The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-26
STRUCK OUT THE GOVERNOR.
SUBSTITUTE ADOPTED FOR FIRST
SECTION OF THE HALL BILL.

Joint Penitentiary Committee Wants
the Appointment of the Commits
sion vested In the LegisIature-Af-
ter the Term of the First Commits
sion Expires 1t Provides for the
Election of the Commission by the
PeOpIe-Nr. Fielder of Fulton the
Author of the Subs titute-Another
Amendment to BE offered ProvId-
ing for Every County to Work Its
COnvicts on Public Roads.
Atlanta Ca, Oct. 25.-At the first stroke
the joint penitentiary committee, which
met at the capitol to-day three days ahead
of the legislature so that bill might be
agreed on for the disposition of the con-
victs without consuming the limited time
of the regular session, cut off the governor
from taking the leading part in the de-
velopments of the new system. This was
done by adopting a substitute for the first
section of the Hall bill, reported favora-
bly, by a minority of the subcommittee.
This substitute. takes the appointment of
the penitentiary commission out of the
hands of the governor where the Hail
bill placed this duty, and vests it in the
legislature
Mr.. Fielder of Fulton was the father of
this substitute. Under it's provision, after
the terms of the first commission expires
the legislature will lose the right to name
the board, and it viii be left to the people
to be done at the general election for state
house officers.
AS has already been stated in these dis
patches, the bill that was submitted to
the penitentiary committee, as voices of
the subcommittee, received the support
of only four of the nine members of that
body. The other five Ghe majority united
in a minority report protesting against the
latitude allowed the prison commission.
This is one of the points upon which there
is sure to be a warm fight. The major
ity of the Subcommittee could not agree
upon the powers that should be conferred
upon the commissioners, although they in
dorsed the Atkinson-W erner-HaH plan in
the main. The idea of the opposition is
that the legislature should make out
definite line of action to be pursued
by the commission, the details only
to be left TO that body. 1t was not, how
ever, suspected that there was any con-
siderable opposition to the naming of the
commissioners by the governor, and the
action of the committee this afternoon in
agreeing to recommend the plan of cleo
tol by the legislature at first and later
by the people. was somewhat surprising.
Mr. Fielder of Fulton will offer another
amendment providing that every county
shall have the option of working it's own
e1nvcts on it's public roads It is argued
mat this is only fair to the counties, as
they bear all the expense of the conviction
OF criminals
There are a multitude of ideas to be
passed upon before the committee gets
through with its bill, and it is not likely
mat IL viii be completed for some days.
When it is, it will have to run the gaunt-
ielt of the two houses.
NJ mbers have been coming in on every
tram to-day, and there has been the usual
amount of political gossip, though the con-
Wet question overshadows everything else.
Inc gubernatorial boome are all in an en-
NEouc state, and il will take some little
uHle TO patch them. The only one that
seems to be pecked clean through the
sHe" Is that of Hon. Joseph Terrell, at
l'Iney general, who appears TO be star
FaEtr IN a continuous performance in the
/ Ninndll house lobby