cent appointment, and the unfavorable circumstances under which I took possession as Agent of the Prison.

It is well known that when I came here, there was a vast deal of the ordinary work and general repairs about the prison, which had for a long time been accumulating, that demanded the immediate attention and superintending care of its officers; but it is not, perhaps, as well known that the institution was as destitute of means to effect these necessary improvements, as the fact when shown would demonstrate. The expensive operations in which my predecessor had for a long time been employed, in the erection and completion of the large central buildings so much talked of and admired, had, I imagine so necessarily and completely occupied his time and care, and exhausted everything in the nature of building material, that small matters of every day convenience and general use, were postponed touch time as the mind of the Agent should not be occupied with things of greater moment. The consequence has been that I have had a large amount of small work to do, which seldom finds a place in an Agent's report, except it be in the columns of dollars and eents, under the head of "miscellaneous," or "building and repairs" ac

count.

But, notwithstanding the extraordinary amount of this kind of business, much of it has been accomplished, and that too with as little expense to the State as strict economy under the circumstances, would admit. In addition to this, the roof of the prison building has been repaired and put in such condition as I think will make it safe, and answer our purpose for the next two or three years to come; still, in my opinion, it is one of the two or three matters of first importance to the safety of the institution and preservation of property, that preparations be early made for permanently securing the frame of the roof with additional iron work, and covering it with tin, zinc, or some other fire proof material, instead of the common shingle.

A new fire-proof kitchen, 25 by 32 feet on the ground, and 12 feet high, with sixteen inch brick walls and grated windows, has been put up within the last three months, completed and finished, and is now in use. It presents a pleasing contrast, both as to convenience and appearance, when compared with the decayed and unwholesome structure beretofore used for that purpose.

Eighteen new cells have also been finished and completed by me, the exterior walls of which were built some years since.

And I have likewise put up and finished a new work shop, for the use of prisoners working on the contract of Messrs. Pinney, Connable & Co. This building is built of brick, with twelve inch walls— is thirty-five feet wide by 40 feet long, and about ten feet high, and is covered with a substantial self-supporting roof. You are well aware of the condition in which I was placed, and the circumstances which induced me to build additional shop room at this time. However much I might have doubted the necessity or propriety of such a work, when first called upon by Messrs. Pinney, Connable & &o., I have since become well satisfied, not only of the obligatien of the State, under their contract, but of the perfect propriety of the demand of these gentlemen; and I am happy to have been able, with your advice in the matter, to accommodate them, with so small a draft on the Treasury, and little loss of labor to the State.

Much complaint has been made for a few years past about the expenses of the State prison; and many seem to think there has been a large amount of money spent foolishly, and for which we have but little, comparatively, to show. Leaving the inference on the minds of some, that in the administration of the prison affairs there had been a want of economy on the part of its officers. Whether there has been just cause for these complaints, is not for me to decide; but I will take the liberty of saying, in connection with the subject, that so long as we are to be erecting new buildings and other permanent works for the prison, unless we devise and adopt some fixed and unalterable plan of that work, we can make no calculation on the amount of money that will be used in the execution of it. If new Agents are to be sent here every two years, with discretionary powers to change one plan for another-pull down and rebuild, just as their individual judgment or fancy may dictate, we may rest assured that the account denominated "Building and Repairs," will always be disproportionately large, when compared with the real benefits. derived from their labor. If there has been at any time a useless expenditure of money in this way, I am of the opinion that it is as much attributable to the general policy that has been recognized, or

permitted to obtain here, as to any want of economy on the part of the Agents,

There will always be more or less money needed for repairs and additional buildings; but the amount required for any given piece of work will vary according to circumstances. Much will depend upon the season of the year when the work is to be done, the previous preparations for it, and the aptness of the qualifications of the individual having the matter in hand. It is to be hoped, however, that the time is not far distant when the building arrangements will have become so nearly consummated, and the business generally so systematized, that the institution will become a self-paying one. . Calculations have heretofore been made to ascertain what precise number of convicts were necessary to produce results so much desired; and the number has been variously fixed at from one hundred and forty to one hundred and sixty. But not knowing the basis of these calculations, I have not been able to test their accuracy. Taking, however, our present contract prices for convict labor, it is easy to approximate in our calculations to something near what it would require to keep a given number of prisoners for a year, the product of their labor, and the amount that would have to be drawn from the treasury to make the deficit.

