, 1875-10-02
THE COUNTY JAIL.

The Grand Jury have presented
the Jail in this town as nuisance
which should be abatcd. It's in
secure, ill-vcntilated and entirely
too small. Ten years ago it was
considered ample for all the re-
quirements Of the court, and so
was the old court house. But
times have changed, and it is now
found to be a fixed fact that nei-
ther the court house nor jail are
adequate to the requirements Of
the increased and increasing pop
ulation of this county, as well as
Clalam, San Juan, Whatcom and
Island counties, which five coun-
ties constitute the sub-district Of
the Third Judicial District, and
all transact their legal business in
the District Court held in this
town, and our miserable Jail has to
furnish accommodations for the
criminal business of all.
What we want, what we need
and whsA we must have, is a new
Jail and court house, if we expect
to retain the court in this county.
Sdhe people say, the court can
not be removed from Jefferson
county without an act Of the Leg
islature; very true. But let Island
county, for instance, build such a
Jail as is required, and let Jeffer-
son county content itself with the
apology which now constitutes
our Jail, and influence enough
could and would be brought to
bear TO remove the court to the
county which has the proper ac-
commodations for the security Of
prisoners. The District Court
formerly, was held at Penn's Cove,
but the accommodations were
poor. Jefferson county built a
court house and Jail, and the
court was removed here. Some
people are disposed wrongfully to
blame our county commissioners
for not having a jail built, but.
they have no authority to do any
thing Of the kind without an act
Of the Legislature. They can do
one thing, however, they can take
the initiative and make some stir
in the matter, and when the Leg
islature convenes they can ask for
authority to raise loan upon the
county bonds.
Atleast twenty thousand dol
lars should be raised on loan, and
the bonds, bearing legal interest,
can be made to extend from Eve
to twenty years, making the annu-
al tax to be raised in liquidation
50 small as not to be appreciated
by the taxpayer. We are in fa-
vor Of purcasing a suitable lot Of
land, say two to four lots on the
Spit, and there build a Jail and
court house with Offices for the
county auditor and treasurer. For
the immediate present we do not
require a court house to belong to
the county, as Capt. Fowler's
stone building furnishes probably
the best court room in the whole
Territory; but we must have q
Jail as soon as an act can be bepassed
BY the Legislature authorizing the
county Commissioners to issue
bonds. The talk about running
the county in debt is puerile and
childish. We must look this oues-
ton squarely in the face Ike men;
We must have a Jail, and we must
at once set about devising the
ways and means for raising the
funds. r.ss
The wise management Of our
county commissioners has freed
Jefferson county from debt. Tho
county does not owe a dollar, and
we have faith to believe that the
prudence, sagacity and foresight
Of our present Board Of Commis-
sioners will suggest to them the
means to be adopted 10 bring
about this most desirable end.
We have conversed with many
Of our citizens, and the opinion is
unanimous that we must have a
jail at once; and we fsel certain,
from every indication, that the
people will sustain any action the