The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-02-04
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES DAY.
THURSDAY, Feb. 3. 1876.

Mr.. Speaker Street in the chair. Prayer
w Rev. Mr.. Zealy. Present, los; absent.
1. Leave of absence was granted to Mr..
Boyd.
Mr.. Powell, chairman, reported upon the
contracts under which the convicts of the
have been leased, as follows:
That on Feb. ~, 1875, the Inspectors of the
Penitentiarv entered into a contract with
D. G. French and o. S. Jobes, for the labor
Of $50 male convicts, TO be worked outside
the Penitentiary, but within the Limits of
the State, contract to terminate January
lst, 1880; the Inspectors, on May IL, 1875,
made another contract with the said Jobes
Il French for the labor of 200 male convicts
until January 1st, 1880; that Jobes 81
French on the same day, February q, 1875,
sub-let 100 of said $50 convicts to E, Rich
ardson until January LIST, 1880, and that for
the sub contract E. Richardson paid Jobes
& French $1,000 cash; that said sub con-
tract was approved by the Penitentiary
Inspectors and the Governor. That on Octo-
Der 8th. 1875, Jobes & French sub-let to Z.
Richardson 100 of the 200 convicts contract
ed to them on May 18th, 1875, the lease to
terminate January lst, 1880; that for this
sub-contract E. Richardson paid Jobes q
French $3.50 cash; said sub-conoract was
approved the same as the other. That
$50 convicts have been delivered under
said contracts; that the number has been
diminished by deaths, escapes, and eXpira-
ton of terms of sentence. The committee
was impressed with the indecent haste eX-
ercised by the Penitentiary Inspectors in
leasing said convicts. The law authorizing
the lease was approved Feb. Goth, 1875, and
the next day, Feb. 9th. $50 were leased TO
Jobes & French, and the same day 100
of them were sub contracted by said JObeS
and French to E. Richardson at profit OF
81, 800. Two of the Board of Inspectors,
Avery and Cessor, and one of the contract
ing parties, French, were members of the
Legislature that passed the law authorizing
the lease. Whv such indecent haste in
leasing said convicts? Why could not the
Inspectors have made the cenvicts as profit
able for the State as Jobes q French made
for themselves by sub-leasing? The COM
mittee believe the act allowing the lease was
"a legislative job" and that the contract be-
tween the Inspectors and Jobes 81 French
was swindle upon the State. They have
not discovered any violation of the contract.
They It port that they can find no law au-
thorizing e sub-letting the labor, and in
asmuch as it is legal question they recon-
mend that the subie ct be referred to the Jul
dietary Committee. Copies of the contracts
accompanied the report; referred as request
ed.
The bill to provide an office for the Super
inrendent of Education was taken from the
hands of the Judiciary Committee, and was
referred to special committee-Messrs.
McNair and Dear.
Mr.. FeatherstOn, chairman, reported a
substitute for the bill in relation to the rev.
enue of Marshall county; and the bills to
protect the interests of agriculture, and to
change the criminal laws. with the recon-
incubation that they do pass.
The committees substitute. entitled an
act to provide for the payment of the out
standing warrants of Marshall county, was
passed.
The bill to protect the interests Of agri-
culture and change the criminal laws was
| taken up.
| Mr.. Barksdale offered substitute, and the
bill and substitute were discussed at length
Mr.. Hall moved to table the substitute
| carried; yeas, So; nays, 43; absent, II and
the bill passed.
YEAs-Messrs, Aldrich, Amacker, Bailey
Baker, Bassett, Bean, Byrd of Franklin,
Bird OfLawrence, Carter of Holmes, Causey,
| Grassland, Chiles, Dabney, Dear, Erwin
| Floyd, Garrett, Gayden, Gibson, Hall, Har-
per, Hebron, Hicks, Hogan, Horton, Hud-
Massengale, Meade, Miller, Muldrow, Nc
Cargo, McInnis, McLaurn of Jasper, Nc
Laurin of Smith, Nelson, Nichols, Parker
| Pound, Powell, Reynolds, Rowan, Saunders
Stands, Shrock, Stebbins, Tison, Trice
Tucker, Turley, Wilkinson, Vaughan and
| Iellowley-57.
NAYs-Messrs. Barksdale, Bell, Blount.
benson, Edwards, Featherston, Fortune
| ellis, Gowan, Guthrie, Guyton, Hudson
Hussey, Jacobs, Jenkins, Johnston of TIA
wanda, Jones OF Issaque1a. Lester, Mallo-
ry, Millsaps, Monroe, McNair. McNeise
Nc Whorter, Overton, Parsons, Pennington
Percy, Riley, Rogers, Sanderlin, Shattuek
| SouthwOrth, Sykes, Warren, White, Walden
Young and Mr., Speaker-46.
ABSENT AND NOT voTING-Messrs, Carter
of Warren, Cessor, Clifton, Cochran. Crum.
Drake, Dyer, Jagers, johnson of Winston,
Jones of Kinds, Mccormick, Shelby, Spight
Troup and Watkins--l5.
The bill as passed provides-Section
That it shall be grand larceny to steal any
hog, pig, cow, calf yearlng. steer, bull
| sheep, lamb, goat or kid, regardless of value
Sec. 2. Enacting clause.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Mr.. Tison in the chair. The House went
into the Committee of the Whole to consider
the Senate and House bills on salaries
After some time spent in the consideration
of the bills, the Committee rose and asked
leave to sit again tomorrow.
HOUSE.
BY Mr. Featherston: That when the
House adjourn Friday it be until Monday
lost. Yeas, 30; nays. 81.
Mr.. Tls0n. chairman. reported a bill tc
authorize the Secretary of State to furnish
books to the Clerks of the Courts OF Jackson
and Green, with a substitute TO repeal Sec
1887, Code of 1871 relating to the relief OF
the poor; to au thoriZe Lowndes county to
sell its uncurrent funds, with the recon-
mendation that they do pass. Also to ascer-
tain the outstanding Indebtedness of New
ton county; in regard to settlements of
County Treasures; TO amend Sec 265, Code
of 1871 relating to County Treasurers rec
ommending that they do not pass.
By Mr.. McNair: To extend the privileges
of the House TO Drs. III. Z. Atkins and r. r,
Applewhite, of Lincoln; adopted. Adj
journed.
HE floods in the Ohio valley at last
accounts were falling rapidly.