The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-01-11

ting the bills of cost. is only required
by law to see that the several items
are taxed in accordance with the
statute; if they were referred to the
County Judge or the Chairman Of the
County Court, the necessity for their
creation would be discussed, and. it is
believed, the criminal law will be adj
ministered with .more economy, and
by bringing the subject directly before
the people, they would stimulate great
er vigilance on the part of officials
and require the punishment of crimi-
mails to be made with promptness.
He next recommends that num-
Der of the inferior courts of the State
be abolished, to save expense. Also,
reduction of court costs. He also
recommends a change in the practice
of the Supreme Court, so as to facil-
itate business. He asks that the act
appropriating two thousand dollars to
the Bureau of immigration be repeal
ed, and recommends the passage of an
act requiring the Commissioner of
Agriculture, Statistics and Mines to
perform the duties of Commissioner of
Immigration, without additional pay.
Of the interest law he says: 81 re-
commend the repeal of the law au-
thorizing conventional rate of inter-
es; as high as ten per cent; the law
has failed to meet single promise of
its friends, and its repeal is very gen
orally demanded by the people of the
State"
The penitentiary next receives his
attention at length. He says:
The present system of employing
convict labor is wrong; but j am not
certain that the general sentiment of
the people of Tennessee is not in favor
of it. The taxpayers have been so
heavily burdened in the past with
taxes levied to support this institution,
that there is danger that they will
acquiesce in any policy, however mis-
taken or mischievous it may be, that
secures them from taxation. If it is
determined TO lease the lalor of the
convicts, no authority should be Civ
en- to the lessees to employ the con-
victs outside of the prison, unless it is
come where secure prisons can be
provided or upon the islands of the
Mississippi river, where escapes are
almost impossible. 1t has been sug-
gested that the State should employ
the labor Of the conyicts III building
or repairing public roads.
The State owes it to her citizens to
employ this labor so as to avoid com>
petition with the mechanics of the
State; but it would be impossible to
use it in the construction Of roads
without taxing the people heavily for
their support, and TOR the support of a
strong force as guards. Under the
late lease the lessees were authorized
to subject the labor of the convicts to
farmers and railroad contractors, and
the result shows that a large number
Of them have escaped in the face of
the utmost watchfulness. | can sug-
gest no plan for the employment of
this labor that is not subject to oljec-
ton; but, under existing circum-
stances, / do not see how another lease
Of the prison can he avoided. If il is
done, the employment of convicts
outside Of the prison should be re-
stricted to the iron and coal mines !;
and if the lessees are required to en-
ploy all the able bodied convicts, whose
punishment will allow them to be
worked outside of the prison walls, in
the mines, this would embrace a large
per cent. Of the labor, and will almost
destroy anything like competition
with the mechanical labor of the
State. This plan will meet with the
earnest opposition of about three hun
drcd respectable miners now engaged
in mining coal but so long as the
Penitentiary system is maintained,
the convlcts must he employed at
some manual labor, and this will
bring them in competition with the
fewest number, and will be productive
of the good result of cheapcning the
price of coal and iron ore, and Of slim
ulating the developcment of our man.
ufacturing interests. The lessees
should be required 10 receive the con-
Wet at his place Of conviction. The
State has paid during the past two
wears, for bringing convictS to the
State prison, s25, 005.73. The les.ees
move convicts from point to point at u
rate more thar fifty per cent. less
than is paid by the State.
Delinquent railroads then receive
lis attention. In regard to the Mis-
sis>ippi Central, he says:
The Mississippi Central Railroad
failed to pay the semi-annual interest
due LIST July, 1873, and LIST January,
1876, OH the bonds loaned by the
State. On the 18th day of February,
1876, Iappointed Il. P. Nicely, of the
county of Hardcman, Receiver, and,
under my directions, he took imme-
diate possession of the road, and has
been operating it in the interest of
the State. Since the road has been
in the hands Ct a Receiver it has been
kept in good repair, its running ex>
penses paid, and the sum of $50 600
paid into the Treasury of the Safe on
account of taxes and interest. This
management on the part of Gen.
Nicely occurred at Il time of great bus
mess prostration, and Is much to his
honor and credit. Negotiations are
now pending, by which the past-due
interest and sinking-fnnd due from
this company, and possibly the prin
cinal NOT vet dine will Inc maid at an