The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-03-03
SENATE.
FORTY-FOURTH DAY.
WEDNESDAY, February %, 1881

WEDNESDAY, February %, lSSO
Senate met pursuant to adjournment. Lieut.
Governor Sims in the chair Prayer by Rev.
DR.. Watkins. Present IS; absent 2-Messrs.
Peery and West.
The various comm tees submitted reports.
4 communication from Gen. W. II. McCardle,
Commissioner of Confederate War Records
was read.
The Committee on Public Grounds and Pub
lie Buildings submitted a report 7 commend
ing various Improvements 10 the Capitol and
other buildings. They found the capitol in
bad condition, and recommended its lmmedI-
ate repair, else they fear that harm may resu T.
they also recommend the erection Of
building for the blind, the present one being
in rreparable disorder, and the location bad;
the Governor mansion they also found in bad
repair: the Deaf and Dumb Institute and the
Penitentiary they found in good condition.
Mr.. Jackson offered the following resolution,
which was lost;
Resolved bv the Senate, (the House concur
ring,) That the committee on Constitutional
Amendments be instructed to report an amend
ment to the Constitution requiring the Legis-
lature 10 enact laws to correct abuses, and
prevent injurious discrimination and extOr-
ton in the rates of charges on freights and
passenger tariffs on railroads and rivers in
this State
Mr. Magee offered the following resolution,
which was adopted:
Resolved, That hereafter no Senator shall be
allowed to speak longer than five minutes on
anv matter before the Senate.
The substitute for Senate bills Nos. IS and
l53 transferring the Penitentiary 10 Board
of Public Works, having been read, on mo-
ton Senate Bill No. 1856 providing that the
Board of Public Works may extend the pres
ent lease six years. was taken up and sundry
amendments thereto adopted.
Gu motion of Mr.. Brown the bill was con-
sidered e agrossed and lead third time.
Mr. Humphres stated that he had made
careful inquiry into the cost OF running State
prisons and found that where the State had
assumed the support and control of Peniten-
ii aries it was almost invariably at more or
less expense the State; and, on the other
hand the leasing system saved the State vast
outlay of money. He quoted the figures re-
lating to the cost of the Mississippi Peniten-
tiary up to this date-nearly two million dol
lars and thought the leasing system, which
had thus far worked very we'll, should be con-
tinued.
Mr. Gibbs supported the bill reported by
the Code Committee. He contended that the
leasing system was wrong in principle, and
that the people demanded a 'hange. The
Constitution provided for a Board of Public
Works and that Board woulA certainly be
competent to take charge of the Penitentlary
and manage it in the public interest. He did
not think that the State should shift the res
possibility 10 the shoulders of individuals.
He could not understand why if there was
profit to the lessees there should not be safety
to the State in her management of the institu-
tim.
Mr. J. p Carter supported the bill for
extension of lease. He argued that the bill to
hire out the convicts by Board of Public
Works, was not only impracticable, but would
involve the State in a large nd continuous eX-
penditure of money.
Mr. Jarnagin referred to the leasing system
as adopted by the Reform Legislature of 1876.
of which he was member. He was not we'd
ded to any particular policy in reference to
the Penitentiary, but he did desire to avoid
getting into the old ruts of an accumulation of
debt foE sustaining the institution, which had
to be discharged by taxation. Ihe expecta
I i. : IL,
Tertiary, under the new system, would be self
sustaining, has been fully realized, and the
people appeared TO he satisfied, and he was
opposed to experimental g in the direction of
almost certain loss to the State. To create q
Board of Public Works, and no public works
to operate, would be impracticable and un-
wise
Mr.. Cowan said he very much preju-
diced against the leasing system. If il were
practicable to keep all the eonyicts within the
prison walls, he certainly would be opposed
to distributing them all over the State, as
present
Tue substitute bill however, did not pro
pose to remedy the evil, inasmuch as the Board
of Public Works is required to lease out a por-
ton of the convicts, and the State must take
care of the balance. The present plan leased
ont all the eonviets, saved the State from loss,
and was altogether the most advantageous to
the State. He would vote for bill No 165, be-
cause il was the mos practicable and least ex-
pensive of any scheme that had yet been ma
tured
Mr. Cowan moved the previous question on
the passage of bill No. 165, and it was passed
by the following vote:
YEAS Messrs. Anderson, Bills Birchett
BRENNAN, Bridges Brown, Carter lst district
Carter, 9Th district, Cooper. Cowan, Dalton,
FTtzGerald, Gayles, Gilbert, Humphreys, Jack
son. Jarnagin, Johnson, King, Longino, Magee
Perkins, Rogers, Stewart, Vance and Wilcox
Pc
NArs.-Messrs Crigler, Gibbs. Griffin and
Hamilton
ABSENT AND Nor vorIsG-Messrs Low
T "a me- PeeEE, Ratlif Reynolds, Singleton,
The Senate resolved itselfinto Committee of
the Whole, Mr.. Griffin, in the chair, for consid-
Grafton of Code chapters.
Amer some tune spent therein the commit
tee reported OK the bill where1pun the GEN
ate refused to concur in the House amendment
and adopted amendments recommended by
Committee ef the WAois.
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Mr.. Stewart introduced
5. b. No. 22o, an actin relation to the Nor
NAL Department of the Tugaloo University.
Beferred 10 Committee on Education,
ali. EoNaR tnIrsdueea-
g. u. No. 20, an act To authorize the Board
of Supervisors of Warren county to convey to
the United States the right of way for the Ma
tional Cemetery road. Passed.
Mr.. Longlno introduced
s. B. No. ~, act for the relief Of purchas-
ers or esrtain State LANDS IN Lincoln county.
Referred to Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. FitzGerald introduced
s. B. No -. an act to change the time of
h0lding the Circuit Court in Tallahatchie and
Grenada counties, ami the Chancery and Cir
cult Courts in Quitman counties. Referred to
Code Committee.
Mr. Eitxdefald introduced
8. B. No. %, an act TO refund to Grenada
county certain money paid by that county to
the State. Referred to Committee on Claims.
By Mr.. FizGerald-
k.B. No. 80 On oct to authorize the appoints.