Of sentence, ten pardoned,
seven died, and six cscaped--two OF
whom were recapturGl. Six out Of the
seven deaths that occurred were caused
by dysentery, which prevailed rs an cpl.
demic in August and September. There
seems 10 be various opinions as to the
cause of this epidemic,-thc location of
the prison, the dry season and tho char.
aCter Of the water used. Whatever NAV
have been the cause, humanity demands
TINT 10 means should be spared to pro.
teCt the health Of the inmates. At pres.
ent there are no means Of supplying the
prison with water; and l recommend that
an appropriation be made for this purpose.
The directors believe 5000 will be Gufll.
cient. invite your special attention to
the views Of the superintendent upon the
subject Of discipline, and the instruction
and reformation Of Ne convicts. At
best they are an unhappy and uniortu.
nate class, and il any means can be dc.
vised by which 10 arouse and call into
action their better instincts, VIC should
not hesitate 10 employ them. From the
tenor Of the superintendent report, it
may be inferred that sOmeoI the guards arc
not FULLY in accord with him. lie is re.
sponSlbe for the internal police and man.
agement OF the Penitentiary; he executes
the orders Of the board, and has the care
of the public property; and he is held
liable for errors or neglect Of duty on the
part OF his subOrdinates. Consequently
he ought to have the power 10 appoint
.and remove the guards. / therefore rec
Ommend that the laws be so modified as
to give the superintendent either the
right TO nominate for appointment, or to
appoint the guards with the power of re-
mOVal at pleasure in either case, leaving
the power in the board to fix the number
10 be employed.
You will be glad to learn that the Pen.
itentIary is at last approaching compile.
tion. 1t is estimated that $4,000 will
complete the walls, $4,000 the outer
walls Of the north cell building, and
$50, 900 the warden's house, making $780,
600 in all. This sum can readily DO pro.
vided for in your appropriations for two
years.
There is deficiency in the appropria.
tions for the payment OF the guards Tor
the two preceding years Of 5000 1G,
and in the appropriation for the support
Of convicts, $2,742 So These defcien.
cies ought to be provided for. Before the
sitting OF the next Legislature, II sufficient
appropriations are made, the walls and
necessary buildings will DO completed
and consequently the labor of convicts,
now so largely employed in their con.
struction, will no longer be needed for
that purpose. The labor of so many con.
Victs, most Of them able bodied men,
with lair management, ought 10 be so
employed rs to pay the ordinary ex-
penses Of the Penitentiary. And earn.
estly recommend that you provide by law
either for their employment in some form
useful aud profitable TO the State, or that
they be hired to contractors by the day,
all the work 10 be done within the walls,
believe that experiments In other States
have shown that It is better to hire the
convicB 10 manufacturers themselves,
than for the State 10 engage directly in
producing manufactured articles. The
Penitentlary being so near Wheeling,
some OF the enterprising manufacturers
Of that thriving city would gladly avail
themselves Of this opportunity Of getting
cheap labor
INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF, DUMB AND
BLIND.
The report OF the Regents Of the Insti
tuition for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind will
furnish iull information as to its condi.
ton. There were in attendance last year
tlIty'fve mutes and twelve blind, or in all
sixty.seVen pupils. Mechanical instruc.