The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-02-12
How Pardons Can only be Obtained
Hereafter.

Governor Hartranft addressed Secre-
tary OF the Commonwealth Quay and At
toruey General Dimmick, under date of
the 18th ult., in relation to the pardon
ing power, quoting the section iu the new
constitution declaring that the power of
the Governor to grant combinations of
sentences and pardons can only be exer
cised "upon the reeommend ndation, in writ
ing, of the Lieutenant Governor, and Sc
cretary of Internal Affairs, or any three
Of them, after full hearing, upon due pub
lie notice 10 open session"
AS the Board contemplated in the new
constitution cannot be organized for ob
vious reasons before 1875, it became ne
cessary for the Governor to suggest some
means by which the pardoning power
would be made operative until that time.
According y, under the provision n the
schedule continuing all laws in force at
the adoption Of the constitution mot in
consistent Herewith" the Governor re-
quested his Secretary and Attorney Gen
eral to act in pursance of the new consti
tuition relating thereto until their asso
ciates May be elected and qualified.
These gentlemen have in compliance
with the Governors request organized a
Board of Pardons, selecting A. Wilson
Norris, the Governors Private Secretary.
as Recorder. The Board has adopted and
pronul gated the following regulations,
which will hereafter govern the pardon
process:
In compliance with the above direc
tious, the Secretary of the Common
wealth and the Attorney General fix and
appoint the first Tuesday Of each month
as the day whereupon the board will con
vene to give full hearing in open session
to all applications for pardon presented
in accordance with the following regula
tions;
First. The board shall be furnished
with proof that notice of application for
pardon has been published once a week,
for two consecutive weeks, in newspaper
printed in the county or city in which
conviction was had.
Second. That notice Of the application
shall have been given to the judge who
tried the cause aud to the district attor-
ney or attorney who prosecuted.
Third. All applications for pardons
must be accompanied with the following 2
papers, written in clear and distinct
/ hand.
| l. \ certified copy of the whole re
cord, including docket entries, minutes Of
the court, copy of indictment, pleas, and
all other papers on file in the court relat
/ ing to the case.
! 2. y full statement Of the reasons up
on which the application is based, settins 9
forth all the facts the notes of evidence
taken on the tral letters from responsible
persons in the community where the crime
was committed
Fourth. No application will be con
sidered if presented to any individual
member Of the Board
Fifth. All applications and correspon
dence must be addressed to or field with
the Recorder of the board, at Harrisburg
so that the same may be prepared for pre-
sentation to the board at its next session
and no application will be heard or con
sidered unless the same, and papers upon
which based, have been filed at least five
days before said session.
Sixth. The foregoing rules will be
strictly enforced, and relaxed only when
good reasons shall be furnished for Sc
doing.