Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 4.djvu/413



. And be it further enacted, That if the warden of the said penitentiary shall have any interest himself in any contract made by him touching the affairs of the penitentiary, with a view of gaining for himself, either directly or indirectly, any profit or advantage thereby, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and he shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by fine, not exceeding two thousand dollars, and be dismissed from office, and every such contract may be declared void by the said inspectors.

. And be it further enacted, That the said inspectors shall not be concerned in any contract touching the affairs of the said penitentiary; but, if any such contract shall be at any time made, in which the said inspectors, or any of them, have, directly or indirectly, any interest, the same, so far as relates to that interest, shall be wholly null and void.

. And be it further enacted, That all suits that may be necessary to be brought for any matter or thing relating to the affairs of the said prison, shall be brought in the name of the United States, whether the contract on which such suit is founded be made in their name or not.

. And be it further enacted, That the male and female convicts confined in the said penitentiary shall be kept, and shall labour, wholly separate and apart from each other. Every convict shall be confined singly in a separate cell at night, and at such times of the day as he or she may be unemployed in labour, except at such hours and places as may be specially assigned, by the rules of the penitentiary, for religious or other instruction, or for meals, or when transferred to the infirmary on account of sickness, upon the recommendation of the physician. Each convict, immediately upon being received into the penitentiary, shall be thoroughly cleansed with warm water and soap, and shall have the hair cut close; and the warden and other officers shall take the strictest precautions to guard against the introduction of any infectious or contagious disease, from the persons or clothing of such convicts; which precautions it shall be the duty of the inspectors to regulate, and prescribe in their by-laws. A descriptive list of the names, ages, persons, crimes, and sentences of the convict, shall be kept by the warden, and such description shall be entered immediately upon the reception of each convict. The convicts shall be clothed at the public expense during the whole term of their confinement, in habits of coarse and cheap materials, uniform in colour and make, and so striped, or otherwise conspicuously marked, as may clearly distinguish them from the ordinary dress of other persons. Their bedding, and other personal accommodations, shall be of the cheapest and coarsest kind, consistent with use and durability. The convicts shall be fed on the cheapest food which will support health and strength, with as little change or variety in the said diet, as may be consistent with the health of the convicts, and the economy of the penitentiary. They shall be kept, as far as may be consistent with their age, health, sex, and ability, to labour of the hardest and most servile kind, and as far as may be, uniform in its nature, and of a kind where the work is least liable to be spoiled by ignorance, neglect, or obstinacy, or the materials to be injured, stolen, or destroyed. They shall not, at any time, be permitted to converse with one another, or with strangers, except by the special permission, and in presence of some officer of the prison, as may be regulated by the by-laws; they shall be made to labour diligently, in silence, and with strict obedience.

. And be it further enacted, That the warden of the said penitentiary shall have power to punish any convict in the penitentiary, who shall wilfully violate, or refuse to obey, the rules of the penitentiary, or to perform the work assigned him, or who shall resist by violence any of the officers of the penitentiary in the exercise of their lawful authority, or shall wilfully destroy any property, tools, or materials; and it shall be the duty of the said warden to inflict such punishment, either by