Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-01


been heretofore noted:
By NJ. Marshall: Act IL relation 10
public schools in Warren county.
Passed.
By Mr.. Marshall, Of Warren Act to
Incorporate the Mississippi Compress
and Banking Company Of V%icksburg.
Passed.
BY Mr.. Marshall: Act to authorize
the Secretary Of State to furnish books
TO the Circuit Clerk Of Warren county.
Amended and passed.
BY Mr.. Marshall: Act 10 regulate
fees in criminal cases In Warren coun-
ty, Passed.
Act for the relief Of Z. L. Taiie, OF
Warren county, was called from the
Committee and passed.
BY Mt. Pegram: Act TO Incorporate
The Fremen's Silver Cornet Band Of
Vicksburg. Passed.
BY Mr. Pegram: Act to provide for
the funding OF tho outstanding war.
rants Of the City Of Vicksburg. Passed.
Act TO protect the land owners OF
Warren county, etc, amended and
passed.
Act 10 create an additional Jutice of
the Peace aud Constable In Warren
county. Substitute passed.
Miscellaneous.
The following memorial wac read In
the Senate this morning. 1t Is q mod
crate and temperate presentation of the
evils Of the present system Of working
PenitentiarV conyicts:
MEMORIAL OF THE MECHANICS AND
WORKING MEN OF JACKSON, AND VI
, CTNITY, IN REFERENCE To THE PENI-
TERTIARY.
To the Honorable Senate and House Of
Representatives OF the State OF MisBis.
sippi:
4 Your memorialists, q Committee ap-
pointed by q mass meeting Of the me-
chaniCs and working men Of jackson
and lite vicinity, for the purpose OF lay.
= ing before you certain grievances under
r which they rest, respectfully present
to your honorable body as follows:
+ Under the operation Of the third Sec
ton of an Act entitled an Act TO pro.
= vide for the leasing OF the %Penitentiary
Q and convict labor OF the State, approved
April Is, 1876, great hardships have
been endured by The laboriDg CLASSES
of the State, and more especially OF this
city-hardships which your memorial.
"a lists confidently believe were not an.
y ticipated, nor would they be sanctioned
4 by the reform Legislature OF 1875. Let
! us present the operations Of this law
II Section 3 provides that the Lessee oil
" Lessees may work all convicts sen
fenced TO hard labor, Tor q term les
than ten years, outside of The walls o
g. the ~Penitentisry, In building railroads
%leveep, or any private labor or employ
z, ment, there being no restricting claus
rs nor reservations, the Lessees are givel
extraordinary p0wer-they may cho,
III your Winter firewood with this labor
they may work your gardens; the!
L. may lay the brick upon the publ
sidewalks; they may open private en-
~ terprises, like blacksmith shops, shO
establi shmentP, and lumber yards, o.
o. over the city; they may contract 70
house building, and 10 short, for o
ne kinds Of remuneratiVe labor, to the ex
ho Clusion of honest men and artisans.
Your memOralists further pFesen
y that this spirit Of competition has bee
h carried on at intervals from the begin
- ming OF the present lease until thi
hour; the effects may be briefly sun
~ moned up. Before the lease, beginninI
with April, 1876, and ante.datlng, W
Ia ind a class OF mechanics and working
men, with fair compensation aud worI
n in reasonable abundance, haVinI
always their larders full, and some
thing laid up for q rainy day and raise
above speculative uneasinese, wer
able 10 conduct themselves q GOO
citizens and law.abiding men, an
he illustrated by their behavior The deepe
~ harmOnies between capital and labor
The present spectacle lie melanchOl,
o. in the extreme. Brought in competl
y, ton and In conflict with criminal labol
wages have been reduced 10 far beloV
their normal standard that 1t 10 n
10 longer q question Of how to clOthe the
/" children and give them the rudimen'
ed Of an education, but an impOFiunai
ii, clamor intrudes itselt--it Is 3 clamC
III for bread.
Your memorialist knowing the din
culties that beset your honorable bod
In modifying q contract once entere
into, that ever so high 81 authority {
Gu yours IL without eE post Jdcto powe
q humbly pray that il there are Othe
u privileges 10 be granted the ~lessees, O
~ IL a further extension OF the lease
contemplated, that II be made q condI
IN. ton precedent 10 extending the priv
m. leges or in the terms of the lease, tina
"a no convict labor DO allowed TO CON
pete With honest workmen within tn
IN, corporate limits Of any town or city |
- the State, and that the Lessee or Lei
;! sees be restrained from bidding" upo
l., private or public buildings, and b
80, this means giving us the benefit OF this
IN. Divine supplicatiOn, "lead us not int
temptation"
E" With these premises, sud with ou
90 earnest protest against leasing this IN
stitulion to private parties, we respect
,os fully urge that the bill now before th
,os Senate granting 10 the Lesse turtle
privileges in relation TO ten year cor
: , ViCts aud others, be and become a Law