The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1894-11-24
THE PRISON FARM COMPLICATION.

Attorney Generals OlIiee. jackson
Miss, Nov. is, lS94-IIon. r. A. Dean.
chairman Of the Penitenliary Farm
Commission: Dear Sir-At YOU, re,
quest | beg leave 10 submit 10 YOU the
following conclusions reached by me
IN respect to tic proper construction
oil The powers vested in your commits
sion BY the act OF Feb Z, 1894, and es-
9eclally III respect TO the present legal
status Of the purchases thus far recon-
mended. The act of 1894 has invested
your commission with the power of
purchasing in Your discretion all
amount Of lauds not to exceed 5000
acres. This Is the limitation upon your
power. You cannot exceed this
amount that i clear, but the power is
unquestionabl! given to purchase auy
lesser quantity than 6000 acres.
The act of 1894 has imposed upon
your commission by way of instruction
and direction the duty OF purchasing
at least 1000 acres. This is an essential
part OF your trust, aud while the su-
thority is gwen TO you TO make any
lesse. purchase than 5000 acres, yet
the duty remains upon their commits
sion to purchase at least 1000 acres.
This direction Of instruction given to
the commission by the statute does not
at oil affect the power to make valid
purchase Of less than 1000 acres. That
Is to say, you have,the power to make
a purchase OF less than 1000 acres, and
the same will be valued when approx
ed, In accordance with the act II be-
Ing contemplated by the State that the
duty Of purchasing 1000 acres will be
fulfilled by your commission. After
tho recommendation has been made
by your commission Of a less quantity
than 1000 acres to the governor, and
approved by him, and when the title
has been approved by the attorney
general, | do not think the validity Of
the purchase is affected by the statute
10 your commission 10 purchase al
least 1000. This should be treated as
a valid purchase and the commission
should proceed In the further execu.
ton of Its trust to purchase sufficient
to make up the 1000 acres, and then
In Its discretion. up to 5000 acres. The
trust will then have been fully cxecut'
ed aud the duties of the commission
fully performed.
Very respectfully,
FRANK JOHNSTON, Atty. General.
Sir--On the 9th day of July, 1894
tho penItentsary farm commission re-
commended for your consideration the
purchase of 5000 acres of land, as di'
rected by tho legislature, for peniten'
tiary farms, 1907 acres in Rankin
county aud 4793 acres in Yazoo county
These recommendations were com
promise by the commission. Your Ex'
cellency having vetoed the Yszoc
county, purchase, reducing the Rankin
purchase below the minimum, thereby
invalidatlng the whole purchase, the
commission withdraw their recommen
dation for the following reasons: The
products of farm lands havo gont
down so low, aud land values have
been 80 reduced that the commission
do not believe that they can compl,
with their duties as agents of the SIatt
aud continue their recommendation fol
the purchase of the Rankin county
property, and this is to notify you
Excellency that II is rcscinded ant
Withdrawn. Respectfully,
r. A. DEAN, Chairman.
Attest z. II. SUITS, Secretary.
To his Excellency, j. NJ. Stone, thl
Nov. 10, 1894.
Governor Stons, who has been con
fined at home since Saturday by Ill
ness, replied as follows:
Executive MANSION, I
JACKSON, MISS, Nov. 10, 1891. J
Hon. II. A. Dean, Chairman Peni
tentiary Farm Commission: Dear Si
IL have the honor TO acknowledg'
the receipt OF your communication 0
| this date notifying me that the recon
mendation of your commission for sh
purcbsse of certain lands therein men
Toned is rcscinded and withdrawn.
| regret that your commission ha
thought proper TO take this course
and am decidedly of the opinion iha
| your purpose will fail, insofar as yo'
propose to repudiate your selection
| and my approval of the Rankin coun
~ lands. 1 shall venture no othe
| sueeestion ut this time, but, consciou
Of tbe proprlety of my action IN tn
premises, shall take such course in tn
| future as may bo necessary TO vindi
cate II. Yours very respectfully,
j. M. STONE.
Jackson, Miss, Nov. 21,--A bill TO
the specific performance oil tne pti
chase of the Hunter and Steven
land. In Rankin county, by the PEN
teutiary Farm Commissioners, and TO
an Injunction against the purchase 0
The anot less than four nor moro tina
EIGHT thousand acres of land withou
;ucIudinp the Hunter and Stephen
land. was filed this morning by Messr'
Calhoon & Green in Brandon an
writs therein have just been serve
on the Farm Commission.
[Clarion-Ledger.l
wednesday evening the Penitel
lIary Farm Commissioners agreed I
purchase the Siyley place, near Oakle!
| r. =, ....t,. ~, thu TJtfln i rOa,