New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-20
LOUISIANA PENITENTIARY.

and said:
Mr.. President-As a pro TEN. member OF
the Committee on Penitentiary, sent up re-
Gently TO aid in the investigation uf the
inanagement and condUcpOt that concern.
| feel called on TO respond to some portions
Of an article published in the PicGy"ne OF
this morning and signed by Mr.. 5. l.. james.
the lessee of the Penitentlary. This gentle
man saws the several resolutions under
which the committee has been acting were
evidently passed with view OF black
mailing him and eXtOrtinc from HIN a Few
hundred dollars Of hush money. Now. .ir.
! was the author of one Of those resolutions.
and feel it NY duty 20 reply 20 Ills s!Ur.
though / would no. do 50 N ny Own
individual defense. but would treat x
with the silent contempt il deserves in
that connection. But my resolution
looked TO something higher than
mere personal consideration. and !
| am not to be led astray nor diverted from
its legitimate object and purpose by mean
personal slurs of this character. As to the
question Of black mail. however. have this
60 say: When you see man occupying II
| the community and in society position
| which gives him any claim 10 responsibility
| so ready to charge or presume that any one
wishes 20 extort from kim hush monev. you
may as a general and safe rule assume that
| hs is ready and anxious to pay out few
paltry dollar. to have some OF hls own viz
| laines hushed up, if ne can ind any one so
| sOrdid and base As TO receive his Drbe. BnI
in this instance this gentleman. VINO so
| classicly alludes 10 Us as the " Bayonet
! Legislature" will evidently find that BE has
! counted without his host.
! But. sir, this is not the question. az ieas:
not the .'main question offered Teso-
| luton, which the Senate adopted unanl-
meusly, instructing the Committee on
Penitentiary 20 inquire as 70 whether or
| not there were or are cOnylcts IN the State
I prison sent there mainly, il not solely, on
| account of race, color or previous cOndI-
,ion." that is, for political reasons, or at
least their terms Of service greatly Increased
| and prolonged on this account That Is the
! question; and / say l am not 20 he led
| astray or diverted from tie issue started
| out with by any ungentlemanly hints in re-
/ gard 10 blackmail and hush money. Our
| committee weutto Baton Rouge unprepared
| to make q proper investigation. We had
not the power or authority 10 send Tor per
sons and papers and administer oaths; but
| will say for myself that We learned
enough 10 justify me in saying that there
| are today numbers Of persons in the Penl-
| Tertiary whom strict justice would at once
release therefrom, and all OF This
| character are not Republicans; ant
1 we learned enough 10 justify me
in saying that the peniientlary IS
| conducted and managed in man
ner unjust 10 the State and insulting
| and disgraceful 70 civilization, and IN some
| respects in direct and palpable violation OF
| the terms of the lease OF that institution
| Yes, sir, we learned enough, meagre as was
| our authority, to Justify me IN assuring the
| Senate and the public that whenever the
committee shall be clothed with proper
| powers and sees proper 90 act promptly
| md ,,rnf,nplyr sbareInIpr IL will ne 9Ilp
disclose a condition of affairs that will make
| the cheeks of some blush and in5le with
! shame, who may now think themselves
very secure under the terms of a special
! lease of power-that is, il they have any
| shame left. And if this is not done, il shall
not be my fault: and | promise, when the
| time comes 10 speak out on this matter, Il !
| have to do il single-handed and alone.
Hence, Mr.. President so far as l am cor
cerned, speaking in personal sense. :he
| slurs and hints of the gentleman IN regard
to Matchmaking and hush money tall still
| born at my feet, there to lie in the contempt
| they deserve.
| Mr. Blackburn continued and alluded a.
some length to the reported treatment OF
the prisoners when they were al WORK some
| where on railroad, and mentioned re-
ported case where one sick, with rbyei-
| clans certificate, was shot down like a dog
| and killed outright because he did not an!
| could not 20 out to work; and another case
| where female convict, away OF some
where outside of the Penitentiary, was re-
| ported to have been recently most outrage
ously and inhumanly treated. II" asked
very sa1casticaly and pointedly, why Colo
mel James did not meet such issues properly
instead OF casting evasive slang about back
mail and hush money
|
Debate In the House On the Levce Bill
The levee bill was brought up for cousd
Grafton Yesterday and final passage. The
bill not having been printed, and the House
ignorant OF its character, considerable dc
bate arose, although large majority wa:
prepared TO vote for its passage.
Speaker Lowell took the floor and Made
an earnest speech in support Of the meas
ure and for iamediate action, el0q"ently
describing the Mississippi and the danger
Of the State and the city by dreaded and
| almost immediate overflow. He said tina
he lived on the banks OF these mighty
waters, and spoke elOquently on the tiOwin1
tributaries that took their rise among The
mountains of the North, and occupied IL.
attention Of the House for more than al
hour-all tending 10 one point-We can Lo'
wait to print the bill: the danger is at Oul
door.
Mr.. Sewell said, after the vehement re
marks by the member from Jefferson Mr.
Lowell, the Speaker of the House VINE
took the floor to support this measure an;
its hasty approval: | fear long speeche:
would endanger the safety Of the country
for, according to the honorable gentleman
from Jefferson Mr.. Lowell), we had nor
minute to spare. The honorable gentleman
| has told us IN cataract OF words, more
eloquent than weighty. that the mighty
waters of the Mississippi we're rolling on
swelling and roaring, ready TO burst owe,
the land and sweep US away; ana more
than all he has tried to impress Us will
the fact that he had his plantation on II,
border of that raging and angry stream
and that he dreaded being swept away hy
the torrent. | contend Mr.. Chairman, tina
if the danger is SO imminent. and thu
mighty and swelling stream roliin.
on as rapidly and as loud as Ii,
eloquent speaker says. I conclude viii
him that there iS no time TO waste il
speeches, and it is 20 be regretted that t:t
honorable gentleman (AIr. LOWELL spoke
for so long time, for the honora bic
gentleman lives on the confluence of III.
great stream, and no doubt, when so
are refused a reasonable delay OF twenty
four hours, that the danger must be great;
} and that before morning he will be sweep
away, plantation and all. Am | to under
stand, Mr.. Chairman, that the pending
danger is so imminent that unless We pas;
| TINS OlI-WlInOuV printing IL, WlInoul Fedu
ing it, without waiting another twenty foul
hours to have the bill printed for genera
intormatiOn-that the waters Will bursr
over the land! No, sir. l contend that !,
there is any danger. it lies concealed in the
bill itself.
The honorable gentleman tells US mos
' earnestly that he has property on the bank
OF the river, and that he has personal in
terest in the passage of the bill. l contend
sir, that personal interest must succumb :.
the interest Of the State, which l hav.
heard, outside Of this House, Is endangered
by the passage of this bill. | say from oUt
c;.ln lnnn,,S.a t1r..n-..,n ~ trnt 49,.