The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-23
Mr.. HAWLEY AND THE MILITARY
pRIg0N

military prison located here by an act OF
the last Congress, The bill proposes to so
amend the act that all acts and things
therein required to be done and performed
at Rock Island shall be done and perform
ed at Leavenworth. The act locating the
prison here was approved on the last day
of the last sessiop-the Sd day of last
March. The first section is as follows:
That there shall be established at Rock Island in
the Safe of Illinois, prison for the confinement
and reformation of offenders against the rules reg
ulatons and laws for the government OF the Army
of the United States, in which shall be securely
confined, and employed at labor, and governed In
the manner hereinafter directed, all offenders CON
victed before any court-martial or military commls
sion in the United States, and sentenced accord
ing TO law to imprisonment therein.
The act contains twelve sections, and
provides, among other things, for the APP
pointment of board of commissioners, to
consist of five members, three of whom
shall be army officers and two civilians.
The act makes it the business of these
commissioners to fix on the site for the
prison. The secretary of war appointed
three army officers, according to the pro-
vision of the act, viz: Gen. Miles, Col.
Barr and Mai. Andrews, to examine and
report on site for the prison. They Wis
tied this place last summer. 1t does not
appear that the two civilians required by
the act we're ever appointed. The secre-
tary of war seems to have ignored the pro-
vision entirely, as regards them.
Mr.. Hawley, in his speech against this
locality said:
1T was unquestionably the intention Of
Congress to locate the prison on the mill
tary reservation at Rock Island. although
the language is ''at Rock Island 1t was
the intention of Congress to locate it on the
military reservation for the reason that
the Government owned the grounds. The
commissioners. upon examining the local.
ty, found and reported to the secretary of
war that there is no suitable place on the
island for the location of the prison, with
out interfering with the purposes for which
the island has been set apart"
Mr.. Hawley then proceeded to read the
report of these three army officers showing
why the prison ought not to be on the isl.
and. In that report occurs the following
In the vicinity OF Rock Island, and on the high
| and desirable land near Rock river, a site can be
purchased at from 800 to 90 per acre, and as 20
is thought to be all th ground cessary, the
slight saving TO be effected by the use of land on
! the island cannot be held Of much weight against
the probable injury.
But the report closes by recommending
| Leavenworth.
Mr. Hawley then read letter FROM the
secretary Of war strongly recommending
Leavenworth.
Mr.. Hawley next read long letter from
Col Flagler, dated in New York, Feb. IS,
1873, to the secretary of war, giving rea-
sons why the prison should not be on the
island 1t will be noticed by the date OF
Col Flagler's letter that it was written be,
fore the bill became law-yet, notwith,
standing his letter, and all the opposition Of
the Ordnance Department and the Score
tary of War, Congress insisted on Rock
Island, and the President signed the act
and made it law, on the Sd of March
three weeks after Col. Flaglers letter wa:
written and the opposition to Rock ISLAND
developed Having failed to defeat Rocl
Island in the bill the war department
seems to have ignored the requirement O
the act for the two civilians on the com
mission and sent out three army officer
to make evidence against Rock Island
and on this evidence, ask Congress anC
the President to go back on their own acts
Col. Flagler's letter closes as follows:
Twill cite. in conclusion the history of the Wash
iugton Arsenal A peutenlary was located nea
it, but entirely outside the arsenal, and separated
from It by high wall. Even its proximity wa
deemed SO dangerous that during the war the pris
oncrs were removed and the prison torn down ant
taken away. The objections 10 prison even in tn
/ vicinity Of the Rock Island Arsenal arc muc
greater because Of the character of the establish
ment.
If Col Fiagler did not want the prison
on the island, it seems to us that he shoulC
have been contented with giving his rea
sons for that opinion, and not have yolun
teered to help drive it away from any plac,
within four or five miles of the island.
Mr.. Hawley next read letter from Gen
Benet, of the Ordnance Department, OPP
posing this location. and then having ar
ranged and put in all the evidence h,
could get against this locality, he clinche
the argument as follows:
Il will state further, for the information
of the House, that | called upon and haC
an interview with Gen. Sherman. in refer
ence to this same subject, for the purpos
of ascertainiDg his views. He is very de
cided in the expression Of opinion that thi
military prison ought not to be located
upon the island Of Rock Island; that it
location there would be entirely inconsist
ent with the purposes for which the islanc
was set apart that 1t cannot with any pro
prety be located upon that island as lonG
as it is set apart for arsenal purposes. II,
also is clearly Of opinion that il should q
to Fort Leayenw0rth.
Il am instructed by the unanimous vot
of the Committee on Military Affairs t.
report this bill favorably and recomment
its passage Every member of that com
mittee is Of opinion, from the reports re
ceived, not only from the commission ap
pointed for the purpose of visiting Rocl
Island, but from Army officers whose opin
ions are entitled to weight, that Fort Leav
enworth is the proper place to locate th
military prison, and that the buildings al
ready erected there will answer the pur
pose; and, as stated by the commission
the work can be done there for one third o
what 1t will cost anywhere else.
Gen. Garfield, Of Ohio, next took tn,
floor, and strongly opposed the establish
meut of any central military prison at all
and showed that the transportation of pris
onnrs from, oil ovor tba ITn;tod Cto.oa -.