The weekly clarion., 1880-03-24


Of interest, in favor of the Treasurer of sal
University, on the Treasurer of the State.
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That the sur
| of thirty-tEo thousand six hundred and forty
three dollars $32 CAB O0) be and the same i
hereby appropriated for the year $780, an
Annually thereafter, for the purpose of paying
thu interest due on said OF five hundre'
aud forty-four thousand sixty-one dollar
and twenty-three cents, (SJ44,06l 3
SEC. A. Be it further enacted. That this &C
take effect from and after its passage.
Approved, March D, 1880.
/ AN ACT to require the employment of convict
on works of internal Improvement anG
provide for the support of the Penitentiary
without loss TO the State
SEcTIoN1. Be it enacted by the Legislature
of the State of Mississippi, That the Governor
and six citizens of the State, to be appointed
| by the Governor, with the advice and consent
OF the Senate, one of said citizens to be select
ed from each of the six Congressional Dis
tricts, shall constitute a Board of Public Works
| who shall lease the Mississippi Pehitentiary
| together with all convicts serving out theiI
| terms at the expiration of the present lease
| and such may, during the term of the lease
| made herein provided. be sentenced 10 the
| PeAitentiary, and all Penitenfiary property
| belonging to the State, for the term of six
| years from the expiration of the present lease
| and, for the purpose of securing competition,
| and, of obtaining the best terms for the Stale,
the said Board shall give at least three months
| notice OF the time and place for receiving
sealed proposals for the same, and proposals
| shall be sent TO the Governor and safely kept
| sealed until the day for opening bids, when all
| shall he publicly opened, and the contract
awarded TO the highest and best bidder, or
| bidders Provided That said Board may re ject
all the bids received, and'contract with any re-
| sponsible person. or persons, to lease the Mis-
sissippi Penitentiary, together with allconvicts
| serving out their terms of sentence at the e1-
| piration of the present lease, and such may,
during the term of such lease, be sem
| fenced to the Penitentiary, and all Penitentia-
| ry property belonging to the State, for the
/ term of six years from the expiration of the
| present lease, upon similar tie ms, conditions
| and stipulations as now provided by law and
| by this Act, excepting that the said lessee or
| lessees shall pay the same hire TO the State
| for all conyicts except such invalIds and Grip
| what cripples and invalids are worthless.
| SEC. 2 Be it further enacted, That the
| lessees shall enter into bond in the sum of one
hundred thousand dollars with good and
sufficient security for the faithful performance
of said contract; said bond shall be approved
| by the Board of Public Works, and he flied in
the office of the State Treasurer; and should
said Board of Rnblic Works, at any time,
deem the bond insufficient or insolveRt they
shall notify said lessees, who shall, within
sixty days thereafter, make new bond, which
shall be approved and filed as herein provided,
should said bond not be made and filed as
herein required, the said contract shall there
by become void, and said Board of Public
Works shall tax possession of the Penitenti-
arY anu COHNIcIS anu tease 10 OlHeF parties
SEC 8, Be it furthe enacted, That said lessees
shall, within two (2) years after the passage
of this act, erect and put in the main factory
building in the Peni entiary walls, all neces-
| sary machinery for the manufacture of bag
ging out of jute, with all necessary engines,
looms and spindles for complete bagging
factory, and shall erect and put in the brick
building now being built, all necessary
machinery for the. manufacture of wagons,
carts and wheelbarrows, with all necessary
engines, lathes borers, mortices, bending
machines, sand-belts, band and circular saws
for a complete wagon factory and thereafter
it shall not be lawful for any convicts whose
terms of sentence exceed ten (l0) years, to
work outside the prison walls unless it be in
the prison garden or farm, or work necessary
to improving the PRISON property or carry on
the prison they may also erect machinery for
cotton and wolien mills and for agricultural
implements; Provided, that after the passage
of this act, convicts shall be employed in
the manuf0 cture of such articles for sale at
retail as manufactured by the local m e.
