commendation to the Legislature, to provide for this unfortunate and criminal class of community, a different place of confinement; a place which by the discipline established, shall tend to reform, and not as in their present condition, lead to inevitable ruin. No doubt is entertained but the same discipline which now controls and subdues the male convict, may be made equally serviceable with the females. Under the charge of a judicious matron we cannot believe but great moral reformation may be produced. This consideration alone calls with great force for a change in the mode of punishing female convicts. It is also worthy of consideration to inquire whether the expense to the State would not be diminished by such change. The State now pays one hundred dollars year for each female convict kept at Bellevue. They are not employed at any thing except cooking, washing, making and mending clothes for themselves, and this occupies but a small part of their time. The law is imperative as to the place where these convicts must be confined, and such sum must be paid as the corporation of New-York choose to demand, whether that sum be a fair compensation, or beyond the value of the services rendered. The Inspectors learn from the commissioners of the alms-house in New-York, who have the immediate charge of Bellevue, that it is far from being desirable to them to keep the female convicts for the State at the price which is now charged; that it would be convenient for the city authority, to occupy occasionally with other criminals, the prison which is now used for the female convicts. They did not however manifest a decided wish to be released from the contract under which these prisoners are kept; and until some other place of confinement is provided, the present arrangement may probably be continued. A convenient site for a prison for female convicts may be found on the State farm, in the vicinity of this prison; and the Inspectors do not hesitate to recommend its occupation for that purpose. The expense of such a building has often been the subject of estimate, and particularly in the report of the Commissioners of this prison to the Legislature in 1830. This estimate was made, as we understand, upon the supposition that one prison only should be erected in the State for this purpose. If a prison for female convicts should be connected with each of the State Prisons, the expense of the buildings at either place would fall far short of that estimate. During the past year the south wing of this prison has been extended one hundred and forty-four feet in length, forty feet wide and two stories high, of solid stone masonry. The north wing has also been extended twenty feet in length, thirty-five feet in width, and carried up two stories high, and the wing finished. This is also of stone. Additional work-shops, a store house, ox ştables, and a guard house are necessary; and it is the intention of the Agent to erect them during the current year. An estimate of expense of the materials for building the guard house, store house, and ox stables is hereto annexed, marked E. Upon the same paper is also a statement of the money now owing to the corporation of New-York for the support of female convicts, and the probable amount which will be required for their support, for the ensuing year; also the amount of the expenses of transporting convicts to the State Prison at Auburn. These several sums, as estimated by the Agent of the prison, amount to $11,472.78. These several sums are not directly connected with the support of this prison, and should not be a charge upon its funds. An appropriation for the purpose of covering their expense is thought by the Agent to be necessary. If this is done, he confidently believes that he shall be able, from the labor of the convicts, to defray all the expense of supporting the establishment for the ensuing year, without any aid from the treasury, and also perform the labor upon the contemplated building. By the act of the Legislature of the last session, the Inspectors are required to accompany their annual report with copies of the monthly accounts furnished to them by the Agent of the prison.— These accounts from No. 1, to No. 12, inclusive, are sent herewith. The importance of these copies is not exactly understood, since the same accounts, with the original vouchers, are deposited with the Comptroller. It is however required by the law, and we comply with its demands. The paper annexed, marked H, contains a list of contracts entered into, on which the convicts are employed. The great inducement for locating the prison at this place, was the immense quantity of marble which is found on the State farm, connected with the belief that the convicts might be advantageously employed in preparing this article for market than at any other kind of business. The quarries have at different times presented discouraging indications; sometimes the quality of the marble has been indifferent, at other times the great difficulty in removing the immense quantities of earth under which the marble was buried, seemed to destroy the prospect of a profitable employment at the stone business. Within the last year a decided improvement has appeared in the quarries, and they now bid fair to satisfy the expectations which induced a selection of this place for the prison. The quality of the marble is good; its value is now appreciated in the market, and contracts at a fair price are now offered sufficient to employ the great mass of the convicts, and we have no doubt but the proceeds from the labor of the convicts at the stone business, for the ensuing year, will fully prove this to be the most profitable business at which they can be employed. DOCUMENTS. Accompanying the Report of the Inspectors of the Mount-Pleasant State-Prison. ( A. ) Expenditures for the year ending September 30, 1832. For hospital stores and medical attendance for cholera patients,....... $1,404 74 stock and tools for blacksmith's shop and lock shop, 1,466 08 do do stone shops and quarries,.... 4,738 64 cash paid for transportion of convicts to Auburn, 393 70 97 57 building materials,. 1,188 97 stock and tools for shoemakers' shop,.. 81 40 materials for convicts clothing and blankets,.... 4,034 08 prison furniture,.... 94 56 fuel, oil and soap, including coal for smith's shop, 3,969 92 freight and cartage, officers and guard, physician and chaplain, square timber for docks,. paid corporation of New-York, for support of fe 38 00 866 15 23,320 98 155 86 2,279 35 72 50 $68,051 83 |