The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-24
DIVIDED BY LONG DIVISION.
no UNANIiITY OF SENTIMENT IN
THE CONVICT QUESTION.

The Penftcntiary Committee Did Not
Commit Itself TO Any Plan ana
There seems to BE as Many Ideas
rs There Are Membcrs-The Penal
Colony Is viewed With Some Ia
vor-The subcommittee VIII Visit
the Islands suggested.
Atlanta. Ca. Sept. 2S.-There is a good
deal of confusion among the newspapers
over the action Of the penitentary com
mittee which adjourned yesterday.
The impression is created by some of the
renorrs chat the committee has Endorsed
the plan suggested by Gov. Atkinson and
PRINCIPAL Keeper Turner of the peniten-
tiary department and embodied in the bill
presented 10 the committee by Hon. Hew-
lctt Han chairman of the House commit
tee. This is shy of the facts as they oc-
CURED in the meeting. While it is not
at all improbable that the final report Of
the subcommittee now at work upon a
bill. viii utilize some of the ideas in the
Hail bill it is nevertheless true that so
far there has not been any Endorsement
of that plan. In fact the committee has
not only not indorsed the Tuner-Atkinson-
Hall plan, but deliberately refused to do
so yesterday when a resolution to that
effect was introduced by Chairman Little
of the finance committee, and fathered by
him an urgent address to the body. And
previous to the rejection of Mr.. Ltttie's
resolution a similar resolution introduced
The day before by Mr.. Burwel of Han
cock was also disregarded.
Mr.. Burweu's resolution provided for a
subcommittee TO perfect plan with the
one offered by the governor and the prin-
cipaI keeper of the penitenuary as ba-
sis.
Another part Of the committees action
that has been confused in the public mind
through the newspapers, was the tabling
of the resolution which sought to commit
the committee unequivocally to another
lease. presumably somewhat similar to
this old one. This resolution was intro
duced by Mr. Hall Of Coweta for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the sentiment of the
committee on that point and not because
he himself favored il. He wanted to get
at the views of the committee before for
mally springing his BILL which embodied
the plan Of the governor and principal
keeper. This resolution found some Wig
orous advocates. and its discussion prom
ised to occupy the time of the COMMITTEES
for several days. 1t was the business in
order when the committee assembled
yesterday morning, and as il threatened
10 cut off everything else, it was proposed
that il should be laid on the table in order
To allow other resolutions and plans to
be submitted. This was manifestly
fair proposition and was
agreed to withoUe dissent. The
resolution was not however, killed on its
merits, according TO some Of the news
papers There is little doubt that had it
been put to a vote, il would have been
lost, as a majority of the committee pres
ent yesterday is opposed TO the present
lease system, though not united upon any
other plan. The fact remains, however,
that the joint committee has not put the
regular seal of its condemnation upon the
lease act as il now exists. and also that
ID has not committed itself to any other
plan. The members are of various minds
upon the question. and there is little pros
pect that they will be able TO agree upon
all the details of any new plan before the
meeting Of the legislature.
There is a disposition 10 put the set
tlement of the problem off, as was shown
by the refusal of the committee to pro-
coed at this time with the completion of
a plan, but allowing 1t to go into the
hands Of a subcommittee From a care
full inquiry into the sentiments of the
members there is good ground for the
prediction that ultimately the committee
will recommend a bill providing for the
leasing of the able-bOdied conVicts to the
highest bidder, under strict state control I;
that the women and juveniles win be put
TO work upon state farm, located either
in the interior in single body, or upon
some one of the islands off the coast. II
it IS the latter, the island viii be made
the site of a penal colony, which, in
time, will comprise the whole felon pop
ulation of the state.
There is good deal of opposition to the
prison commission recommended by the
governor and provided for in the bill sub
mitted by Mr. Hall. 1t is argued that
the supervision of the convicts can be
done by the principal keeper of the peni-
Tertiary as in the past with probably a
commission TO direct him, but this COM
mission receiving only per diem for their
time actually engaged instead of salaries
OF 5000 year.
The subcommittee of nine. which is en-
gagged upon the formulation of a plan bv
direction of the general joint committee,
lett tonight TO make visit to Sapelo Isl
and. which has been suggested by Mr..
Mansfield of Mcintosh as a proper site for
the penal island colony. The committee
may also visit Ossabaw, which has also
been offered. The committee is not au-
thorlzed TO make any selection but after
casting about will report the information
obtained TO the general committee. and
that body will pass upon the site to be
selected for the location of the state camp
Tor women and juveniles and inflrm.
The committee will meet again at the
capitol next Thursday to begin the actual
work OF preparing its report for the gen.
eral committee.