Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-23
IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE
Matters That Are Interesting
DeIaWare'S SolonS.
A MOVE TO IMPROVE THE ROADS
A Railway to Traverse the
Peninsula.
san correspondenes 8, liazette and journal

Stan Correspondence 0t Gazette and Journal.
DOVER, March 15-'rhe Judge Ball
Tramp act which the Senate is credited
with disposition to repeal. has some good
friends, though rather backward in com
ing forward. The Associated Charities of
Wilmington has forwarded an earnest pro-
test against the contemplated repeal. 1t is
urged. on the other hand, that the opera
ton of this law has been costly and nm
satisfactory, the broken stone not having
thus far been productive of any tangible
betterment of the public roads. But the
roads Of New Castle coulSy, though per-
haps nowhere so miry as the Eastern
Shore highway between Warwick and
Cecilton, are badly in need Of improve
ment--and there is no prospect of obtain
ing such improvement except through the
utilization OF convict labor.
ROAD IMPROVEMENT BILL.
But the Judge Ball law may be super
seeded or ampltied i'll scope, in due time,
by the road improvement bill which Mr..
Cooch has finally introduced Mr. Cooch
says his bill Is not yet in as good Il shape AS
he would like to see it, but it reads like a
sound and practical measure as it stands,
Following is summary of its provisions:
Within two years it shall be the duty of the
New Castle Levy Court TO secure, by purchase
or condemnation, Il b ne quarry convenient TO
n railroad, where the Levy Court shall hnve
erected suitable structure for securing and
combining convcts, such structure to cost not
over Sl5,U0O. r.o
Crininals convicted Of larceny, obtaining
money under false pretences, pointing
eehdly weapon, policy playing, gambling,
vagrancy, aud otherH in the discretion OF the
court may be sentenced to labor in quarryinE
and breaking stone.
The jul commissioners shall have super,i-
sion and control of the workhonse. he Levy
Court shnllannuallv appoint superintendent
Of the workhouse, who shall have tho sole care
md custody Of the convict4 there n employed
The Levy Court may also purchase stone
breaking machinery IT the need snail arise.
The stone so broken shall be evenly dis
tributod among the several hundreds making
demand therefor, on payment of the cost Of
transportation. The roads upon which the
stone is to be put shall be selected by the road
commissioners Of the several hundreds, but
the improvement 10 be made by the use Of the
broken stone shall be on one road at = time
and continuous.
ANOTHER CONVICT LABOR RILL
is that introduced by Representative
salisbury under the guise OF an amend.
mcnt to chapter 500. Vol. XVI. This chap
ter passed III 1881, empowers the governor
to make arrangements for sending Della
ware conyicts to pcnitentiaries outside the
State, provided that be done without ex-
peiise to the State. The amendment put in
by Mr.. Salisbury provides that should the
governor fail to make such arrangements
i'll any year-as governors generally have
done-then it shall be the duty Of the
Levy Courts to employ ali male convcs
upon the public roads, mending and inn
proving the same, and the Levy Courts
shall provide the requisite materials, tools,
teams, &C., for such labor, and food and
lodging for the convict laborers.
Convcts so employed shall be credited
for good behavior TO the extent of % per
cent of their time, while misconduct, lazi-
ness and characterization shall be charged
up against them to the same extent For
tNNt,1a n rn mi FOR
years could have his term shortened to
three years by exemplary conduct or
heightened to five years by continuous
misbehayior.
Among these bills there ought to be
some chance for the betterment of Dela-
ware roads.
EXTENDING THE DAY.
"There are more ways than one of whip
ping the devil around the stump" re-
marked Mr. Watkins, when the House,
this afternoon, took recess until 8 Il. m.
tomorrow, thereby extending the legisla.
tive day of "Wednesday over into the calen-
dar day of Thursday for the accomnoda-
ton of some dilatory galoot who has not
lnerited such consideration. Here the
Legislature is in the middle of its eleventh
week. with bills by the hundred being
dumped upon it, nine-tenths Of which bills
should have been put in weeks ago, Such
holding back can only be attributed, in
most cases, either to sheer laziness or a
desire to Slip in some scheme that will not
invite deliberate consideration. For in
stance, here is an apparently harmless
act to- amend the act entitled an
lact to incorporate the Chandler
Trustee Company" This was put in by
MIR. Spruance in the morning, and as
rushed over by George NJ. Jones-acting as
lightning reading clerk-it seemed to
simply provide for striking out section
OF the charter of that corporation. Late in
the afternoon session, Mr.. Spruance stated
that he had introduced the bill of the
morning simply to hold the ground, that
lie had now received the real bill, and that
he wished to withdraw the dummy
only he didn't call it that-and substitute
the bill which had just reached him.
tute was simply placed on the clerks desk,
without being read, endorsed us intro,
duced," and the dummy Withdrawn,
Upon inspection, the substitute turns out
as the following little joker;
Amend section = Of said act by adding theI etC
the following words: THAT said corporation
nay, and authority is hereby granted 10 said
corporation, TO guarantee titles TO real estate
THE NEW sILvERBRooK BILL.
Peter J. Ford came down this afternoon
and confirmed the report that com
promise had been arranged on the Silver.
brook matter satisfactory" said he, 'tc
everybody except Joseph l.. Carpenter
This compromise is set forth--or repre-
scented SO to be-in bill ito protect the
health OF the city of Wilmington, :
brought down by Mr.. Ford and put in by
Mr. Spruance. The bill directs and re-
quires the Mayor and Council of Whining
ton, within one year from the passage Of
the bill and through the agency Of the
Street and Sewer Department, to put down
q drain, not less than T. inches in diam
eter, beginning at Third and Webb streets
running down Webb street to Lancaster
avenue, and thence, by such course rs the
department may deem most eXpedient, L
the Christiana river. The Council shall
raise by taxation or otherwise, such al
amount as shall be needed TO construct
this sewer which, Mr. Ford says, can be
put down for $4,000.
THAT BIG RAILWAY BILL.
The commissioners named in the stupen
dous Peninsular Electric Railway, Ligh
and Power bill are Everitt Hickman
Charles II. Atkins, James Ponder Rober
Y. Watson, William NJ. Prouse, George IL
Gildersleeve, William Dyer William NJ
BELL and james Ghrman. The capital stoch
is laid at S9UO,O0O, in $50 shares the char
ter to go into effect when 1000 shares shall
have been subscribed, The corporation
is empowered to construct an electric rail
way from any point in or near FranEiord
or any point on the southern boundary o
the State, to any point on the line of New
Castle county and the state of Pennsyl
vania, and also to construct branch o
branches from the main line TO any poin
or points within the State. The main lin,
shall run within one mile Of Milton. on
mile of Milford, one-half mile of Fred
erica, one mile of Dover and to The cas-
thereof, one-half mile of leipsic, one-hal