Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-02

the general management of the State Prison at
Saltwater, as well as the charges of cruelty to
prisnoers, and further to investigate the man
ner of letting contracts and thetexpenditures of
money in the improvements Of said prison,
made the following report:
To the Honorable the Senate and House of
Representatives:
Your joint committee to which was referred
the matter of investigating the general man.
agement of the State Prison at Saltwater, as
well as the charges Of cruelty to prisoners, and
further to investigate the manner of letting
contracts and the expenditure of money in the
Improvements at said prison, would respect
fully report: =
THAI pursuant to the resolution appointing
said com mittee, large number of witnesses
were cited to appear before said committee to
give their evidence and did so appear and tes-
tify; that every facility was given both to par
ties who made the charges above recited and
the prison authorities, ard every effort consis-
tent with its duty to the State was made by
your committee to arrive at a fair and lust
conclusion in the premises.
After a full and impartial hearing Of all tes-
timony upon the matter of 'sthe general man
agement of the State prison as we'll as the
charges OF cruelty to prisoners" your COM
mittce have instructed me to report that the
charges of cruelty to prisoners have not been
sustained by the evidence adduced, and that
the general management of the State prison
IL
tons in any other State in the Union.
While making the above report your COM
mittee would state that evidence was adduced
to show that in several instances apparently
harsh measures were used toward some of the
convicts, but in every such instance such
measures were rendered necessary to maintain
the discipline of the prison so vitality needed in
an Institution of this character. So far as your
committee were able to discover by the evi.
dence no punishment was inflicted upon any
prisoner except fer violation Of the rules of the
prison. t:fi. s5gt a.
Your committee would recommend that in
order to avoid repetition of such reports in
the future $50 prejudicial to the maintenance
of discipline in the State prison) that the Gov
ernor Of the State be authorized to appoint
some suitable person whose duty it shall be to
visit the prison at various times (said times to
be previously unknown to the prison authori-
ties) and make diligent inquiry into the mat I
ter Of the treatment of the prisoners, the
quality and quantity of the food furnished and
the manner in which meals are served and re-
port to the Governor such changes (if any as
are necessary from time to time. Y
Your committee would further report that in
view of the shortness of time before the close
Of the session, and the Importance Of the ques-
ton involved in Investigating the manner of
letting contracts and of the expenditure of
money in the improvements Of said prison and
all matters concerning the contest between the
State and the contractors; that the accompany
ing resolution be adopted by the Senate and
House of Representatives.
Respectfully submitted, A. O. WEDGE.
Chairman Of Committee Oh State Prison Inves-
tigation. ISL 8
Resolued, By the Senate (the House of Rep
resentatives concurring) that committee con
sisting of Messrs. Wedge and Mealey, on the
part of the Senate, and Messrs. Donohue, Den
ny and James Smith, Jr., on the part Of the
House Of Representatives, be appointed to in
vestigate the manner of letting contracts and
the expenditure of money in the improvements
at the State prison at Saltwater, said commit
tee to have power to send for persons and pa
pers, compel the attendance Of witnesses and
administer oaths, and also to employ an &C.
countant said committee to receive pay for a
period not to exceed ten days, and said account
ant to receive pay for period not to exceed
twenty days, and to report the result of their
investigation to the Governor, said committee
to convene as soon after the close of the pres
ent session as convenient.
The report of the committee was adopted.
Senator Macdonald opposed the adoption of
the resolution, and it was lost.
SENATE BILLS PASSED UNDER SUSPENDED RULES
To amend the charter of the city of Roches-
ter, 5000