and fitted up the building as the act required. As soon as it was finished, the court, clerk, and marshal's offices, with their books, papers, and records, were moved into it. At that time the population of Washington county, including Washington city and Georgetown, was about 25,000, and it is now upwards of 72,000. The accommodations necessary for the court and its officers then cannot reasonably be expected to be sufficient for them at the present day, when the population is nearly three times as large.

"The business of the court has increased in proportion to the population; and it there is any doubt upon the subject, let the incredulous visit the court-house, and the crowded rooms of the clerk's office, filled to the ceiling with books and papers, and the valuable land records forced into the passage, exposed in the most public manner, will undeceive his mind, and he can no longer remain skeptical on the subject. The original plan of the City Hall provides for the extension of the court-house portion of the building, and by merely carrying out the plan it will afford sufficient room for all the purposes of the several courts and their officers."

Your two immediate predecessors, Mr. McClelland and Mr. Thompson, have, in very urgent terms, called the attention of Congress to these subjects. (See the report of Secretary McClelland, of November 29, 1856, pages 9 and 10, and the report of Secretary Thompson, of December 1, 1859, page 13.)

THE ROAD TO THE INSANE ASYLUM.

In my personal supervision of the repair of the roads appurtenant to the Navy Yard bridge, my attention was called to that portion of the road from the bridge to the Insane Asylum, which is beyond the terminus of the road legitimately under the supervision of the Commissioner of Public Buildings. That road is very hilly, and the approach to the asylum is tedious and difficult. By making a new road on the hill-side, the distance may be considerably shortened, and the road be so constructed as to present a gradual inclination from the point where it leaves the present road to the asylum gate, an inclination up which there will be no difficulty in hauling a load that it would be impossible to surmount the present steep hill with without more than doubling the ascending power used on the new road.

The Insane Asylum is now one of the most imposing buildings belonging to the government. It has been built at a large expense, although, considering its vastness, and appropriate, thorough, and elegant finish, with more economy than any other public building in the District. It is alike honorable and creditable to the generosity and sympathy for suffering humanity of an enlightened and paternal government. The nation has done an admirable deed in erecting it. It is daily growing in importance, and communication with it will soon be, if it is not now, constant. To make that communication as easy as possible, the approaches to it should be placed in the best possible condition, and this can be done at a comparatively trifling expense.

I submit herewith a survey of the road as it now is, with one of the contemplated new road, with an estimate of the cost of making it, and hope Congress may be induced to add this much to the noble charity they have already given.

VIRGINIA AVENUE.

The attention of Congress has been called many times to this great and important thoroughfare, leading from the grounds south of the President's House to the Navy Yard. It never has been even opened properly, and it would be of very great benefit to the citizens of Washington if it could be graded and gravelled so as to convert it into a road that could be comfortably travelled. I herewith submit an estimate of the amount that it would cost to make the road-way comfortably passable.

DRAINAGE AND REMOVAL OF NUISANCES.

The fifth section of the act of Congress "to create a metropolitan police district," &c., provides, among other things, that "it shall be the duty of the board of police * to remove nuisances existing in the public streets, roads, alleys, highways, and other places." As all the public avenues and reservations of the city of Washington are especially in charge of the Commissioner of Public Buildings, the duty seems to devolve upon me of calling attention to the fact that there is no appropriation applicable to the carrying out of the power thus given to the board of police. There are at this moment many nuisances caused by obstructions, standing pools of water, &c., on the public streets and reservations belonging to the United States that should be abated, but there are no means with which to do it. I respectfully request that an appropriation may be made "for the removal or abatement of nuisances on the streets, avenues, and reservations belonging to the United States, of five thousand dollars."

While upon this subject, I respectfully call your attention to the encumbered situation of the streets in the vicinity of the Capitol, in consequence of the immense quantity of stone placed in them to be used in the erection of the Capitol extension. Some of the streets are rendered, by this encumbrance, almost impassable in the winter season. For seven or eight years New Jersey avenue, south of the Capitol, 1st and 2d streets east, between Maryland and Pennsylvania avenues, A and B streets north and south, from the Capitol gates to Second street east, and East Capitol street, from First street east to Third street, have all been so filled with huge blocks of stone as to deprive the inhabitants on those streets of the comfortable use of them, and to greatly obstruct the travel over them; and as the work upon the extension is now discontinued, there seems to be no prospect that these encumbrance will be removed for years to come unless by some special legislation. There are open spaces belonging to the United States, or vacant lots belonging to individuals, the rent of which would be a mere trifle, if anything, where all these blocks of marble might be placed, and the streets restored to their legitimate use. An appropriation of two thousand dollars, with the facilities now on hand, would be ample to remove all that should necessarily be removed.

