The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-11-14

TUESDAY, Nov. 9.
The House took up the unfinished business of
yesterday, being the following resolution offered by
Mr.. Dewitt on the 3Oth ult:
- ResolUcG By tie General Assembly of the State
Of Tennessee, That his ExceIlency, the Governor,
DC, and be is hereby requested to furnish the Gem
erai Assembly with some plan whereby the evils of
'he Penitentiary system in this State, of which he
complains in his Message, can be eradicated."
In lieu of which Mr.. BuIlen had offered the fol.
owing:
"ReSoEved, That The General Assembly of Ten.
essee dispense with all the duties assigned them
nd call upon his Excellency, the Governor to take
position in the Hall and assume the duties of
legislative body"
hr. Dewitt said that he had thought it proper
and respectful to call upon the Governor by resou-
ton, to furnish the Legislature with his plan by
which the evils OF oar Penitentiary system, to which
ne had twice called the attention of the Legislature
could be remedied. he supposed the Governor
had given the suit ject a more thorough and careful
examination than, perhaps, any other in the
state, and was, therefore, better prepared to sug
gest feasible plan for remedying the evil which he
told US was AN incubus on the Treasury" and his
object 10 Offering the resolution 20 elicit such
information as would enable the Legislature the
more efectualy to secure the object desired. He
himself thought from the little investigation he had
gwen the subject, that change might be made in
the employment of the convicts in the Peniteutary
so that their labor would come directly in con.
hict with that Of 80 large portion Of the mechan-
les Of the State and at the same time prove OF Pc
cuniary advantage instead of an incubus on the
Treasury" as the Governor tells it now is But he
was not prepared to suggest plan by which these
ends could be accomplished aud he doubted whether
2ny member Of the Legislature had given the sub
.ect sufficient attention TO enable him to suggest
such a plan as was desired. II the Governor
should in answer to his resolution suggest a plan
which, in his view, better adapted to subserve
the interests of the State and her mechanics he
would give it his cordial support as, he had no
doubt, would every member on his side of the
House.
He regretted to see that members on the other
side of the House opposed it as u patty measure
Nothing Of the kind bad actuated him in offering
the resolution. 1t was matter of State policy, in
which the people Of the whole State irrespective
OF party, were interested, and he had hoped it
would meet with that cordial support which the re-
representatives. OF The poopie, and not of party,
should give such measure The gentleman from
Franklin (hr. Ncwman) was disposed to treat the
matter as party movement because one of the
city Know Nothing" las he told us) papers had
advocated the adoption of the resolution. The
True Wig had published an editorial upon the sub
jet, the only one that he Mr.. d had seen, and
he thought the Editor had furnished better argu
ment in favor Of the adoption OF the resolution he
had offered than he would be able 10 do, and he
read the following extract from that editorial, the
sentiments Of which he endorsed as worthy of
Tennesseean:
This is matter OF State policy, upon which
political considerations should have no bearing what
ever. All of every party alike interested in
Whatever may promote the welfare and prosperity
of the people Of the State-the States interest be-
ing paramount to all mere party considerations
Many Of the people of Tennessee regard the pres
ent Pententary system as an evil which should
aud can be remeded. Their Chief Executive off.
Ger processes to entertain toe opinion, and we
trust the Legislature will, if possible extort from
him his plan for remedying the evil II he has
none to suggest, then the Legislature should take
the subject into consideration, and make such a
change as in their Judgment will meet the wishes
Of the people"
The Editor remarked upon Gov Johnson's fail.
TO communicate his plan to the Legislature
wo years ago, when called upon by resolution to
0 so, and the only reason that the Governor has
ince given for this failure is that the request was
lade too near the close OF the session. when the |
legislature ought to have been through with the |
usiness they met TO transact, and the members |
their respective homes, thus seemingly acknowl- |
dying the right Of the Legislature to make the call
nd his duty to respond to it, if made in proper |
me. He was, therefore, for meeting the Govern |
RS wishes in this respect, and hence he had intro
,uced the resolution, and the efforts of the gen.
Ieman from Franklin (Mr. Newman) would fail to
stort it into political movement directly or in
rectly. IL il assumed that character it would be |
wen 10 il alone by the Democratic sid eof the House.
lie said gentlemen on the other side of the
louise contended-indeed, some Of them had bold
asserted that there was no precedentin Con-
ressional Legislative history for the adoption of
ne resolution he had introduced, and hence their
ppOsitiOn to it. Do gentlemen forget or pretend
deny that the last session Of the Legislature Of
his State furnishes precedent for this very reso-
ItiOn? The gentleman from Henry, (Mr. Travis,)
hose Democracy he supposed could not be ques-
oned, had offered a resolution at that session smi
r. in letter aud spirit TO the one he had ,ffered
days ago, which will be found on page $40 OF
louise Journal Of the session of 1853, as follows:
"RcsoiUed That his Excelency the Governor,
and he is hereby requested TO furnish the Gen.
raj Assembly with some plan by which the evils
the penitentiary, OF which he 60 seriously COM
ains, can be Graduated"
This resolution was adopted, ayes As, noes 90,
nd by reference to page 64l of the Journal, where
ne ayes aud noes are recorded, it will be seen that
.yeral gentlemen now occupying seats on the other
de of the House. Uotel IN fapor of It's adoption And
Il gentlemen tell Us from their seats on this door
laL We nave no precedent Tor the adoption OF this
soutonl " as the adoption Of such a resolution
ght two years agog If so, why not nowy Ifi is
political movement now, il not equally SO two
ears ago, for the resolutions are identical in spirit?
But gentlemen tell a we have no precedent in
he legislation Of Congress for the adoption of tie
rginal resolution. DO they forget the memorable
mark of Gen. jackson in his veto message on the
III 20 charter the Bank of the United States, when
told the two Houses Of Congress that il they had
fought proper to call upon the President, he would
ave suggested measure that would have met the
pprobation Of Congress and relieved the wants Of
re country? It thus appears that Gen. jackson
scOgnised the right of Congress TO call upon the
resident for his plan TO remedy an evil or to meet
ne wants of the country, and he supposed that the
uthority Of Gen. jackson would not be questioned
y gentlemen on the other side Of the House.
But perhaps, il is our OK that is goring their bull
I'D hence they will probably affect TO regard the
recedents cited as Of little consequence Just nor
Among the names Of those recorded voting for
he resolution adopted by the Legislature two years
ego, was that OF the gentleman from Bledsoe, (Hr.
ope,) who had On Yesterday offered resolution in
eu OF the one offered by himself 20 the effect hlt
iii 81