Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-11-21

A petition was presented by Mr.. Du-
B Sc from the merchants OF HartsYilIe
against the tax on merchants. .
A resolution stating the pay of sttor-
news for the State in delinquent railroad
cases as commissioners at $1,000 for their
] services, lies over.
By MI Hawes-To amend section Is of
article of the constitution, so Rs TO per-
NIT Judges OF the supreme court to ap-
poini their clerks, who shall hold office
for six years, and clerks OF inferior courts
to be elected for q term of four yeart. Lies
over.
A message was recsived from the gov
eruor, transmitting the original report of
the inspectors of the States prison. AT
ter referring to convict labor, the gov
ernor continues: More than One-half of
the labor has bsen Withdrawn from mech
anicsl pursuits, and much Of it that Ia re.
1ained in that department Is employed in
branches not too much in conflict with
well established mechanical pursuits.
As under previous management, there is
great complaint among the miners and
other laborers that convicts sre employed
% their detrimeut. 1t is certainly dssirs-
ole that labor in the State prison should
be diverted, as far as possible, from any
conflict with organised and well estab-
lished industry in the country and d.
rected to the Developments OF new sources
Of wealth. But il is not deemed possible
70 employ convicts at hard labor without
conflicting, to some extent, with some
pursuit Of the country, They must not
remain idle. The conduct of the prison
must present as many terrors as possible
TO the svil-doer consistent with the proper
sense of humanity, and constant hard
labor is an indispensable element of dis
cipline to the convict, snd while many
branches of industry complain of oompe-
1akan Z hIa Ea
Justly clamorous that 1t should
sustain itself A safe means, therefore
would seem to lie in so employing labor
that the state treasury shall be protected
with as little detriment as possible to any
and all industrial branches. The prison
has rarely sustained itself. The profits
claimed by the present management are
all absorbed in the erection and improve
ments to the prison, and for these treasu-
~ warrants, amounting to $50 900, have
been issued by the inspectors under the
act Of February 1st, lS7l, and which loan
will expire on the 18th Of March, 1872
The prison has no funds with which to
protect these warrants, and unlesa they
are relieved by the State, they will be
sscrificed at the amount of the loan, snd
l cannot see from the whole report that
the prison has been made self-sustsininR
in such sense as TO protect the
State treasury from loss; and looking
at the history of The institution since its
origin we cannot reasonably hope that
under the management OF the State 1t
will sustain itself in future. Fully con-
vinced of this tsct, approve the lease
lust made by the inspector, and transmit
Jed It to you this morning, and believe
eSe best interests Of the State would be
81 served by adopting the policy of
whG sssls leasing. II the present Or any
leaseF- made there la but little leRisla-
ton deS1ed necessary, only so far as you
may conSoive the law defective in prescrib-
ing the management of the institution.
1 respectfully suggest for your considers
ton whether the superintendent of the
orisOn is not q necessary officer TO carry
fully into effect tisa policy indicated by the
existing legislstiol- A salary Of one thou
sand dollars ca n to inspectors,
might be withdrawn rom them snd paid
TO such Official servicsA competent men
as we're 5gI advisory S,s % sne anl-d OF lnsPec-
ton prescribed by the coGSsr u. sven with.
out, pay. Allow me to comme1 4 to your
favorable consideration the n ports Of
the physician and chaplain. A Ian . pro-
portion of the conyiots are constantly en-
ployed at the branch prisons, that heRpi-
tal accommodations must DO enlark d,
and the erection OF chapel Is demsndS
Mr.. Dubose offered the follewineQ
resolution: "That the comptroller Of the
State be and is hereby directed TO charge
of from his books as against Memphis the
two amounts referred 70 by him in his re-
port the sum of $50 22l "a on account Of
the metropolitan police, and the sum of
S27, 600 collected N 1884 by order Of Msjor-
General Hulbut"
Several unimportsnt bills were passed
and advanced stage.