The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-25


troops for the present year. and there
| will aiaO be. upon final settlement win
/ tho general government. "a balance OF The
military appropriated Of iss. temporarily
diverted OF perhaps $1,000 more still
available for the same purpose. These
| two sums n g. believed will b. Fufiicient
10 support the military OF the state for
The next year without any ifditional ap-
. preparation. T. therefore. recommend that
no appropriation be made for the military
FOR the year 1901 bat that 5000 be APP
propTiated for the year isc
Change of Venue.
! In this connection I desire 20 call the
attention q the General A. emily 70 what
seems 20 me. in view o. recent &C.
I cIrrcuccs 20 b. necessary amendment
/ to the law providing for she trial and
I punishment Of criminals. Under the law
I as 81 now staEsis "all criminal cases shall
b. tried IN the county whore the crime
I was committed except eases 10 the Supe-
rior Court where the tudrc Is satisfied
that an impartial jury cannot Doe obtained
I in such county. When h. becomes thus
satisfied ~ may change the venue for the
I trial. Thus It IS clear that the Judge OF
the Superior Court alone cln order a
change Of venue and he only when he lis
satisfied that an impartial jury cannot be
! obtained" in the county ia which the
crime was committed.
Two Instances have occurred IN the re-
cent past IN which the judges Of the supe-
rior Court have found i necessary To send
negroes who have assaulted white women
20 Fulton county Jail 90 protect them
against the mob until they could be tried,
and then when the courts had set and the
grand iuries had returned true bills, 10
call on me 20 return the prisoner for trial
60 the counties In which the crimes had
been committed. under a strong military
guard 20 prevent lynching. In both cases
I have been satisfied that such a course
was necessary and have complied with
the request OF the Judges. but az an ex-
pense 10 the state Of about $3.50 in each
case. when by a mere change OF venue all
the ends OF justice could have been attain
"a without cost 10 the state. Other such
cases are likely 10 occur al any time
when the state will be called upon 10 fur
nish military guards and foot the bills.
I therefore recommend that an amend
ucnt % the constitution he submitted TO
the people 10 authorize the Governor by
executive order 90 change the venue In
all criminal cases when IN his judgment
or that Of the Judge Of the Superior Court
OF the county IN which the crime Is al
legged TO have been committed. Il IS nee
cssary 10 protect the prisoner from vio-
leuce and secure the orderly Enforcement
OF the law.
Expense of Organizing Troops for
the War with spain.
For tho prosecution Of the war with
spain. Georgia was called upon to furnish
three regiments OF infantry and two light
batteries. which were quickly raised and
organized The total expense incurred
by the state in the organization. subsist-
eDce. equipment and transportation Of
these troops was s30iis.07 Ia was pro-
vidcd IN the act Of Congress. Of the sth
day 81 July 1898. that money thus expend-
ed should upon presentation OF proper
vouchers. be refunded to the state My
predecessor In ONCE. when the call was
made on tho state for these troops. no
other fund being available drew on the
fund Appropriated for the support OF the
state troops for the year iSs. for the
payment OF such expenses incurred IN
their organization as demanded imme-
date payment When ] came inso Office
there were still unpaid claims OF this
character against the state amounting to
about Ns 0oo. and ! pursued the same
course and continued to draw on the
same fund TO meet these claims until all
were paid no other provision having
been made for their payment. But to be
enabled 20 meet the emergency and pay
them. we sent the vouchers. as the claims
agains, the state were paid of. 10 Wash
inEson. not an at one time for that was
Impossible. because the fund was insufii
cient. bur in iustallments. and when ono
installment was paid or by the United
States government. we applied the money
thus obtained 10 the payment Of other
claims against us. till all which had been
filed with proper vouchers. were paid.
The process Of adjusting the claims
against the state and those Of the state
againss the general government and get
ting them in shape for payment has been
necessarily slow and tedious owing 10
the fact that recruiting and other officers
contracting the debts often took imper-
feet vouchers and sometimes no vouchers
az all To perfect them and get them in
shape acceptable 10 the authorities at
Was ington. has required much time and
patience. hut Il Is believed that most Of
them are now In proper shape and that
the state will lose. because OF improper
vouchers. only few hundred dollars at
most.
To Col. William G.. Obear. who during
tho progress Of the war with SPAIN had
as acting adiutant general. charge OF all
matters connected with the organization
and equipment OF troops for the United
States service. and who by my direction
when I appointed him inspector general
retained control because Of his familiar
tanning 60 the unadiusted claims against
the state. and oil claims OF the state
against the United States government I
am greatly indebted for the careful. pains
! taxing and accurate manner In which he
has discharged these duties: and recon-
mend that in recognition OF his valuable
services IN this behalf. and in organic
| Ing the troops for the Spanish war. and
in reorglnizing tn state troops since. I
be authorized by the General Assembly
to promote him 20 the rank OF brigadler
general.
Prison system.
But little over eighteen months have
passed since the new prison system was
put into practical operation, hut that has
been sufficient 10 establish the fact that
q Is a very great Improvement on the sys-
tenn superseded by e.
In my last annual message Il was sug-
| gestcd thar while upon the whole II would
| prove 10 be the best system We had ever
| had ~ would be remarkable n experience
did not develop defects in IL which would
| require correction by amendment Two
| 81 the main features 81 the law have fully
| met the expectations Of its friends. that
which puts the undivided control Of all
state oonvicts in the hands u the agents
| of the state and not IN the hands OF tn