ed itself at which there could be cause of complaint. The con-
victs appeared to be tractable industrious and under full subordi-
nation to the constituted authorities.

The Dormitory or the institution was an object of no small
interest to the committee, to which apartment reference will be
made in another part of this report; the condition of it however
appeared as satisfactory as could be expected under the disadvan-
tages connected with it, and creditable to the officers; in fact the
male and female departments of prison with their appurtenances
appeared to be in as good condition as the facilities of the prison
afforded.                                                               

THE INMATES OF THE PRISON,

Your committee after a review of the Prison, its objects, and
purposes and the melancholy interests associated with its inmates
were seriously impressed with the important fact that there is no
institution in the State more entitled to its attention, than this; it
addresses itself to the magnanimity of our people and has a strong
hold upon our sympathies, and humanity as one of the approved
safeguards of society, designed to keep in check that spirit of
defiance to the constituted laws of society that unfortunately
attend it, the result of a frailty incident to mankind, in this view
presenting, as it does, a melancholy necessity involving expense
to the State it should enlist our best consideration, and every effort
should be made to discover a plan by which the institution could
sustain itself and be of no cost to the State. At the same time the
dictates of humanity demonstrate that the best feelings of man's
nature should be called into active play to devise plans in con-
nection with the institution that would make it reformatory in
its character and thereby in its reaction prove salutary to society.

OCCURRENCES AT THE PENITENTIARY DURING

THE LAST TWO YEARS.

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Impressed with these views, your committee respectfully direct
your attention to the several facts elicited during the course
of their examination, and to which they shall refer in this re-
port, and suggest that legislative action should be had thereto.

Your committee in the examination of the affairs of the prison
for the last two years, included in the range of examination its
every interest, in which was shown that some accidents had attend-
ed its history during that period that operated greatly to its finan-
cial injury, and incurred considerable cost. The committee do
not undertake to justify or condemn these misfortunes, and state
that from their examination of parties, pro and con, in reference
to the aforesaid accidents that testimony was their guide, and
consequently they do not feel at liberty to make any comments
thereon.