Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-15

/ been removed and the bricks from 1t Will
/ be used i'll the construction OF the new
/ Jail. Meanwhile the county prison Is
surrounded by a substantial board
/ fence. AS it is desirable TO spend
as little money as possible IN Tue
old jail, so shortly to be abandoned,
! some inconvenience il necessarily, yet
not unreasonably, enforced. The jail is
clean, newly whitewashed, and kept in
as good order as present circumstances
will admit. The iailer's house leaks. Re
| pairs necessary To remedy this should be
made at once, and the new safe now eX-
posed to the weather should be put under
shelter. The iailer's books are IN good
! order and neatly kept. We call attention
to two cases showing loose manner of
committing and disohargng prisoners:
! One had been discharged without state
! ment of reason for 1t: another had Deen
| committed by order of two Road Commits
siOners, and the order of one other had dls-
charged him before expiration OF MS term,
without any reason being assigned Tor IL.
We understand the comm ssiOners pro-
pose to push forward as rapidly as practl-
cable the prison portion Of the new jail,
and in view of the importance OF proyid-
ing safer place of confinement for prlS-
oners and reducing cost of guards, we
urge upon them the value OF great dill
Gence in that direction.
The chain gang camp ia in good order
and healthy; only two sick cases, neither
serious. Accounts kept in Systematic
manner. Ample wholesome food supplied
to the convicts. a vegetable garden, Gull
tiy6ted by such OF the cOnvcts as are not
able 10 do the heavy work of the gang,
affords an abundance of fresh vegetables,
without expense to the county. The svs-
TEN OF management OF these conVlcts has
proven useful and judicious, and we have
on ttnsaFs .Nlh
Improvement.
COURT HOUSE.
We desire to iudorse, and, if possible,
| emphasize, the recommendations OF the
| grand juries that have preceded us for
erecting new and suitable court house
| building. The present building is utterly
! inadequate, as we'll as unit, to meet the
! demands of the COunty's business. The
| number OF apartments is insufficient.
| They are each and all too small for the
| purposes for which they are used. The
| ventilation is defective to the extent OF
| infringing upon both health and comfort
| The public archives are exposed 10 dan
! gers of fire and theft, and, what is almost
as serious, the wantO space and adequate
facilities for their care affords an excuse
| for, and, in fact, invites careless methods
! for their protection and safety.
Previous to investigation by this grand
! jury we were under the impression that
an act of the Legislature provided the
authority for raising the necessary money
for the purpose, and were lead to believe
that the failure of previous recommends
! tions for a new building to evoke any
! active attention was due to indifference
| on the part of the County Commissioners.
! This we find not 10 be true. On the con-
! trary, the County Commissioners are as
! earnest in their desire to remedy the
| evils of inadequate court house &C
! cOmmodatiOns as have been the
grand juries recommending the i'm
! proVements. The cause OF their in
! action is that the law authorizing
! the issuance of county bonds for the pur-
! pose provides only 500, 600, and confines
! the use of the money thus authorized 10
repairs upon the old building. The com
! missiOners deem the amount authorized
! insufficient for either romodeling the old
| or constructing new one; that no re-
modelling of the old building would give
sufficient room or satisfactory arrange
ment OF the rooms and Offices requisite,
and IN the end cost as much az Il new
house. In this view we thoroughly con-
| cur, and commend the delay il il was nee
essary to avoid the injudiclOus policy of
an attempt TO build upon the Old house.
What is needed is more rooms, larger
| rooms, more appropriately arranged
| for the conduct of business
and better ventilation. Any remodel
| ing of the old building that will success
| fully meet the above requirements Will
| involve new roof and the cutting out for
! enlargement all tine present openings,
| thus leaving nothing of the old building
| to Ue utilized but the dlsnantled walls,
with their low ceilings. badly cut up for
! enlarging present openings, and opening
others Oflittle worth, certainly possessing
too small a money value for winch to
jeOpSIdIze the architectural appearance
| and the internal cOnveniences of the chief
! public building of one OF the hrsJ counties
OF the state. We therefore recommend
that the Legislature be requested,
at its next session, TO pass an act
authorizing the county to issue bonds to
the extent of $l2J, 900, for the purpose OK
building new court house, wnen ma
jorltY of the voters OF the county shall
have voted in favor Of said issue at an
election to be held for that purpose, upon
the call of the County COmmiss Oners,
and that the said County Commissioners
| will proceed Immediately after such law
shall have been passed 10 order said cleo
ti0n, and if favorable to the issue OF the
| bonds, continue and carry out the pur-
port Of this recommendation,
DRAINAGE.
We have not been able to inspect this
| Commissioners that as far as it has now
! progressed it has been we'll done, and
with Obvious good results upon the health
OF the people and the value of the lands
affected by it. The County Commission
| ers informed us that the condition OF the
Savannah and Ogeechee canal offered "a
serious obstacle to the perfect drainage Of
| the county by reason of the imperfect
methods adopted for its maintenance. 1t
is said that a depth Of water is maintained
not by removing the deposits from the
bottom, but by building the banks higher,
and that this process mas continued till
the canal is raised above much OF
the lands through which II passes,
thus preventing their drainage, and by
reason of insecure banks often results IN
! overlooking large areas OF lands. OF this
we know nothing personally, but the
| charge coming from so responsible
| source, we recommend that the County
Commissioners employ a competent engi-
neer TO survey and report what work is
necessary TO be done upon the canal to
enable them TO successfully prosecute
tneir plans or drainage; and assuming
! the charter OF the canal company laws
some obligation upon them 20 maintain
! their water ways in such manner as NOT
to interfere with necessary work OF this
| kind, or endanger adjacent property, we
recommend that the Solicitor General re-
60 "a