chanics, shall work at any mechanical
pursuits outside the prison walls except upon
imrrovement; Provided, That the said ma
ehinery shall be paid for by said lessees, and
the hire due by them to the State may be APP
propriated for that purpose. And said Board
of Public Works shall annually state the
amount that may be due the State on account
of said contract and credit the lessees with the
cost of such machinery, but in no event is
the State to be required to make any appro-
machinery in any other manner than Is herein
provided; and at the expiration of said lease
all the machinery etc, is to be turned
over to the State, in good running order and
condition, without further cost or charge to
the State, (either growing out of this lease or
the former contract made with said lessees ;
and said lessees shall keep said machinery in
sured at their own expense fer the beneht OF
the State, and shall not be further liable in
case of loss or damage by fire, storm or insur-
recGOn.)
4 Do. - +In, 81 IL Roc Il
of Public Works shall have power to
direct the employment of all convicts that are |
to he worked outside the walls of the prison, |
upon such public works as may appear for the |
best interest of the State and said Iessees may |
take contracts for the construction of such |
works of internal improvement; Provided, |
that where hands are already employed on |
works Of public improv ement, they shall not |
be transferred to other public works. so long as
they remain so employed; and said lessees |
shall, upon the order of said Board of Public |
Works, supply the company SO designated the !
number of hands, upon such terms as may |
be mutually agreed upon; and should the said |
company and said lessees not be able to agree |
upon terms mutually satisfactory, they shall |
refer the matter to said Board of Public |
Works, who shall adjust the matters of differ
ence ss may seem Just aud fair, and such ad- |
justment shall enter into the contract between |
the parties. And said company or companies |
shall have the preference over any other person |
or corporation; and all convicts sentenced for |
n (10) years or less shall be put upon public |
works, if employment can be found; and only |
in event such employment cannot be found, |
shall they lie put at ptiVate work or employ |
ment Provided, such requsition for labor
shall be made by the first of December of each
year; Provided, that said lessees shall not de-
mand more than fifty dollars $50 O0), and
necessary expenses, per man, per annum, for
oOnvictS employed upon works of in ternal inn
provement; and the Board of Public Works,
shall accord to the different sections of the
State for works of internal i'm Drovemept their
al NJ
is made therefor as required aforesaid.
SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, That the
term of Public Works" wherever it occurs in
this act, shall be construed to mean railroads,
leyees, canals, the opening of navigable
streams, and enterprises of like character
nor in process of construction or that may be
hereafter commenced.
SEC g. Be it further enacted, That each
member of the Board of Public Works shall be
paid his necessary travelling expenses, incurr.
ed in attending the annual meetings of said
Board not to exceed ten cents per mile each
way, which shall be the 1st Monday in No
vember of each year, and such called meetings
as may be called by the Governor, and five
dollars for each day he shall attend
such meetings, on the warrant cf the Auditor
of Fublic Accounts. en- prese ptatIoR to him of
a certificate by the Governor, who shall be
ex-oDfcio, President of said Board, that such
member, is entitled thereto.
SIC. Z. Be il further enacted, That any
lessees or sub lessees of the enitentiary, or |
convicts or other persons charged with the
safe keeping of the same, who shall wilfully
permit, or eonnive at the escape of any pris-
oner. or give him his liberty before he il en-
titled to il, or who snail refuse to let hitn GO
free or return him to the Board of Public
Works at the expiration of his or their lease,
a6cording to their contract, shall be- guilty of
s felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment
in the penitentiary not less than one year,
and not more than five; and any person hav-
ing control of such prisoners who shall be
guilty of any cruel, inhuman and unusual
treatment of such prisoners, shall BE- pnnlsn-
SEE s. Be it further enacted, That 1t shall
be the duty Of the Superintendent of the
or other person designated by
the Governor, te make a tour of inspection of
prisoners as he may deem proper from time to
time. to learn how they are treated; and all
of i'll treatmen. Ehisl appear 20 be
we'll founded, shall be caused BY the Governor
to be Investigated in such manner as he may
direct. L