A bill relating to the Convicts in the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia & for other purposes.

Be it enacted &c that the Secretary of the Treasury, under the direction of the President of the United States, be and he is hereby ^is^ authorised ^& directed^ to contract with [either of?] ^either of^ the States of Maryland & Virginia to keep ^& subsist^ in their respective Penitentiaries the convicts now in the penitentiary of the District of Columbia, according the terms & for the time specified in the sentence passed by the Court in the case of each convict respectively ^in the same manner as the convicts of their own courts are kept & subsisted,^ and also to keep ^subsist^ in like manner hereafter ^all persons hereafter^ convicted and sentenced to the Penitentiary, by the District Court ^any of the courts^ of the United States for the District of Columbia, according to the judgment and sentence of said Courts, until each convict shall be discharged according to law; Provided that either the said Secretary shall not contract to pay for the keeping and subsistence of each convict more than fifty dollars per annum ^in addition to the labor of said convict,^ and at and after

that rate during the time the said convict may be confined; and provided also he shall contract with only one of the said states.

Sec 2 And be it further enacted, That upon the execution of a contract with either of the said states, as provided by the preceding section, ^& the approval of the same by the President of the United States^ the said secretary shall cause all the convicts who1 may at that time, be in the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia, to be removed to the penitentiary of the state agreeing to take them ^which state thenceforth be considered the Penitentiary of the said District^, and delivered ^to^ the warden or other proper officer of the said penitentiary ^thereof^, with a true ^copy^ of the sentence judgment & sentence in each case, to be there [keep?] confined according to said sentence; ^and the Penitentiary of the State contracted with shall thenceforth be considered the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia^ and in all cases ^all persons^ thereafter Convicted & sentenced by the [criminal?] or ^any of the Courts^ of the United States for the District of Columbia to the penitentiary shall immediately be transmitted ^transported^ by the

Marshall of the ^said^ District to the penitentiary of the state agreeing to take & keep them as aforesaid; and they ^all convicts removed & transported as aforesaid^ shall there be confined and keep as they may now be in the penitentiary of the said District; and ^the^ removal of any of the said convicts who may made in pursuance of this act shall not be held to impair or in any wise to invalidate the sentence of each respectively but the same shall continue and remain in full force as if no removal had been made.

Section 3 And be it enacted that when said contract shall have been made with the approval of the President of the United States and the convicts who may there be confined in the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia shall have been removed as aforesaid the said Secretary shall cause to be sold all the furniture and other property which may then be in or belong to the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia at public auction and place the proceeds of sale in the Treasury of the

United States; and he shall transfor the said Penitentiary buildings and grounds to the War Department, and same shall thenceforth become and be a part of the Washington Arsenal.

Sec 4 And be it enacted. That from the removal of the prisoners convicts as provided for by the second section of this act all the officers of the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia shall be discharged, and all laws providing inconsistent with this act repealed.