Released from prison.
--Eight pardons for convicts in the Virginia Penitentiary were issued by his Excellency, the Governor, on yesterday — the applications having been supported in all the cases by testimony in mitigation of further punishment in the shape of detention. As the public know from the frequent convictions that are daily recorded, the State's prison is unduly crowded with malefactors at this time. The want of room has long been felt as a serious inconvenience, and a drawback on the profitable employment of convict labor. The recent addition to the aggregate of prisoners, caused by the return of the slave transports and free negroes that had been hired on the railroads, has caused the prison buildings to be more crowded than was either agreeable to the Superintendent or consonant with the profitable employment of the force under his command. We never could see the justice of the complaints raised against Ex-Gov. Wise for turning out of the Penitentiary some twenty or thirty of the unfortunate creatures during his four years of service as Chief Executive. We thought he did right, and would have been equally right, if not more so, if he had let out a few more than he did. Unless the Penitentiary buildings are enlarged at no distant day, (of which at present there seems not to be the slightest chance) the requirements of the occasion will be such as to demand a full and free use of the Executive prerogative by Gov. Letcher.The following prisoners were released on yesterday: Alonzo C. Turner, sent by Lynchburg Circuit Court in 1857, for 18 years, for murder in the 2nd degree; Bartholomew Maloney, sent in 1852 by the Circuit Court of Augusta county for 40 years, as principal and aider and abettor in the commission of a rape. He was convicted in 10 cases, 4 years each; Frank Green, free negro, sent for 5 years by Middlesex County Court, for larceny. His time would have been out to-day. Nathaniel M. Dudley, sent by the Circuit Court of McDowell, for one year, for forgery; James Halcombe, sent by Greenbrier Circuit Court in 1858, for 5 years, for murder in the 2nd degree; Uriah Cherry, sent by Norfolk Circuit Court, in Oct., 1851, for 18 years, for murder in the 2nd degree; Henry D. Croft, sent by the Floyd Co. Circuit Court in 1861, for 3 years, for voluntary manslaughter; Wm. J. Merrill, sent by Albemarle Circuit Court, in May, 1860, for 3 years, for manslaughter.
