Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-10

| So various, and successful have been
the attempts to mislead the people ofthis
county into an opinion that, the county
commissioners are absolutely required.
to build new. jai! on the old courthouse
Isquare-and no zvhere else, that l hope l
shall not be considered obtrusive in call
ing the attention ofthe people to so much
OF the only two sections to be found in our
whole code upon the subject, as relates
to the duty of the commissioners in fixing
upon any particular place for the Jail.
These sections are to be found in the
acts of 1919, pages 237 and 2Ss, and read
as follows, viz
Sec. |. Be it enacted, &c. That it shall
be the duty of the county commissioners,
IN their reshective connties, to prepare
or cause to be erected strong, substantial
joilS, SO that Prisoners may be confined
therein with safety, not elegant, superb
brick edihces for Jailors to inhabit and
keep tavern in. And where the ordinary
funds OF the county are not sufficient for
the purpose, the commissioners shall
lag, and cause to be collected, an addi-
tional tax in conformity to law. Mark
that.
Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, SC. That
the county commissioners, IN each county,
shall have power to contract and procure
for the use of their counties, whenever it
shall become necessary, any lof, or tofs
Of land, wherein to erect such county
buildings, and obtain deeds ofconveyance
to themselves for the use the county,
and 10 sell and convey the same when it
shall afterwards become necessary, to any
purchaser or purchasers, &c.
These, fellow citizens, are the words
OF the law. Any man of common sense
is capable of understanding them. Do
they fix upon any particular spot for the
Jail !? DO they not expressly authorize
the commissioners to sell Jail already
built to change its location? to build
new one to procure any lat or lots Of
ground for that purpose whenever either
becomes necessary ?" They we'll know,
the whole county knows, that the old
courthouse square is so unhealthy that
humanity shudders at the idea of confin-
ing any human being there. Letus make
the case our own; none of US knows
what is yet to happen us. Should it be
the lot of any of US to be so confined in
the months of July, August, and Sep
TENDER, would we not consider it the
most barbarous cruelty F: What other cir
cumstance could render it more neces-
sary" to select different place for the
Jail ,t
But suppose new Jail to be wanting,
the county unable to pay for it without
oppression, and a donation offered for its
erection at suitable place, would it be
strange if the commissioners should
think it neeessary'' to accept of such
donation And if they should think so,
does not the law expressly give them the
power The case is before u--.iudge
for yourselves.
It is believed that the farmers of the
county are very hostile to the erection of
the Jail now advertised. But, say they,
what can we do? The answer is plain.
Meet in your neighborhoods or town.
ships, and express your opposition, to the
! commissioners. DO this without delay.
How are they to know your wishes unless
you express them ? If you do this, there
can be no doubt that two of the commits
sioners will respect your wishes. They
have no selfish purposes to answer, and
they are the majority. But even if they
should not regard you, you will have a
further remedy. If you express your
sentiments, the proposed high-handed,
arbitrary, oppressive, and unjust mea-
sure, never can be executed in OPPOSE
ton to the wishes of such an overwhelm-
ing majority of freemen.
Mn. PRINTER-I have heard heap
about big Jail to be built in your town,
and about taxing the people to pay for
it. Reckon, Mr.. Printer, you town-folks
have heap of money or expect some
great advantage by having so 6ne a jail
reckon some body live in it to entertain
company"-foIks in my neighborhood
say you going to have fine brick house
all round a huge log house will smart
chance OF Iron bars and spikes-d5nt
know what for-reckon to make town
look fne-reckon soon you'll want fine
court house-town look mighty fine
then-thc people pay for it too-no mat
ter, notmuch out oftown-fdks pockets
folks say the tame horse bears the bur-
then--reckon its true. Ole thing sur
prise me wounderly, tho heard one
man who was at Vandalia last winter talk