The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1894-01-06
MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR OF
MISSISSIPPI T..

! ~I~N'~' oNSoiVhos WhiCH Gun Ouiy eN'
4 tend through thirty days, and The
4 subjects TO be considered, besides
appropriation andsrevenue bills, are
only such matters as may be speci.
tically presented by the Chief Magis,
trate to the attention Of the Legisla
ture.
| Governor Stone prcfaces his mes.
sage by stating that the new code of
law under the affairs of the State
are being operated in connection
with the new constitution, which was
adopted in 1890, has been found to
Dc IN many respects incomplete by
reason Of omissions and errors whose
existence could only be known after
the new code could be tested. This
has been done and many defects
have been brought to light, which
The Governor now presents TO the
consideration of the Legislature.
The message is very voluminous,
and much of it relates TO details
which while important in themselves,
are not of special public interest !;
but they are themes in Governor
Stones discourse which will attract
attention far outside the limits of
Mississippi. The Governor opens
with recommendations for readjust-
ing the State courts.
A subject which calls for particu.
lar attention is the necessity for
some prompt and summary process
for bringing homicides to justice.
The Governor declares, what is far
to much the case in many States,
that menslAyers often 60 unwhipt Of
justice through their ability TO se-
cure prolonged and tedious delay in
the trial Of their cases. In this way
public indignation at the crime is
worn out, witnesses are scattered and
gotten out Of the way, public opinion
ls nodded by the efforts of friends
and advocates, and a false and dan
gerous sentiment is manufactured in
behalf Of the guilty party. AS o re-
suit. the perpetrater escapes punish
ment, confidence in the efficiency of
the courts is destroyed, and there is
an encouragement to acts of popular
violence which infict a grievous in
jury to the good name of the State
and bring obloquy and condem ma
tion upon its people.
Governor Stone urges that, when
there is no obvious reason for such
delay, court should sit as soon as
possible after the commission of
bloody crimes, impanel a jury, and,
if an indictment be found, bring the
accused TO trial forthwith, for the
innocent cannot be too quickly set
free, or the guilty too promptly con-
demned to the punishment his crimes
| demand.
Governor Stone also calls atten-
tion to the extreme relr ctance exhlbi-
ted by what are called the best citl-
zens to do jury du.y in capital cases.
He attributes the fact largely to the
circumstance that the twelve men of
the jury become twelve prisoners,
who are subjected to closer confine-
ment and greater hardships and in
di2nities than are the criminals they
are set 10 try. He thinks their com
fort should be carefully considered, 3,
and the jury shonld have the same
amount of liberty as is given to the
judge. In such a case it would be
necessary to have good men on the
juiies-men who above the influences
of corruption to which juries in inn
portant cases are so apt to be sub
jected. But, as Governor Stone
well says, that virtue which constant
ly needs guard is of but little
worth. These recommendation are
certainly worth consideration.
The Governor calls attention 10 the
very considerable reduction in the
States revenue arising from the ex-
tension of the operations of local
prohibition of the liquor traffic. AT
the present time there are only ten
counties IN the State in which H.
eenses to sell liquors are granted.
The result is that where once large
fund Injured to the State from that
source 1t is now much reduced. The
total assessment of property TO, tax.
alton in Mississippi is S1S4, 900. 900,
/ The important matter Of education
receives deserved attention in Mis-.
sissippL Last year the commor