The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-03
The Penitentiary -Who's to Bl.m..

Ep1ToR CLARION: In the nj,
report or the. Senate Committee A. !1osliy
Tertiary and Prisons, submitte3- eni-
days since, long extract is given ~.
the Governors Message to tie Ie. .iyia
tare of 1884, recommending the "a "a
of sections and OF the Act of T'sa
airy 81, 1877, as 70 repairs and inr.1t'9-
ments ON the Penitentiarv propertG
this message, the Governor rf'orn5s,..i. 70
that the amount Of repairs. eta
limited TO $4,000 per wear iestea,5 Ue
SO. Geo IS then ixea by iaw. FLis,r,'.W
inadvertenee on the Governors e..-. d
far as the SO, 600 was Concerned ~, 9
amount WAS appropriated bv The t1
SIC authorizing the Board of to,.@
sioners to lease the reuiteufis-,.
terms that would relieve tie So
expense and provide for the 60,
/ kpeping of the convicts The -.
1877 section 81, provided ~
| the rent aud hire accyuine to the So
should pe appropriated to the rerair ses
| Improvement Cf the peRiseuti5ry ny
that such repairs and improveno.r,
| should not exceed in the agsreeete = -
amount of rent and hire due IL
4
authorized by law" which aplop.,e ~
| S25, coo. The Legislature, In accordsr-
with this recommendation. did rem.
said sections , and 3. but ia s.
they did vain thing, as Tie two s-
tons were made a part of the conf.
of lease with Hamilton, Allen &C
and could not be repealed So fares ~
we're concerned, until after the evnf.-
ton of their contract.
Il Now let us see who j. 10 blame Tar
passage Of the Act of March Is 1sS5
reiteratiDg, in effect, the repair ana +,
provement clause of the Act of Js~-
= aYy 81, 1877, under which the Gorsrr-
Z and Supe rintendent of the Peuitent;a.-
| were authorized to contract for rs.s;:.
and improvements on the peniteniis.s
n property The COMMITTEES ON Peni,s.
II tiarv and Prisons of that Lepis.gf9..
(lSS4) reported as follows: "W5jIe H.
t, admit the State Prison has l,een =.
d without expense to the State. and :
fact at profit OF s., yet We can br,
= say that this has been done at the ~
U pense OF human lives-the lives Of bei.
Il less, manacled humsn beings. ana III
q money can only be regarded, as II :. In
: the State or lies idle in her Treasurv !.
: blood money, and can bit recommend :.
!, expenditure 0l q manner 10 Teteu 4,
: present conUict system II this S,aie ,r5
sr removing this cursed blotted page fY~
i our State history, and to relieve on,
II. convict system Of the Just reproseb ,
Now how could this money be so J,
lie | pended as To relieve the convict svs4s-
* of this State? There Is but one sa.r..
K, to this question: Provide addiuor,i
th room inside the walls for the ooprj~.
RS. who are worked outside. aud b19
a shops, etc, in which they can be WORKED
by The result of the Recommendation A.
n, the committee was that the I.eei,la,g..
sc passed the Act OF March 10. 1854 s~
powering the superintendent. with n.
is approval of the Governor. to conium
nd Tor such repairs and Improvements 4
ns' were needed.
~ As stated above, the Legislature di5
!. vain thing IN repeating sections y and
= of the Act OF 1877, because it VS.
=" already embraced in and made q usr +
~ the contract OF lease with Hamit8
49, Alien & Co, and the passage of tbs
M portion OF the Act of 1iarch Is lNl
nd relating to repairs and improvement,
Ell was in accordance with the rscompm
ar dation OF their committee; iudiestr
d a clearly that the purpose of the Iegss
ce ture was to rebuild the PeuiieuJar
es and at as early date Us posFBt
nd abandon this odi0us system oi lesss
re- convicts to private individuals 20 W0,
est ON farms-which was not approved )
the the people-and work them aside ii
| frstt rs
ing All this clamOr about the Goyeu
Aei authorizing contracts under laws yhie
o he had recommended should be +
ssns pealed, and which the Legislature il
- attempt TO repeal, only makes mo-
- plain the Act of March 8, 1854 For
,ew is evident that the Legislature of Isl
plainly indicated its intention 10 rebul
the Penitentiary aud keep it IN Iela
and placed no limit on the amount
-er work u be done, but made 10 d
p, | duty OF the Superintendent, with d
Z. approval Of the Governor, to contr8
for the repairs and improvements aead;
Ter to accomplish the desired end, Vi
,tv to ultimately keep inside the val
ril- the peaitenuary cOnvictS. IL is %
c. fair to try to saddle ON high pub
officials the responsibility That rs
lin alone upon the Legislature and d
Sc authors OF the peniteutiary leash
yrd system.
If some of our wise men who
,ne industriously trying to explain aattt
I'll so as to shift the responsibility FROM I
,cb Legislature, would look into the ia
ere and law Us they exist, it would save
great deal of useless barangue, preTe
great injustice, much cutright misreP
sentation, and give the Legislature mC
time TO attend to important legisatl
before them LOoKER-0 e