COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY. XXI

We have every reason to believe that our action in the premises
will receive the approval of the Legislature and of the people
of the State,

STATE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.

The Act of 187-1, chapter 233, provides for the establishment
at some accessible point " near the City of Baltimore, or at such
point as the Board of Public Works and Attorney-General may
select, an institution to be called the Maryland House of Cor-
rection," and appropriates the proceeds of a loan to be issued,
called " The House of Correction State Loan," to the purchase
ing of grounds and the erection of the necessary buildings for the
said Institution. The said loan is directed to be made by the
issue of bonds of the State to the amount of $250,000.00, and
the Board of Public Works and the Attorney-General of the
State, were, by the Act, charged with the duty of selecting the
grounds and contracting for the erection of the building.

The inconvenience of frequently convening a number of State
officers, all having their time occupied with other duties pre-
scribed by law, has been very sensibly felt, but in the perfor-
mance of this duty Institutions outside of the State have been
visited by them, and a large number of grounds offered for the
purpose have been examined, necessitating more delay than was
at first supposed would be necessary. After expending much
time and labor in the examination of grounds offered, a site
was unanimously agreed upon near Jessup's Station on the
Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road
about fourteen miles from the City of Baltimore. The farms
contains 93| acres, and was purchased for the sum of $13,000
This position was chosen on account of its advantages in
point of accessibility to every portion of the State, the health-
fulnes of the location, the convenience with which railroad
transportation could be had directly within the walls of the In-
stitution, the suitableness of the grounds, and the plentiful sup
ply of running water, which was considered as necessary for the
comfort of the inmates and the successful working of the Insti-
tution. No other place offered was regarded by us as possessing
all these qualifications in an equal degree. An arrangement