The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-11-05
A Timely MOvsmsut-Tbs Fenitentiary.

Timely Movemsnt-The Fenitentiary.
In the House of Representatives on Tuesday
last, Mr.. Dewitt, the member from Macol
county offered the following resolution:
ResolueI By tie General Assembly of the State 0
| 7epnsssss That his excellency, the Governor, b
and be is hereby requested to furnish the Genera
Assembly with some plan whereby the evils of tn
Pententisry systen in this State, of which he com
plains in his message, can be eradicated.
This resolution has not yet been called up
though we hope it will be, and that the Legis
lature will adopt it. Near the close OF the las
session resolution Of similar character wa
adopted, but Gov. johnson lodged the matter
by assigning as q reason for not answering the
call thus made, that it was not done until neal
the close Of the session. The fact was, tht
Legislature, with the courtesy due TO tie Chic
Magistrate Of the State, waited for the Gov
ernor TO communicate to them the Information
they desired, until it was apparent to every
one that he did not intend to do so. 1t was
then the resolution making the call was adopt
ed. Gov. johnson had been "railing" against
naturally supposed that he had in that time
discovered the remedy for the evil against
which be could declaim SO long and so elo-
quently. 1t appears, however, that such was
not the case, or, if so, he lodged the response
bility.
Gov. Johnson ought to have remedy for the
Objectionable features of our penitentiary sys,
TEN, to which he has twice called the attention
Of the Legislature, and if he has, he ought to
present it to that body, and if he has not, he
should have the manliness to avow it, and cease
prating about evils for which he can suggest no
remedy. 1t argues little to his credit for faith
ful devotion to the interests of the State over
which he presides, or to his candOr as a man,
that he has so long appreciated the fact that
the body polite is diseased, and never once set
himself about applying the remedy. Is lie
content to see the evil continue in order to re-
tain a favorite hobby2 1t really appears So.
The calling the attention of the present Leg
islature to the subject, even though it is moth
ing more than a repetition of what lie said
We cannot say suggeSted-two years ago, with
out recommending, or even suggesting, rem
edy, seems to point to such a conclusion. lie
was fully aware that the people Of Tennessee
desired to be put ia possession of his plan for
remedying the evils which he maintains exist
in our penitentiary system, for the Legislature
had, in effect, so told him two years ago.
We trust Mr.. Dewitt will call up his resolu-
ton at an early day, and that it will be adopt
ed by the Legislature, SO as to leave the Gov
ernor no such pretext for lodging as was re
sorted to two years ago. This Is matter of
State policy, upon which political considera
tons should have no bearing whatever. All
of every party are alike interested in what
ever may promote the welfare and prosperi-
ty of the people of the State-the States in
tereSt is paramount to all mere party consid
erations. Many of the people of Tennessee re-
gard the present penitentiary system as an evil
which should and can be remedied. Their
Chief Executive officer processes to entertain
the same opinion, and we trust the Leg
islature will, if possible, extort from him his
plan for remedying the evil. If he has none
to suggest, then the Legislature should take
the subject into consideration, ard make such
a change as, in their judgement, will meet the
wishes Of the people.