Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-10-25
Rules and Regulations for Pardon Ap-
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The large number of eonviets In the
State prison, and the increasing de.
mands for executive clememcy, render
the exercise of that high prerogative
more than ever a very delicate and diff.
icult duty. The applications are gen.
orally &c pdrte, instigated by parties
deeply interested, either from ties Of
relationship or less meritorious rea-
sons, and often supported by strong
personal appeals. to the Executive.
In a majority of cases, it is diff
cult to determine whether the case is
a meritorious one. A proper presen-
tation Of the other side of the ques-
ton would protect society, and, at the
same time. do no injustice to the con-
vict. Under well-settled conviction
that bad men are sometimes returned
to society by honest exercise of the
pardoning power, upon the er parte
Misrepresentation of facts, feel con-
strained, from a high sense of public
duty, to publish the following rules
(which have generally been acted
upon, for the information of parties
who may otherwise make fruitless eff
forts and perform expensive journeys
to the capital without results:
/. The application must, in all cases,
be in writing, stating, specifically, the
merits of the case, and the reasons
why the convict should be pardoned.
2. If the evidence on the first trail
was reduced to writing, il must accom-
pany the petitions, as well as q certified
copy OF the indictment, and judgment
of convection.
3. While every citizen will be re-
specially and patiently heard, in any
verbal statement of the merits of any
pending application for pardon, yet, no
representation of facts or appeals for
clemency will have influence for or
against the application, nor viii they
be considered or weighed until reduced !
to writing and signed by the party
making them Section 5253 of the
Code provides: He (the Goyernor)
shall cause to be entered in q book,
kept for that purpose, his reasons for
granting pardon or committing punish
ment, and preserve on file ali docu-
ments on which he acted, and submit
the same to the General Assembly
when called on. 1'
This provision cannot be fully met
by any other course.
4. When the evidence upon which
the prisoner was convicted is not furn-
ished, the papers will be referred to
the Attorney General of the district |
in which the applicant was convicted,
before any final action is taken.
8. Such other terms and conditions
will be imposed as each case may ap-
pear to merit. 1 ia3s br
8. The pardoningpower having been
in no respect abridged, qualified or
changed by the lease of the State Pris-
on, the lessees have no voice in any ap-
plication for pardon, and they have not
been in the past, and will not in the fu-
ture, be consulted in any case. Nor
will the wish, desire or interest Of the
lessees control, in the least degree, any
application for pardon. Theprisoner's
conduct (which will always be consid-
ered) is recorded BY the Warden, and
furnished, officially, to this Office, upon
application.
These rules will be adhered to rigid
ly, and all parties are sdmonished that
the merits of each case, as disclosed by
authenticated documents, will
control its fate.
Therefore, the employment of agents
Dr. attorneys to prosecute pardon appli-
cations will avail nothing. ~
BY order the Governor.
JOHN G. BRowN.
JOHN s. WILKES, PrivateSecretary.