which they are now authorised to vest, are held at a premium so much above their par value, that the trustees find it extremely difficult to place their funds in a situation that will enable them to pay to their depositors the usual interest of five per cent. per annum; and unless they can obtain the relief they seek, it is feared, the interest must be reduced to four per cent., and perhaps less; which will operate with peculiar hardship upon the industrious poor, who compose the great mass of depositors.

In order to avoid this result, the trustees request of the Legislature an extension of their powers, that will enable them to loan on any stock, for the redemption of which the faith of either of the United States shall be pledged; on the bonds of the corporation of NewYork; on the real estate belonging to the public school society; and on temporary deposits in any of the banks in the city of NewYork.

It is further requested by the trustees, that the accountant of the bank may be authorised to aaminister oaths, for special purposes connected with the business of the institution. Many of the depositors are ignorant and illiterate persons, and among so great a number as twelve or thirteen thousand individuals, it cannot be thought strange, that attempts to deceive the officers of the institution should occasionally be resorted to by some of them. One description of cases, which frequently occurs, is the loss of the deposit books. These books are used as vouchers, to be produced on the making or withdrawing of the deposits; and it becomes necessary therefore, in many cases, when they are lost or mislaid, and new books requested, that the person should testify to the fact. The only test of personal identity, within the power of the trustees to demand from persons, such as has been described, is their name, occupation, place of residence, and nativity. The answers to these queries are noted in a book, and whenever application is made for a new voucher, to replace that represented as lost, or for the withdrawal of a deposit, the aforesaid questions are put to the applicant, and if his answers agree with those noted, he is considered as the proper person of course; but if they disagree, in any particular, the oath of the applicant is the only remedy left for ascertaining the true state of the case. Instances have occurred, where, by the collusion of parties, and other illicit means, attempts have been made to withdraw deposits, by persons who had no claim to them; and although the instances have been

few in number, or the amount great, it nevertheless becomes necessary to guard against their repetition.

The present accountant of the institution formerly held an appointment as commissioner, with authority to administer oaths, but omitted to apply for a re-appointment until the vacancies were all filled; and it has appeared proper, therefore, that a provision should be made to remedy the omission; otherwise these poor people will be put to the trouble and expense of applying, in all the cases that may occur, to a commissioner, whose charge for preparing a statement of facts, and taking an acknowledgment, will operate unnecessarily hard upon persons of small means, such as this institution is intended to foster and protect, and which may all be avoided by granting the power requested by the trustees.

The trustees of this institution are highly respectable, and discharge the duties of their station gratuitously without fee or reward, except it be what may arise from a conscious satisfaction of having protected the savings and thrift of the poor from destruction and waste, and from the encouragement they are affording the industrious and frugal, whose want of experience may lay them open to the imposition of fraudulent and designing men. Having no personal interest to gratify, and being aetuated only by a wish to promote the interests of the humble and industrious people, who entrust their hard earnings to their care, the trustees, in the opinion of the committee, cannot but exercise the power granted them with proper discretion, and for the best interest of the depositors.

The moral effects of this institution upon the laboring classes of the community, must be acknowledged by all who have paid any attention to its operations; and the annual increase of depositors, and the magnitude of the trust fund, is unquestionable proof of the unbounded confidence reposed in the gentlemen who manage its concerns; the committee are of opinion therefore, that no evil will result from granting the extension of powers requested by the petitioners; but, that the authority thus conferred, will be prudently managed, and by that means, prove a benefit to those for whose good the corporation was instituted. They have accordingly, instructed their chairman to prepare a bill, and to introduce the same.

IN ASSEMBLY,

February 16, 1830.

COMMUNICATION

From Samuel M. Hopkins, an Inspector of the State Prison at Mount-Pleasant.

To the Honorable the Assembly :

1

The subscriber, inspector of the state prison at Mount-Pleasant, and the only one of them now in office, to which inspectors was referred the petition of the trustees of Mount-Pleasant academy,

REPORTS:

That on receiving the order by which the said report now referred to the said inspectors, he immediately wrote to the president of the said trustees for more particular information regarding the kind of occupancy which they desired to have of the dwelling-house on the state prison farm. It was also his intention to have conferred on the subject with his late associates. But being satisfied on further reflection, that in no case could he report in favor of the application as presented, he thought it most proper not to defer the subject.

In explanation, the subscriber would remark, that the house in question is situated not very far from the centre of the farm.

The farm itself extends from the shore of the Hudson to the NewYork and Albany road. The prison buildings being near the river, and the ascent from them to the house being somewhat steep, the house, to some extent, though not entirely, overlooks the prison and quarries. Any absolute right of occupancy in the house may be the means of introducing near to the prison, persons who may be

indiscreet, troublesome or designing; and in proportion to dangers of this kind, the precautions for safety therefore must be increased. One useful object in possessing land for some distance round the prison is, to keep away dangerous neighbors. And if the house would pass into the absolute control of any persons, howevet respectable, not interested in the prison, it might, unsuspected by them, become the lodgment of a conspirator.

The house may also not improbably be wanted by the tenant who may rent the farm. It might happen that the want of a house would sink the rent of the whole property to a much larger amount than the separate value of the house to the academy or to any one else.

In possible cases also, the dwelling-house might be very useful to accommodate the assistant keepers; several of whom have families, and who find it difficult to obtain houses.

Without insisting farther upon this part of the subject, the subscriber would observe, that should the Legislature be disposed in some way to assist the academy by the avails of public property at Mount-Pleasant, he respectfully submits, that it would be much better to do so, by authorising a payment out of the proceeds of the rents of the prison farm and premises. But even in doing this, it ought, he conceives, to be taken into consideration that the house and barn, having now stood twenty years or more, need occasional repairs: That the fences are neither wholly durable nor good; and that unless a considerable portion of the rent is reserved to keep the property in good condition, it must be done at the direct charge of the prison establishment, which will make the grant to the academy operate as a new draft upon the treasury.

Another way might also be suggested. There is only about onehalf of the land which contains marble: and the only reason for buying the whole, was, that the owner either would not divide it at all, or only upon terms so exorbitant, that the purchase of the whole was manifestly better. The eastern half, adjoining the main road, contains no marble: It is so remote as not to be a means of endangering the prison in any way: it would be rising in value with the increase of the village; and a grant of some part of that front, might therefore be a useful resource for the academy in future years.

Finally, if the dwelling-house is granted at all, the subscriber submits his opinion, that it ought to be upon terms of removing it wholly off from the state's land.