St. Johnsbury Caledonian

A New Jail Refused.
The bill authorizing the county to build a new jail was referred to the members from Caledonia county, as indicated in our Montpelier letter, and defeated because only five of the 17 county members were in favor of a new building. Their decision comes both as a surprise and a disappointment. The present antiquated structure has long outlived its usefulness and has been condemned by grand juries who have thoroughly investigated it. Twelve representatives from this county must have been woefully ignorant of the real condition of affairs when they refused to recommend the bill to the house. Do these 12 men realize that the present building is unsafe and that criminals could easily escape without the slightest help from inside or outside? Besides being unsafe it is unsanitary and the sun never shines in with its warming and purifying rays.
There are now ten occupants of this relic of bygone days confined in a building far too small for them and deprived of the comforts of life that this climate demands.
It's a clear case of penny wise and pound foolish as the repairs that must now be made will be costly and unsatisfactory. The old building will remain for awhile longer, with its foul air, its cold and damp cells and its insecure doors. The five men who voted for the measure were trying to better the condition of the unfortunates who have to spend more or less time in durance vile; the other 12 were guided by a spirit of false economy or by other motives which are past finding out.