Our State Prison

The following notice of our Penitentiary. (rom a correspondent of the Countryman, a üïcw York paper, niay not be without interest to our readers. ''I elicited the following facts, in .regard to the former clniraeter of the prisoners. The prisonersnre J 15, Intemperate, nearly all. . Clorgymen, 2; Methodist- one vne an exhoner. Pliy sicinns. onc quack; no M. D.s. Quackeryleads to Jickson, ia this State. Lawyers3 - pettifog gera- "quack'" ngain; no Esqis. Justice dont al wnys take place, yo.u know. even aniong the talj onted counseüors. Mechamcs, smal] proportion. Farmers, very few. Merchanis, one or two.- llurn-sellcrs. few; h ought to be i:Lcgion" - the reaaon - "men of good moral charaeter" are liconsed to batter the brains out of men, with alcohol; henne "intemperate, three-lourths" - done genteelly, by men willi kid gloves on. Colored, twelve; most or all of thoni have been slaves- sons of he 'Patiiarchö." prpbably, who "dom like f'reedom.". Crimes, large proportion larceny: counterfeiting, forgery, aduhery, lewdness, "filihy dalliance," &c. Six profess religión, eighty attend the Bible claas, niO3t of them hear preaching every ubbaih, at 2 o'clock, by Mr. Fitch, the Methodist clergyman, of Jackson. fJe preached the funeral sermón of one of the number on Sundny. The prisoners paid 2oodattention; they sungin n very mournful manner: and the poor ièllowa lisienecl wiih cfeath-Iike stillness to the words of the good man, who dealt fniihully anl kind!y with them. Bul it was slnvcry slill; disguise it as you wil!, ts hidtous Jeformity ia still the same. The prisoners receive prompt medical aid from Drs. Dnvis and Tuniridiff, fitted by sound science and good discipline, to fill the responsible station. Twentyfour could not read or wiite, and ure now learning - one hoy J3ycarsof age. As tliey mnrchcd int dinner, the line was hended by a thick brawny fellow, named Dr. Zulier. IJe looked as though he would face the 'Üeal" in his den: and he seemed to .nnrch with great pride at the hcad of his company. The prison. when fiiiished, is íniended tn be 500 feet in front, two wings. 232 feeteach. and tho central block to complete the line. These wings are sixty feet broad, and forty-six high, with two rows of cells, direct ly ihrough the centre, rieing one tier above the other, to the eavcs. The yard of tho prison embraces eight acres, surrounded by a strong wall; contains a fine garden to fu.-nish sallad for the prisoner, and other summer datinties. One year ago, the work shop was set on firo, and consutned n)uch property: no prisoner9 escaped. No Abolicionista in the prison; consequently, Whigsand Democrats. 'J hose parties have always charged each other with ;corruption." - The present work shop is 310 feet - divided into three shops, and the business is weaving, shoe mak ing, coopering. wagon-mnking, furnacing, &c. It njures mechanica here; glass-making is spoken of a a substitute. [ believe a mild discipline is both safe and judicious; and farbetterfor the moráis of the prisone.s, than rigid laws, rigidly enforced."