are entitled to my sincere thanks for the faithful manner in which they have discharged them.

In conclusion allow me to say, that if what we have done meets the approbation of your Excellency, and through you the approbation of the Honorable the Legislature, and the people generally, we shall be amply rewarded for all the care, anxiety and respon'sibility, we have incurred the past year, and if not, we shall still have the satisfaction of knowing that we have endeavored to do right.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

ARGALUS W. STARKS, being duly sworn, says that the matters and things set forth in the foregoing report, are true to the best of his knowledge and belief. A. W. STARKS.

Subscribed and sworn before me the 31st. day of Dec. 1854.

JOHN LOWTH,

Notary Public, Dodge County, Wis.

REPORT OF CHAPLAIN.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY WM. A. BARSTOW,

Governor of Wisconsin:

SIR: The following brief report of the Chaplain of the Wisconsin State Prison, and of his efforts to improve the moral and intellectual condition of its inmates, I sincerely hope will meet with the approbation of your Excellency.

For more than three years I have had the honor to officiate as Chaplain of this Prison, and by the blessing of Heaven, have been able to attend to the duties of my station every Sabbath but four during the whole of that time.

During the past year, our meetings in the Chapel of the Prison have been attended by all the inmates of the Prison, when their health would permit, and the result has been that some of our prisoners who appeared scarcely to fear God or regard man, at the time of their entrance into the Prison, have been constrained to confess their sins to God, and implore his pardoning favor. I am in the habit of visiting them from cell to cell, and talking with them individually and collectively; and have often been deeply moved at witnessing their apparent contrition, for violating the sacred laws of God, and the laws of the State, thereby bringing disgrace upon themselves, their families, and friends. I am satisfied from what they tell me, that more than two-thirds of them committed the crime that sent them here, under the influence of strong drink. They promise, however, most solemnly on their discharge from prison never to resort to a like crime again.

It may be gratifying to your Excellency to know, that some of the prisoners, when they first entered the prison and who could neither read nor write, have devoted their leisure hours to learning, and who now are able to do both. Many of them seem to be delighted with the holy scriptures, and promise hereaftor to be governed by its precepts.

All our prisoners are reading men, and it would be extremely gratifying to myself and them if a larger assortment of good and useful books could be put in their hands, in order to make them good and useful members of community, when their term shall have expired here.

A singing school has been in successful operation in the Prison the past year, and has been attended by a large number of its inmates. I think their singing excellent, under all the circumstan ces, and would do credit to any society. Indeed all the officers of the prison seem to be indefatigable in improving the moral and intellectual condition of the prisoners, and many of them on their discharge, have called upon me at my residence to thank me for attempting to do them good, and to express their gratitude to all the Officers of the prison, for their kindness and for the excellent advice they had received, promising at the same time to follow it. Respectfully submitted.

DECEMBER 31, 1854.

SAMUEL SMITH,

Chaplain.

PHYSICIANS' REPORT.

The health of the prisoners during the past year has been remarkably good. They have been entirely exempt from the prevailing epidemics such as Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Fevers, &c., which have prevailed to considerable extent in the community at large. Even during the hottest part of the summer Diarrhoea among the inmates was of rare occurrence and Dysentery entirely unknown, although common in the vicinity and among the laborers, employed in constructing the new prison building.

This exemption from sickness must be mainly attributed to the judicious management of the commissioner in enforcing rigidly the salutary discipline of personal cleanliness and regimen in all the apartments connected with the prison.

WAUPUN, Dec. 31, 1854.

BROWN & BUTTERFIELD,

Attending Physicians.