The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-09-08

lent in this State, unless, by making the ne
gro competent witness, we avail ourselves
Of all accessible evidence to convict the Of
tenders And will the laws of the State
continue to offer reward to the dishonest
to further tempt md corrupt the negro
The well-being'of the State materially dc~
pends upon the elevation of this class OF our
population, and if there was no other.
argument in behalf Of their admissibility
to our Courts, the tendency Of such mea-
sure to elevate their moral and intellectual
character would be sufficient.
The dishonest may object to the exten-
sion of this right to all cases, because it
reduces the field for his hefarious operations
but the good and virtuous are protected,
society is amply compensated for the
change. Men of probity and integrity have
no reason to apprehend any evil consequen.
ces from the change. The discrimination of
Intelligent judges and jurcs will be a shield
against unjust charges supported by false
swearing, and the same intelligence will
bring the really guilty TO coudign punish-
ment. The great Increase of crime among
the freedmen, and the inadequate punish
ment inflicted by existing tribunals, makes
it high and important duty devolved on
you to so modify existing legislation rs
will secure q transfer of jurisdiction to the
State Courts. If the suggestions have
made do not meet the approval Of your
Judgment, / will cordially cooperate with
you in attaining the end in any way which
your superior wisdom may indicate.
The prevalence of crime among the whites
as well as the blacks, in every part of the
State, admonish us that the criminal code is
defective, and that the punishments impos-
cd by it are inadequate to deter Offenders.
The penalties attaching to crime are fine,
imprisonment, whipping and death. The
death penalty is imposed on conviction for
murder, arson, burglary and othor crimes,
but the rcpugnance Of Juries TO convict and
impose that fearful penalty except for mur
der, and two or three q her erroneous crimes
against society, often enables the guilty to
escape under the most irifing pretext, and
oven when persons are convicted in such
cases, the verdict is usually accompanied
by recommendation to. Executive clemency
There is no proper punishment under the
laws of this State for high msdemeanors
and petty felonies None Of the jails of the
State are constructed for work houses. and
.convicts sentenced TO imprisop mcnt spend
their time in idleness.
The expense othe State is very great,
and in our impoverished condition the peo.
pie cannot we'll bear the heavy taxntions
necessary to support these convicts in
idlcness There are many Convicts who
find themselves comfortably housed, and
well fed, and who, exempt from all labor.
do not regard imprisonment as punishment.
They are vicious, depraved non-produccrs.
and the effort TO punish them is really n
punishment to the honest taxpayer, whose
labor in part, at least. is given to support
them in ihdolenoe. The number of con-
victs will hereai,er be greatly increased
and II the present system of punishment be
continued. the appropriations to Jailors for
dieting prisoners will be greater than the
expenditure for either of the Departments of
the State Government.
To remedy all these evils, I respectfully
recommend that you provide for. the estab-
lishment Of Peniseutiary at Columbia and
appropriate not less than twenty-thousand
dollars to erect q wall around the Peniten-
tiary buildings, and 10 make Scclls for con-
victs Much OF the 'nbor in erecting the
necessary buildings can be pcrformed by
the convicts themselves. Ifa favorable site
should be selected convenient to suffici ent
water"power to drive all the machne-
rythnt may be requisite to carry on manu-.
features in wood, leather. iron, yarns and
cloth. the Peniientiary may be made NJ lrly,
NV Ha'c eei suppoTtinR. iuHiSnmentS
may then he imposed according to tho enor.
nifty of the offence jures will have no
aversion to convicting the guilty. and the
convicts. while undergoing purgation for
their crimes, will he compellcdto to earn their
clothing and subsistence.
The completion OF The prison and the in.
PRODUCTION ofthe requisite machinery will,
Of course, he a work Of time but if proper
economy be practiced in building and stock
ingit, the expense will hardly he felt. and
in the meantime the convicts can be sub
sisted as cheaply as in the district iails,
while the labor of such as are not required
on the building can be devoted to the vari-
Gus manufactures Of leather. wood and iron,
yielding fund to the State to meet the ex-
pense of their subsistence.
Ifyou should determine to establish a
Penitentiary, Ii will be necessary that pun.
ishments now imposed by law be so changed
as to conform to the new prison system.
Before passing from the subject of tho
criminal law, desire to invite you atten.
tion to the necessity for more stringent
LEGISLATION for the suppression OF, vagrancy.
The law should not only provide for the
punishment Of idle and dissolute persons.