Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-03-14
EnITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
NASHVILLE, March 10, 1877.

pied the house to-day IS the penl-
Tertiary. Upon an accurate count
find there are exactly seyenty-fve
different opinions in this body upon
the subject. To harmonic them
down to one bill and make it a law
is the herculean task which seventy
five patriots are %endeayoring to ac-
complish. The difficulty seems to
increase rather than diminish. It
does not look like any bill would
be passed. Every man has his no
ton as to how it should be done.
There is an idea abroad that some
body has been making money out
of it and that this should be pre-
vented by law. The State certainly
never made a dollar out Of the
penitentiary, and never will. The
present lessees have no doubt made
money out Of their contract, which
was a favorable one. They invested
large capital and brought to bear
shrewd business sense apd manage
ment. They complied with their
contract and the law and were en-
titled to large profits. Why not?
The lease of Cherry, 0'Oonor &
Co. expired last December, and no
satisfactory bid being received, Coy.
Porter, under an act OF the legisla-
ture passed in 1875, extended the
lease eight months. This runs out
next August. There are two bills
in the house pending on the sub
iect-one to lease it out as a whole
as it is now for a period of five
wears; the other bill provides for
farming out the penitentiary for a
period of not more than five years,
but with authority to hire for a less
time-the convicts to be hired in
bodies Of not less than fifty to farm
ers, contractors, or anybody who
can give good and approved securi-
ty. The mechanical department is
at present divided into three divis-
ions-wagons, furniture and foun-
dry. Bids are to be made on each
division separately, and afterward
on the whole the best bids to be
accepted by the inspectors. This
includes the services Of about 800
convicts altogether at least that is
the number now worked By Cherry,
O'Conor & Co. Both bills provide
that the comptroller, treasurer and
secretary Of State shall be inspec-
tors Of the State prison, and that
the governor shall be an ex-oficic
member of the board.
Tie house is about equally d.
.yided or these two bills. There is
much feeling and, l might say, ex-
citement, but as far as can be seen
there is no outside pressure brought
to bear from any source whatever
The present lessees have had the
penitentiary over five years; they
invested large capital in it anC
have made it profitable possibly
though certainly not to the fabulous
extent rumored. The committee
which have been out there this ses
sion find everything in good orde.
and nothing to base a single com
plant upon. The report made wa
rather gingerly in compliments
but eked out an expression to thi
effect-that the lessees had compile
with the "letter Of the law" Ihi
seemed to come rather grudgingly
yet we must suppose that it wa
deserved, or it would not hay
been entered upon the records Of
Legislature which seems to suspec
almost every official and employ
in the public service Of some dere
LECTION, or Of making too muc.
money, until he proves himself in
nocent. The chances are in fave
of 0yerton's bill, as it is called
which leases out the ~penitentiar
as a whole for five years. Key
Cowden, Shepherd, Savage, TrayiI
Quarles and Cannon, all suppose
to be in favor Of this plan, ar
away. Yet it is believed that wheI
the bill comes up it will have almos
a constitutional majority, perhap
more than enough. The senate !
understood to favor 0yerton's bill
by a large majority, the objection
to the other being that It involve