The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-04-10
THE Pennies TAR
Report OF the Joint Select Com.
Imi1tee.
To the Senate and House o. Representa-
tires:

To the Senate ana House o. representa-
tires;
Your Joint Special Committee appointed
under House Concurrent Resolution No 5,
in relation 10 site for 4 new state Peni-
Tertiary. who We're directed ty- said resoln-
rian to examine the pToffered sites in the
neighborhood of the city OF Jackson. ana
also to determine neither the Commission
erS appointed under the Act of le12 bad
made 4 purchase of land FIR site In con
formiGy with law. and were also directed by
Il resolution 81 the senate 10 inquire INTO
the present condition OF the i'rhiEentiary-
beg leave TO submit the following
That they have examined TWO OF the
sites proffered; thu one known = the Shot
Wen tract, and the ogher the ii irdimau
tract: the former located aipHJ tour and
one-hai miles north OF the city OF jackson,
on tilt- z OF the New Orleans and Jack
son !. road, and the latter OF tae same
line 81 taad, but about TWO and one-ilaii
miles nearer the city. Etcli oi those 5raets
have their natural advantages anu clsau-
vantage, n >0oaE by the I. >tla50nE ~ VII
nesses. which is herewith submitted. ! he
Committee have not beeH aoie 90 make a
personal examination OF AL the sites psoi-
tered. ANA have net deemed it necessary 10
do So, as il woald. in their judgment, nave
teen impossible fer tlieul t0 decade Wtich OF
| the proiiered sites would be Ire most ad-
| vantageouS and suitable without a more
minute and careful examination THAN they
| have been able u make. anu ANY seiccttoii
| they might have made and recosaheftied
would most likely have been SUBJECT % tue
same difficulties and liable 20 tte same ob-
| iections y hich now Surround the stlectioi.
made bv the Board OF INSPECTORS, or a ma
| iority OF them. In reference 70 the ques-
| ton as To whether the Board OF inspectors
made a purchase Of size IA accoiuailce
| with the provisions OF tde Act OF - :,
| your committee have been divided IN opih-
| ion. and have been unable, so far. TO decide.
1t being purely legal question, ahi Tue
parties thereto having remedy IN tHe
/ courts of the State, the committee prefer mo-
to make any recommendation on the SUD
| juct. but ut the same time your CEN 3tlt'"e
are Of the opinion, from the eVitence Il. =
duced. that the majority of ,1e comm IS
-ionerS. in selecting the Shoeweis tract a
did also the Governor in approving lheii
choice acted ronSJ ipt,tiou@,y and, IS tiieS
believed. for tile best Interest of the STATE
and were not inclined To this belief nY any
personal interest or any supposed interest
friends might have in the purchase.
Under resolution passed by tire senate
aud referred to Gu" ommittee r. lnNe>tl-
gate the management aud condition 81 lie
| present Peniteutiarv. they nave made M
quiry accordingly, aud beg to submit vie
following on thar subject:
The number Of conVjcts under sentence u
the Penitentiarv is about three huaHred
Under the law Of 1872. allowing certain
| cnuvicts 10 be worked on public works IN
this State, contracts have been mace ih
! certain parties connected With the Selma
Marion and Memphis Railroad 10 work q
port ion OF the eonvicts on said road on
terms that were considered advantage u-
| u The state. These contractors having
failed to comply with the sJlpulatiohS ol
the contract, other arrangements We're
made by the Board OF Inspectors, lncIud-
ing the purchase of property belonging "a
the IeSSces Of the Prnitentary, 10 the
amount Of about siXtcn thousand (l6OOO)
dollars, and new contract was mace with
the same parties, copy 81 Which Is mere
/ with presented. by the terms OF winch one
hundred OF the cOnVictS have been hlred OF
! leased for the period OF twelve months on
the terms therein provided. The balance Of
/ the couvicts to the mum Der OF one hundred
[ and ei@htv-five, are now within the walls
and have been since about the middle OF
January last. According 10 the testimony
taken and herewith submitted, not more
than seventy-fiye or eighty of this number
can be worked with any convenience OF
: profit TO the State, leaving one hundred
within the walls without employment o.
means to employ them, who are. conse-
quentiy, dead exp nSe to the State.
! In this connection your committee be2
leave to call attention 10 the lin their opiu-
ionl bad policy and evils attendant upon tH'
working of convicts upon public works by
contract.
There are necessarily abuses which ne
supervisory agency which the state may
| establish can comp leteiy control; ant
=
officers at present appointed 70 look % these
matters are a competent, and have been a
efficient AS any which the state could en-
pIoy. still there have been wrongs ant
! abuses i'm the treatment OF the conVicts ttu'
endowed. and which will continue 10 eXis
so long Is the present system il coutlhu' q
| For particulars the committee refer to th'
UeSl IifIuus a,,briitrad herewith.
The present buildings are toralIy is:a8e
quatc to Accommodate oue-tijird OF the con.
victs now under sentence. Their condition
= is such TO render IU unWiSe t. eNpeht
any money in cnl;rgingO or i'm proving them
To build a new Penitentiary ou new
site VIII require, in the opinion Of youl
| comm tee AN eX pendItuTe Of not less tHar
from $4,000 TO 100000 annually for tht
period Of five years, making IN the aggre-
gate. including the expense OF the site lnG
| maintaining prisoners. sum OF not les,
: | than $l.OU0,G00. In addition To lHiS eX pen
diture, il "iil require "A considerable sum to
purchase machinery, material, etc for ust
in the new buildings when erected, which
| with cost OF erection. viii make an agEre-
gate outlay of = sum not less than $l.j00,-
| 000, to be expended in order 10 put the new
Penitentiary in operation. The ; ate Arch
iteCt whose testimony is herewith submit
ted. is of the opinion that TO com piete the
buildings within the time specified by tte
act OF 1872, according TO the plans which
the Board of Inspectors have adopted. II
would require al appropriation OF $3.50 600.
r half of which he thinks might be saved by
1
committee are of the opiniOn, from their
knowledge of how matters are conducted
upon public works generally throughout
the Union, that it the State Architects fig
ures We're multiplied by TWO the balance in
favor Of the State left Of the amount after
the buildings were finished, would not be
very large.
In view of the present financial condition
of the State, it will he a matter for the Lee
gislature TO determine whether this outlay
can be made.
10 conclusion, your committee beg leave
20 state that they have, To the best Of their
ability. endeavored TO get all the facts in
| connection with this matter, ard have sub
mitted them as they have been elected,
drawing such conclusion Is seemed TO be
| warranted by the facts before them. and
leaving the leg stature 80 take such action
| IN view thereof a. it may deem best under
the circumstances.
NJ. b. SULLIVAN,
/. ID. SHADD,
House Committee
W. III. GIBBS,
A. q. HACKER,
Senate Committee
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