The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-27

Chairman Ayers: THE death rate in
tho prison is kept down by pardons, SO
that those who have been ruined in
health by breathing noxious air may go
home to die"
Judge Portlock. continuing, said every
word of Mr.. Ayers statement was true
Prisoners who were not absolutely
strong and healthy were taken out to
the country. and those who were kept in
the penitentiary, after considerable con-
finement were pardoned, so they could
die somewhere else
Mr.. Portlocl1 closed with an earnest
plea for the abortion of the section as
it came from the committee. and Mr..
Hunton followed in support of Mr.. Duna-
ways amendment.
He argued in an able manner that the
matter should be left to the Legislature.
He did not believe that the question as
to where the penitentiary should be To-
Gated was involved but the matter mad
no place in the Constitution. He earnest
" hoped the amendment as offered by
Mr.. Dunaway would prevail.
Judge Hancock's amendment was re-
jected
The motion by DR.. Dunnyway to
strike out Richmond from section one,
was then adopted. Yeas. 81: noes, 81.
WANTED TO ylRIKE ALL OUT.
Mr.. Hill Carter moved to strike out
the WnOie report. InlS was Tuleu OUT Ol
order by the chair. He then moved to
strike out section one. He spoke in OPP
position to placing legislation in the Con
stitution. 1t belonged to the General
Assembly. and nothing in the whole ten
sections had any place in the Constitu-
ton. The whole report. from beginning
to the end of it. was out Of place. for the
convention WIS not called to indulge in
special legislation.
Chairman Ayers said he recognized in
the motion Of Mr.. Carter. the beginning
Of a fight. that before the close of the
convention would wax warm. Applausel
He did not see why committee was first
selected. il its whole report was to be
kicked out on the argument that 1t was
special legislation. He showed the con-
diticn of the penitentiary and the utter
i'npossibiity of any system Of manage
ment making 1t habitable. He said the
profits made out of the very life blood
of the convlcts were not even allowed
to be devoted to giving them a decent
or healthy cell to rest their weary bodies
in at night. AS to the political mana ge-
ment of the prison. he said the reco1r-
mendation and the object of the conlluit-
tee was to place it on the highest
basis of economical efficiency, and con-
Quoted on humane principles. The object
of the committee in regard to all the
public institutions was to take them out
of the hands OF political spoismen and
place them, not beyond the pale of poll
tics but as far as possible from the
clutch of incompetent or eXtrava CANT or
corrupt administration, and place them
on the highest plane of business pIinci-
pies. The whole purpose had been to
benefit the institutions and thereby bene-
fit the State. If that was special legisla-
ton be it So If the Legislature had
failed to provide it, it was the pro-
vince and the 1ItE n this convention
to remedy the evil.
MOTION WITHDRAWN.
Mr.. Carter wi ll1re II S motion, saying
he would wait until the whole report
was acted on. and then he should move
to strike the whole report out.
Mr. Hunton moved to strike out section
three, requiring that cells be provided
at the penitentiary with sufficient air
space and ventilation to maintain health.
&C He took the ground taken by Mr..
Carter that it did not belong in the
Constitution.
Mr. Meredith said it was time that
this proposition to defeat any proposed
reform by this convention on the ground
that it was special legislation, should be
met right now. Here is condition of
infamy and of shame existing, and we are
eravely told that it cannot be removed
because forSooth, some other power has
failed to remove it. Mr.. Meredith said
humanity itself cried aloud against such
a PROPOSITION.
1t is graveIy proposed to leave all this
to the political machinery and the polit-
ical wire working Of the past 1t was
time for the convention to meet this
initial concerted opposition to all correc-
tons of past evils at the threshold and
see if that opposition was strong enough
to overthrow all future efforts at i'm
provement Of present cond tons.
FLOOD TO THE RESCUE.
Mr.. Flood advocated Mn. Hunton's
motion to strike out. He said under this
section board Of five men could spend
five million liars just "a the Richmond
City Hall was built to build up a polt-
icai machine.
Mr.. Meredith here stated that the asser-
ton that the CITY Hall was butt for the
purpose Of perpetuatinS a political ma
chine was erroneous.
Mr Flood said he was only speaking
from what he had seen in the newspa-
pers. He then claimed that the proposed
section took all power from the General
Assembly and placed it absolutely in
| the control of five men. The Legislature
4 had managed the State prison SO that in
| a few fears, from a deficit of $4,000 it
! had been made to pay a profit of $40, 600
each year. He said if the penitentiary
had made fight for 500 coo instead Of
| 500 coo before the Legislature. they
would have got it. They wanted too
much and the General Assembly very
! properly refused to allow it.
| Mr.. Hunton said he accepted Re gage
of battle thrown down by Mr.. Meredith.
He thought it wise and proper that the
pen:tentiary should be improved. but he
also strongly believed that it was unw'5e
J to prohibit the Legislature from doing
! it. He raised his voice to protest that
he was not voting for special legislation
in the Consttut on that suited him and
| opposing such as did not, on the ground
FAVE YOU AN IDEA
| OF purchasing e piano or organ. II so
we invite you to exam ne our stock-the