THE CAPITOL EXTENSION.

The work on the Capitol extension has never been under the direction of the Commissioner of Public Buildings, but the extension itself, as fast as it becomes occupied, is under his general supervision by law; it therefore seems proper that I should call your attention specially to this great national work.

All labor upon the extension was suspended last spring, not, as I understand, for want of an appropriation, but on account of the vast demands on the treasury, caused by the rebellion and treason of the citizens of a portion of this Union.

It must be, and I know it is, a melancholy and discouraging sight to every loyal citizen, who sincerely believes in the overthrow of rebellion and treason, as all loyal citizens do, to see the Capitol of this great and powerful nation standing unfinished, with no effort making to complete it. It necessarily leads to a distrust in the sincerity of the expressed belief of those in whose hands the sovereign people have reposed their power, and I have heard regrets expressed more than once, by visitors from the loyal States, that the work was discontinued, assigning as a reason for such regrets the foregoing given by me.

When it is considered that less than one-fourth of a single day's expenditures in carrying on the war would complete the Capitol, can it be that Congress will suffer it to remain an unfinished monument of exultation for the enemies of the Union?

THE PATENT OFFICE BUILDING.

The Patent Office building is now completed, except the saloon in the north front now occupied as a military hospital, and the portico of the north front. I have, in my regular estimates, made an estimate, in conformity with that of the architect, and in compliance with a resolution of the Senate, for the completion. of this building, which I hope will be made.

THE WASHINGTON CANAL.

The Washington canal, constructed at so great an expense, and which was, at the time it was made, regarded as one of the greatest possible improvements to the city of Washington, is now nothing more nor less than a public nuisance. It is the grand receptacle of nearly all the filth of the city. The waste from all the public buildings, the hotels, and very many private residences, is drained into it. It is now in many places filled with accumulations from such sources, so as to present beds of rank vegetation and offensive soil above the level of the water. Unless something be done to clear away this immense mass of fetid and corrupt matter, the good citizens of Washington must, during some hot season, find themselves visited by a pestilence! I regard the abatement of this nuisance of more importance, in a sanitary point of view, than almost any other improvement in the whole city. The health of the entire population and the lives of thousands depend upon it. The question is, "What can be done?"

In the first place, the canal must be thoroughly dredged. An immense amount of filling will be necessary about the Capitol as soon as the grounds come to be graded, and it will be found difficult to obtain the material for such filling. I had considerable experience when I had the honor of holding the office of Commissioner several years ago, and can speak from actual knowledge. The deposit in the canal will serve the purpose admirably. It can be taken up by a dredge-boat, deposited without any shovelling in carts, and hauled to the place where it is wanted. The actual expense of filling up on the south side of the Capitol square will be much less than it would be were the material for filling shovelled into carts, even if it could be procured at a reasonable distance and carried to the place where wanted, so that the dredging would really be a matter of economy. I have no means of submitting an exact estimate with this report of the sum necessary to do the work recommended, but will procure one as soon as possible, and submit it, either to you or to the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives.

As soon as the canal is thoroughly cleaned out by the erection of a proper tide-gate at a proper place, which will shut of itself as soon as the water commences falling, and retain all the water above it, and then by the opening of it at low water the canal can be thoroughly swept out at least once every twentyfour hours, and always kept clean.

TYBER CREEK.

The wall of Tyber creek, where it passes through that portion of reservation No. 2, known as the Botanic Garden, has been badly undermined and fallen in. It should be rebuilt. The wall, also, just above the culvert on Pennsylvania avenue has fallen, and the recent freshet has so washed the bank as to make it very dangerous to pass along Second street, and one man has recently been drowned by the precipitating of a carriage over the bank in the night, in consequence of the washing away of a portion of it. This also should be walled. An appropriation of five thousand dollars would enable the Commissioner of Public Buildings to rebuild these walls.

What should be done, and will eventually be done, is to arch over Tyber creek from the culvert on Pennsylvania avenue to the culvert across Indiana avenue, thus forming a single culvert from the north side of Indiana avenue to Ex. Doc. 1-34

the south side of Pennsylvania avenue. I recommended this several years ago, when I was Commissioner, and again respectfully call attention to it.

THE EXTENSION OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.

