The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-02-20
E.pi.er from Frankfort.
TRANSPORT, KY, Feb. II, 1879.

ing together OF the Solons elected for the
purpose of Lrslin: the distemper of the
body polite, remain, and Yet it IL lamcnt-
ably true that very little legislation OF II
general character has been dOne, nj least
hut litt!e has besn completed During
the first ha,f at the session the usual pro-
lite rrlst Of local bills wss ground out
nor ws- il to be expected that the Gen,
crsl Assembly would be able to pass
many laws of q general nature during
that part ui the session, ~ such bills
have 10 be maiureiy considered in COM
miitse where clttimeS much time and
discussiog is necessary in order &. perfect
them, but tor the last two weeks neither
local or general bills have been passed
except in ell number. as the brains
OF members have been rached 10y what,
IN many Instances, seems % have been a
fertile undertaking. u vigorous effort to
comprehend. the bills of general Import
which ~ tha; time were ,Aowerrl upon
both Houses in protu-jou, chief among
which were the Public Printing Bills. Of
which there were two or ia ee; Penlten-
riary Bile. "r which theirs were several,
som. proyiling for q continuation OF the
present lessee sy-lem, some for an extern
sion of the walls Of the present prison
another looking to the building OF a
branch or additional prison in Western
Kentucky, another providing tor the flu
the warden system. Then thsre was the
Intei--t Bill, which proposed to reduce
the legal rate of interes, 10 ak per cent =,
hich passed the Senate a lew days ago
and has gone TO the House for its con
Currcnce, the friends Of which were so
largely in the majority a. to force it to q
vote without much unnecessary debate,
though several of its IT ends ielt com
PEELED to "shie their casiors' just lit
tie. yoa know. One ambitious young
senator. whose friends alter carefully eX-
aiming his horoscope declare that he is
destined to be the next Lieut.. Governor,
declared that he felt constrained 10 speak,
ina-much a. he made his race upon the
merits OF that proposition. And 50 it
goes on from day to day, the members
OF the Senate, or many Of them, persist
ing in discussion Ill! The body has wen
the nickname Of the "deoat,ns society
But to-day Senator Garnet, OF Trigg,
delivered the speech of the session, his
speech being one of the few really enter
tanning aud instructive speeches thus tar
heard in the chamber during the present
session. The Seuate was in Committee
OF the Whole, considering the bill pro-
vidin. for the warden system for the gov
eminent OF the Peniteutiary, and con
tanning a clause providing for the work
ing of the convicts upon public works,
and especially the nasiyable water cour-
ses of the State, as the General Assem-
bly, may from time to time direct, There
was "A motion made to strike out that
clause by an opponent of the idea OF i'm
ternal Improvement 10y the State, ami
upon that motion heated discussion al
once arose and has continued ior three
DAYS, with but liitle Indication that a
vote will be reached this week. But your
readers may rest assured that The idea OF
a vast system of internal Improvement al
the expense OF the State Treasury finds
but little favor with 4 majority of this
General Assembly, for members have
taken the trouble TO consult the official
documents Of the State, which show that
during the twenty years from 1851 10
1858, the State, through her Legislature,
appropriated Tor the improvement OF the
Kentucky river alone upwards Of S9UO,>
900, and during the same period appro'
priatcd for the improvement OF Green
and Barren rivers upwards OF SoOO,OOO,
aud to the Licking river upwards OF
$500, 900, making in round numbers,
though | have not now the figures before
me, grand aggregate of -, 100. $50, and
Tor all that vast outlay OF money what
did the treasury ever receiver Some
500 900, in revenue. In other words,
the people of Kentucky are out sum
approximating $2.00O,0jO, which, had
1t been properly invested in bonded secu-
rites, would nov amount. with accrued
interest, towel, the curious can make
their own calculations Add what have
the people in return for so vast an ex~
pendi,ure? The Licking river, in worse
! condition than the God of Nature mad,
it; the Kentucky river Improvements IN
wretched and ruined condition; and
the Green and Barren river lies under the
control Of n S0UllcSs corporation. IN whose
interest alone navigation upon that Inc
is permitted.
Personal.
Gen. Williams, with that high sense o
propriety which people OF Kentucky mag
/ 1, o,nl,,,t d air Son.