11

extension of the present grounds," in the immediate rear of
the present enclosure. We found that a lot of ground bound-
ing on Forrest street, 180 feet, on Eager street, 407 feet, and
on Constitution street, 220 feet, might be obtained which
would make the present enclosure sufficiently large for new
buildings at the following cost:

Ground................................... $28,200

48 Dwellings now in use.................... 72,000

$100,200

If this property were comdemned, it is calculated that the
actual cost would be $ 150,000; as the owners of the property
would doubtless take every advantage of the necessities of the
State.

Your Committee were however of opinion, that other and
more desirable sites might be obtained for much less, in which
as will be seen below, they do not err.

COST OF A NEW PENITENTIARY.

Believing; rt to be more desirable to locate a new building
on the suburbs of the city, where a larger space could be ad-
vantageously used for garden purposes, &c. We summoned
before us, Wm. P. Lrghtner, an experienced property dealer,
in Baltimore, and Mr William H. Alien, a well known
builder, by whose aid we are enabled to estimate the probable
cost of a new Institution entirely, among a number of sites
examined by your Committee, we were unanimous in favor of
one, upon the suburbs 6f the city, beautifully located, 160
feet above tide water, and easily accessibly from all sections,
and only one mile from the centre of the city. The property
contains 22f acres, or in other words, forms a lot 810 x 1120 ft.
which would be amply sufficient for all necessary prison build-
ings, workshops, &c., and still leave sufficient space for a
garden, large enough to raise all the vegetables used in the
Institution, which in the course of a year, amounts to several
thousand dollars:

Estimated cost of property................ $25,000

Estimated cost of Building................ 975,000

$1,000,000

At a first glance the above figures would seem very large,
but an examination of the facts goes to show that in the pur-
chase of this property, the advantages would in ten years, save
to the State the entire amount of money, as shown by the
following calculation of the present "Labor Lost," by idle
convicts, and the saving of vegetables, &c., calculating upon
an average number of 700 convicts;