The Russellville Democrat., 1891-03-19

not taking some steps to wards removing the penitentiary' The penitentiary situated in the heart of city is an eye-sore, and he is almost persuaded to oppose any bill that does not look towards re- moving the penitentiary from it's present site. He is not exactly pre- pared at this time to vote for the aboiishment of the lease system. If the state were to take charge of and work her convicts, it would require an enormous outlay of money-much more than the state is able to ex- pend.
 Tine private secretary appeared within the bar of the senate and i'm formed the body that the governor had approved and signed senate bills 55, to regulate the lease or sale of the property of persons of unsound mind; lS9, to change the boundaries of the Eighth, Ninth and Thirteenth judicial districts, and to fix the time of holding courts therein; 21, U es- tsblish state board of pharmacy, to prescribe the powers and duties of said board, to regulate the compound- ing and selling of medicines, drugs and poisons, and providing penalties for the infringement of this act.
 
 Senator Harkey is opposed to the lease system from end to end. The penitentiary physician will stand in with the lessees and guards. Con. victs will die mysteriously and be put away and no one will know whether he was beat to death, shot, or died natural death. He knows something of the brutalit es practiced on the poor, unfortunate convicts by conscienceless guards. He wants the penitentiary moved and no lease.
 Senator Patterson answered the objections Of the senator from Pope.
 Senator Hamby thinks that If state inspectors, as this bill provides, are to say how the convicts shall be man aged, treated aud worked, the state will not be able to lease them. If she does the lessees will not make any money out of the lease Busi- ness men don't want and won't have other mel dictating and managing their business. He is paired with the senator from Greene. ''If he were present he would vote aye and I would vote nay"
 Senator Kinsworthy would vote for this bill if it made the lease five years instead of ten. The lease ought to be short-just sufficient time for the state to get able to provide for the working of the convicts inside the walls. If the state has them in charge, she can reform them. She can make them better men and women. We are sending thousands and thousands of dollars to foreign lands for missionary purposes-to lift up foreigners-yet we are al- lowing citizens of our own state to be put under men who have no in- terest in them, only the dollars they get from their labor-to treat them cruelty and let them go on hardened in crime.
 Senator Hawkins doesn't think that the penitentiary is an institution to reform convicts; but place to punish them for the damnable crimes they have committed.
 The bill psssed. Senators voting "aye'' were: Allen, Clement, Crawford, s. H. Davidson, w. E. Davidson, Erwin, Harris, Hawkins, Holmes, Lucas, Miller, Morton, Oyler, Patterson, Sumptcr, Tillman, Warren, and Williams. Total IS. Senators voting "nay' were: Bell, Casey, Harkey, Trustworthy and Redwine. Total 5.
 Senate bill 70, creating the office of county superintendent and pro- viding for his or her election and de. scribing duties and fixing salaries.
 Senators KinswortAy and Erwin opposed the bill because it requires the superintendents to give their en- tire time to the office at a salary of 5000 a year, and the schools are not in session more than five months year.
 The bill failed to pass. Ayes, 5; nays, 15.
 Senate bill 236, requiring county clerks to furnish tax assessors with blanks for the assessment of prop erty, and providing that the same shall be paid for out of the county treasury.
 Senator Tillman explained that heretofore they had been furnished at the expense of the state, and in many instances the blanks have been delayed. They will be printed at home under this bill and will benefit the local newspaper men.
 Senator Oyler, the introducer of the bill, stated that 1t would save the state $l200 year.
 The bill passed-yeas, 22; nays, 70.
 Senate bill 220, to amend Sec. 5663 of Msnsfeld's Digest. The bill proposes to make the assessors' fees to 25 cents for each first thous- and lists, 20 cents for each second thousand, and Is cents for every thousand over. He gets no other