The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-02
CONVICT ISSUE CATECHISM.
THE HOUSE DECLARES AGAINST
LEASING ALL THE CONVICTS.

The Vote on the query of Mr.. Bran
men stood 125 to 16-EstabIish-
ment of IA Farm and Erection of
Buildings For the Care of the Jul
veniIe, Women and Aged and In
firm COnvicts FavOred-Hiring Out
of the Able Bodied FeIOns Under
State Supervision Favored.
Atlanta, Ca, Dec. 1.-The House made
some progress to-day toward a solution of
the convict problem. Mr.. Brannen of Bull
loch seems to have hit upon good plan
for bringing out the sentiment of the
members and placing them on record as
to certain leading details of the new plan.
BY his catechism. which was taken up
yesterday and the House put on record
as almost unanimously opposed to the
central penitentiary. the views of the ma
jority are rapidly being concentrated.
To-day the Brannen catechism was TAX
en- up again, and three other leading ques-
tons were disposed of in a way that in
dictated that the body has at last determ-
ined to do something with the convict
matter There now remains but two more
questions to be answered by the House,
and then under the terms of the resolution
a committee of three will be appointed to
draft bill embodying the features which
the majority has accepted.
With the House already committed to
these leading features it would seem that
it win not be difficult to secure the pas
sage of the bill. The views of the sena-
tors, as shown by a poll, are pretty much
4,
Gated under the Brannen resolution, so
that there is not much doubt about the
acceptance of the House bill with slight
notifications by the Senate.
The first question put to the members
of the House to-day was: do you favor
a lease system as to all the felony convicts
under state supervision?" The vote on
this was almost unanimously no" 125 OPP
posing it and only sixteen favoring 1t.
The second question was DO you favor
the purchase of a farm and erection of
buildings to care for the juveniles, women
and aged and infirm convicts and that the
able-bodied convicts be hired or leased I'M
der state supervision in terms of not long
er than five years?"
On motion of Mr.. Awtry of Cobb this
question was divided end and separate
women, juvenile and infrm convicts. The
word purchase" was changed to "estab-
lishment," so that the question read DO
you favor the establishment of farm and
the erection of buildings to care for the
juveniles. women and aged and infirm con-
Victs?"
This question, involving the most import
ant issue after the disposal of the central
penitentiary proposition, was answered
affirmatively by vote of 100 to 20.
The second part of this question was as
follows, the number five being stricken out,
so as to make the term of the lease indefi-
mite:
That the able-bo convicts be hired
or leased under state supervision in terms
of not longer than years?' The query
was also decided affirmatively by vote
of 81 to 26.
The only question yet to be passed upon
is whether there shall be a principal keep
er of the penitentiary as at present, or
whether there shall be prison commits
sion the chances being in favor of the
adoption of the former
Before taking up the convict business
this morning the House did several other
things of Importance 1t passed the bill
reducing the pay of oil inspectors from
$i25 per month to $685. and per cent.
commission on the fees collected. This
is one of the bills introduced and cham
pioned by the Blalock committee and is
the first legislation recommended by that
body that has passed the House. There
was practically no opposition to the bill.
only thirteen votes being cast in against
it. The cut affects the inspectors in the
cities only.
The resolution of Mr.. Swift of Ebert,
of the Blalock committee, bearing upon
the alleged improper taking of building
and loan fees by the late Treasurer Har-
deman also came up this morning. The
Blalock committee, during it's inVestiga-
tons last summer, found that Col. Harde-
man had taken as his own some $4,000 or
5000 received as dues from building and
loan associations during his term of Of
flee. The law under which he took these
fees was drawn up by himself, and he
thought he had a right to them, as that
was his intention in drawing the bill, but
the Blalock committee thought differently
and accordingly Mr.. Swift of
Elberton introduced resolution
instructing the attorney general to take
the proper steps to have the money re-
funded by Col. Hardeman's estate, the
attorney general having at the commence
ment of Treasurer Speer's term of office
held that the fees ought to go into the
treasury.
A substitute resolution was, however,