Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-01-18


gested, and it is evident that the Who'll
law of assessment should be thorough
ly remodeled in order to reach jus
and uniform system of assessing tn,
entire taxable property Of the State.
CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS
The great expense attending the ex
ecution of our criminal law has beer
often referred to by State officials, anC
yet the evil is not abated, but instead
the cost of criminal prosecutions is
year after year, increasing, until in
some localities the amount actually
paid out of the Treasury for this pur-
pose, exceeds the entire revenue de-
rived by the State from that locality
and we have the strange anomaly pre-
sented to us, Of the crime of a COM
munity, proving a source of revenue
to that community The Comptrol-
ler's report will show an alarming in
crease in the cost of criminal prose-
cutions. 1t is believed that more
stringent provisions for the examina-
ton of bills of cost by the officers of
the Criminal Courts should be made
and enforced In other States. the
system of requiring the several coun-
ties to pay the costs of their criminal
prosecutions, has had most benef-
cial effect, and [ would urge upon the
General Assembly the adoption of that
system, inasmuch as it brings home to
the immediate notice of the tax payers,
the expense of such prosecutions, and
the Irregularities and impositions prae-
ticed in making up these bills of cost.
The conveyance of prisoners after
conviction to the penitentiary is also
attended with more cost than is nee
essary, and might, perhaps, be to some
extent avoided by adapting the pay of
officers and guards and the rates of
milage to the cheapened modes of
travel.
COUNTY WORK HOUSES.
The last General Assembly very IA
vorable considered the recommends
tions of this system, as means of
preventing crime and economizing the
cost of administering the criminal law.
But the measure was not adopted
More deeply impressed now than ever
of the salutary effect of a carefully
prepared and well executed law, pro-
viding for the establishment by the
counties of work-houses, for the pun
ishment of misdemeanors and petit
larceny, renew the recommendation
on the subject made to the 37th General
Assembly.
By the establishment of a proper
system of work houses in each county
the State might. be relieved of the
greater part of this burden.
More than one-third of the 740 in
mates now in the State Prison are un-
dergoing punishment for the crime of
petit larceny
Iwould respectfully recommend that
the criminal laws be so amended as to
provide for the punishment of this Of
fense as well as others of the same
grade, as well as all cases Of misde-
meanOr, by confinement and labor in
the several counties where the law NAV
have been violated. By labor upon
the epublic roads, bridges and buildings.
the prisoners may be made to reimburse
the county for the expense of their
confinement, and the cost of convie-
ton, which ought in the first instance
to be paid out of the county revenue.
PUBLIC ROADS.
1t would scarcely be possible to de-
wise worse system than we now have
for the laying out and improvement of
our country roads. Bad as the law is.
it is not executed. Next to a preser-
walton of the peace of society there is
no question in which the people of the
State are more vitally interested. Many
localities are dependent alone upon
the common "dirt road" for their
channels of trade and commerce. They
can reach their school houses and
churches and markets alone, over this
class of thoroughfares In winter they
are often impossible, and the farmer is
denied a market for his produce when
most in demand and commanding the
best prices. Labor fails in this way to
meet its just reward, and, in the midst |
of discouragement, is paralyzed. The |
result is produce rots on the spotwhere |
it grew, and lands are not improved |
and cultivated to the measure of their |
The remedy lies in not only improv-
ing the law, but in affording ample IA
cilities for its execution, and providing
adequate penalties, without discretion
in their visitation, against those who
fail to meet its requirements.
Some of the evils might be remedied
by the appointment of Road Com
missioner or Commissioners for each
county, charged with the duty of hav-
ing the road law enforced, and report
ing its violation. If authorized by law
to do so, many of the counties would,
assess a tax to sustain their
roads.