The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-07
THE LEGISLATURE.
Fiftieth Regular Session.
SENATE.
MONDAY. Feb. IS.

s. 3. rs, relating to plank, gravel and mac
adamized road com panies was read second
time and indefinitely postponed.
s. Il. IS, in relation to camp meetings
was taken up and the report of the commit
tee, recommending its passage, was con-
CURED in.
S.B. 81. fixing the fees of county clerks,
was read second time together with the
report of the committee which recommends
that il lie on the table.
Mr.. Reeve moved to amend by striking
out the words "lie on the table" and insert
the word "do pass"
The amendment was adopted-ayes 20,
noes is.
The report OF the committee as amended
was concurred in and the bill ordered en-
crossed
s. B "a, abolishing the various boards Of
trustees of the benevolent institutions and
establishing a single board, was read the
second time and laid on the table.
s. .. 81 was read the second time and laid
on the table.
S. b. 80. to prohibit the sale of liquors on
Sundays, holidays and election days, was
read the second time and ordered engrossed.
S. Il. 81, amending the dog law, was read
the second time and indefinitely postponed.
s. B. 90, to establish a state board of
health. etc, was read the second time.
s. B l01, repeating sec. IA of the liquor
law, was read the second time and indefi-
nitely postponed.
II j. r. ia, abolishing the office of swamp
land commissioner, was read the second
time
Mr.. Givan moved to suspend the constitu-
tional rule and put the joint resolution on
its passage Agreed to, and it passed-yeas,
80; nays, o.
The report of the committee on elections
in the contested case of Firestone VS.. Olds
was taken mp and read. The majority re-
port that Olds was a notary public prior to
his election, but did not perform any official
act after his election, and resigned his COM
mission on the 18th of October. They cite
the constitutional provisions and conclude
that 0lds is eligible.
The minority report (signed by Mr..
Reeve), which is very long, argues that Mr..
Olds was not eligible, but makes no recon-
mendation.
The minority report was rejected, and
that of the majority concurred it.
She senate then took recess till 80 p. m.
s. b. 119, repealir the acts of March 9, 1867,
and February 5, 1873, in relation to interest
on money, was read the second time.
The majority report recommended that
the bill be laid on the table.
The report of the minority recommended
its passage.
A long discussion ensued.
On the motion to adopt the minority report
the yeas and nays were demanded, the vote
resulting-yeas, II; nays, 16.
The senate then adjourned.
II. B. 236, granting unmarried women hav-
ing children the right to vote for the cleo
ton of three directors in each school district.
After considerable debate the bill was or
dered to be engrossed.
Mr.. Scott, from the committee on prisons,
Il II Ioff.
January 80. reported in behalf of the COM
mittee substantially as follows:
We found the grounds In bad condition, be-
ing covered with filth and debris. The build
ings, and especially the cell house was not in
a condition to promote the health of the pris
OnerS. This was owing in measure to de-
fective sewerage. 1t was found that the war
den and directors have charged the state with
large bills on account OF repairs
two years, but the committee had no means of
deciding whether the money had been ex-
pended Judiciously or not, but they are of the
be incurred on the sole authority of the direc-
tors should be repealed. The new brick work
shop is good building. The prisoners have
no light, yet the state has been paying annu-
ally large sum TO the Jacksonville gas COM
pany for gas used at and about the prison. The
months ending March /, 1876, was 81 ,2S736,
while the lights of the northern prison
for the whole year was but S3S99O. 1t is the
understanding of the committee that this is
an evil that has existed many years. The
report sets forth that James Keigwin, one Of
the directors of the prison, is the president of
the gas company and is therefore interested
in selling the gas, and the committee is OF the
opinion that it Is in violation of law. The
warden has employed gardener at 5000 per
year while the garden consists of but fifty
acres of ground. The guard account for the
year ending December 81, 1876, is 81 1852 90
while that of the northern prison Is but 49,,
678.S6. A large amount of the indebtedness Is
attributed to the suspension of the
Cincinnati shelf hardware company of Gan
Co., for the labor of 800 convicts, is said to be
good one, and there Is prospect of leasing
the remainder of the convlcts to the same
ompany at no distant day. II. +. Sage, clerk
OF the prison, is nephew of Mr.. Keigwin.
The committee charges DIR. w: F. Sherrod,
to such a degree as to render him unit for his
position. An increase in the salaries of the
deputy warden and chaplain is recommended
The directors at the time Of the visit con-
sisted of Il. +. Hill, w. p. Hammond
and James Keigwln. Complaint is made that
Mr.. Hill was not formerly recognized as a
member by the other directors, but by way of
parenthesis the committee gives it as their
opinion that Mr.. Keigwin constitutes both the
ed for his efficiency. 1t is charged that War
den Howard has not provided for the instruc-
ton Of the prisoners as the law directs. The
claims Investigated by the committee were
mostly signed by Shuler as warden, or Gilpin
as clerk. AS far as the committee could as
ers call for Interest at 10 Der cent. and the COM
mittee doubts the authority of
the warden to bind the state to
pay interest. The prisoners said to be
kindly treated and well fed. All the officers
were In favor of passing the "good time" law.
Considerable time was spent In taking testi-
mony on the accounts. The Indebtedness of
the prison on Dec smber IS, 1876, was Sis, Al
OF which S54,l2l.96 accrued under the admin
istratiOD of Mr.. Shuler, and the committee
found that Sl05.7 of such Indebtedness does
not appear on the books, which makes the en-
tire Indebtedness accrued under the Shuler
administration 81 ,227.73. The assets, as shown
by the books of the Shuler administration, is
e2l, 6fl0, Of which 20,7y963 Is claim
against the Southwestern car works, and Is
therefore of doubtful value, and 1901 is on the
books for "real estate" The liabilities of the
present administration incurred for the
eighteen months preceding December Is, 1876,
are s64, 1853, while the assets amount to SILL