This is a subject of great importance, both to the government and the individuals who own the grounds proposed to be purchased. It is evident to every one that, when the extension of the Capitol is completed, the present grounds on the north and south must be enlarged. Many propositions of enlargement have been made, and in June, 1860, a section was added to the civil appropriation act, authorizing the ascertainment of the cash value of certain described real estate, being that which it was considered absolutely necessary to include in the Capitol grounds. Nine citizens were appointed to appraise the cash value of the real estate described, and after a careful investigation of the whole matter, the Commissioner reported the aggregate value of all the property described as $417,594 90. The district attorney, to whom the subject was referred, in his report to Congress, in February last, says:

"It may not be considered inappropriate to say that very many of the parties interested consider that they are justly entitled to a settlement of this matter at this session of Congress, as it has been in suspense many years. They complain that they cannot rent their property for any fixed considerable period of time, and that they feel unwilling to improve vacant ground or add to present improvements in this state of uncertainty as to when the government may think proper to take it, and at what price."-(Senate Mis. Doc. No. 17, 36th Cong., 2d session.)

There is one view of this matter worthy of consideration at the present time. It is well known that the government now holds much private property under lease, or agreement, for army uses, for which it is paying high rents. If the present unfortunate war continues, many more private buildings must necessarily be occupied. The real estate which the government proposes to purchase for the extension of the Capitol grounds has upon it quite a large number of substantial brick buildings that would make excellent hospitals or quarters for troops, and were they now in the possession of the government much of the enormous rent now paid would be saved by the use of these buildings. I know of at least thirty buildings on the appraised property suitable for the purposes mentioned that would, in ordinary times, rent for the interest on the sum at which the entire property is appraised, and I will venture to say that the government could not, at this moment, obtain equal accommodations for twice that sum. If I am correct in this opinion, certainly a wiser investment of so much could not be made at the present time. If it is conceded that the government must at some time become possessed of the property, now is the time to purchase it, for it never can be purchased cheaper, and it never can be used more advantageously; and there is no doubt that the owners would be glad to take government securities, on any time that the United States might please to fix, in pay

ment.

CONCLUSION.

I have thus endeavored to call your attention and the attention of Congress, through you, to such matters as are deemed by me most important, relative to public improvements directly under my charge or supervision. They all appear to me to be worthy of serious consideration, and I conclude by expressing an ardent hope that they may receive the favorable consideration of the exalted legislative bodies composing the Congress of the United States.

All which is respectfully submitted.

Hon. CALEB B. SMITH,

B. B. FRENCH,
Commissioner of Public Buildings.

Secretary of the Interior.

REPORT

OF

THE WARDEN OF THE PENITENTIARY.

INSPECTORS' Office, U. S. PENITENTIARY,

Washington, D. C., October 21, 1861.

SIR: The inspectors of the penitentiary respectfully transmit herewith the annual reports of the warden, clerk, physician, matron, and chaplain of this institution. They also enclose a report for the Biennial Register and the annual estimate of appropriations for the support of the penitentiary, and a report upon the subjects embraced in the letter of the Hon. John Sherman, dated September 1, 1861, of which a copy was referred by you to the board of inspectors.

The act of March 3, 1829, makes it the duty of the inspectors to so manage that, if possible, the labor of the convicts shall pay all the expenses of the penitentiary, and if it fails to support itself, the inspectors are required to report to Congress the reason of such failure.

The present inspectors have been but a few months in office, and are not therefore prepared to give in detail all the reasons why the penitentiary is not and has not been a self-supporting institution. There are general causes for this result which are not likely to be obviated: the convicts, especially the colored convicts, are notoriously unprincipled, but frequently stupid and inapt, and enter the prison with a predetermination to do as little as possible for their own maintenance, and with the very general intent that their compulsory labor shall be as little beneficial as they can make it. Great waste of material necessarily occurs in teaching trades to such perverse and intractable apprentices, and in many cases wilful destruction of the materials is undoubtedly practiced, and covered by the excuse of inexperience and ignorance.

The terms for which the prisoners are incarcerated are generally short, and by the time a trade has been well acquired by a new hand, and his labor becomes remunerative, he is set at liberty by a pardon or by the expiration of his sentence. There is also a prejudice in the community, and especially among our mechanics, against the products of convict labor, and articles made in the penitentiary would by no means meet with as ready a sale as articles of similar quality manufactured by our citizens at large. The sentiment is felt, and frequently expressed, that a convict is sent to the penitentiary to labor as a punishment for crime, and not to bring his labor into competition with that of honest men.

Washington not being a commercial city, there is a slow sale for such manufactures as are practicable in a prison, and the cost of the raw material is much greater here than at the north. The cost of living is also comparatively higher here than in most localities where penitentiaries are established.

These are some of the reasons why the penitentiary has not been and is not likely to be supported by the labor of the convicts. The contract system has been tried and failed, the contractor frankly admitting that he found it impossible to fulfil the stipulations of his contract, from the loss of stock in teaching a