Suppose, for instance, we calculate on one hundred and sixty convicts as the average number for the coming year, and see what the expense of keeping them will amount to, aside from any expenditures for repairs, buildings and cells. My predecessor once estima-, ted the expense per head at $46 00; although this may have been not far from correct, still I think if an accurate estimate were made on a series of years as a basis, the cost would be found to approach nearer $50 00. But we will call it $46 00 to each convict, which, for 160, will make....

Add to this the salary and pay of officers and guards, including $100 00 for library purposes, over which the Agent has no control,...........

And we have, besides what may be needed for building and repairs, ...

Now the net earnings of these men at present prices may be estimated as follows: deduct from the whole No.,

.$7,360 00

8,580 00

$15,940 00

160, 25 convicts for work about the prison, including the old and infirm, men in solitary confinement and females, and we shall have 135 men on contract, at an average price of 33 cents per day; and reckoning 300 working days to the year, being a fair allowance after deducting for sickness, bad weather, and other causes of detention from work, we have.....

$13,365 00

Leaving an excess of expenses over earnings of.... $2,575 00 Then, if we add to this balance what may be consid

ered a fair estimate for buildings and repairs, (and as a large number of new cells will have to be built,) say...

we shall have the sum of....

to be paid by draft on the treasury.

2,000 00

$4,575 00

There are

After all, these estimates are not much to be relied on. so many causes which we cannot foresee and provide against, that may operate to vary them one way and another, that there is little use of undertaking to show by figures what one might do if he were to remain in office another year, or what another man ought to do who may be appointed to succeed me. To prove this by illustration, I need only to refer to the last annual report of my predecessor-than whom few men, I imagine, are better qualified to calculate the wants and necessities, and estimate future expenses and income of the institution. On page 40, he very properly recommends the building of a new kitchen, and doing the cooking and warming and lighting the whole prison by gas,-and says that the expense of both kitchen and gas apparatus will be about $1,100; that this, added to the necessary repairs, will make the amount for building and repairs, about $1,500 00, and will probably require from the treasury for all purposes, $5,000 00. But if these improvements are not made, he says. "with common health and no special calamity, we only require about $3,000 00 for the next year's prison business, above the income."

Now, up to the time he left, the 16th day of May last, none of these improvements he suggests had been made, nor had there been any "especial calamity" or want of "common health," and yet the books show that he had already drawn from the State Treasury and used $2,000 00, and that still the balance of outstanding indebtedness

against the prison, over and above the income, was $1,582 84; making an excess of expenditure over and above the income, at that time, of $3,582 84. I do not refer to this matter in a spirit of censure or fault-finding, but only to show the futility of such representations. If the treasury has to be taxed some five or six thousand a year for the support of this institution, it is far better that the people know it beforehand, so they may be prepared to meet the exigency, rather than the fact be kept back to astonish the public in the reports of the succeeding year.

1 deem it my duty, before I close, to refer again to the subject of building another tier of cells-the necessity of which you undoubtedly have advised yourselves by a personal inspection. We have now only 164 cells, whilst we have 176 convicts to provide for and look after, and judging from the past it will not be considered extravagant to calculate on our number reaching 200 before the close of another year.

A question has been raised by some, whether the Agent has authority to go on and expend money for buildings, cells, &c., without a special act of the legislature for that purpose. Yet I have little doubt in my own mind, but the general provision of the statute is ample, and was intended to meet all necessary and legitimate purposes. But in the present instance, the very necessity of the case would seem to warrant the Agent in going forward and doing the work, at least-and if there should be any doubt about the authority to draw the necessary funds from the treasury to defray the expense, payment, at the farthest, in all reasonable probability, would only be deferred until the next meeting of the legislature.

Under these circumstances, I have concluded to commence the work, as soon as arrangements can be made for quarrying and dressing the stone.

I think of nothing further in connection with the transactions of the prison, necessary to notice in this report. In conclusion, then, permit me to say, that when I came to take charge of this institution, in May last, I was totally ignorant of its condition, its wants and resources, and the general, as well as the practical routine of prison business. If, therefore, I have been so fortunate as to succeed to any considerable degree in the management of the affairs of the prison,