Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-20

ION. THOMAS b. FIELDER, of
- Bibb, chairman of the special
penitentiary committee, introduce
ed in the house yesterday a bin
to provide for the disposition of the con-
victs Of the state at the expiration of the
present contract The bill is the result Of
his committees Investigations, and is one
of the important. If not the most
important, measures that will come be-
fore the present legislature The bill, in
fun, follows:
A BILL to be entitled an act to amend an
act entitled AN act to create prison
commission for the state of Georgia,
etc." approved December p, 1897 so as
to provide for a disposition of the felony
convicts on the expiration Of the present
contracts of hire; to provide for the pur-
chase Of additional lands upon which to
place convicts, TO prescribe additional du-
other purposes.
Sec l. Be it enacted by the general
assembly of the state of Georgia, and it
is hereby enacted by the authority of
same, That an act entitled "An act to Gre
ate a prison commission for the state of
Georgia, etc." approved December q,
1897 be. and the same is hereby amended
so as to provide that from and after the
expiration of the present contracts of hire
under which the felony convicts Of the
state are being worked the felony con-
victs shall be used, managed and disposed
of in the manner and for the uses and
purposes as hereinafter in this act pro-
vided.
Sec. 2. Be il further enacted, That from
and after the first day of April, 1904, all
counties in which the misdemeanor con-
victs are worked in the chaingangs on
the public works or roads In the manner
provided by law, shall also have the right
and authority to work their felony con-
victs in the same manner upon the public
works and roads as the misdemeanor con-
victs are worked, except those convicts
which are now required by law to be
placed upon the prison farm; that is, fe-
males, boys under 10 years of age and
such infirm and diseased convicts as in
the judgment of the prison commission
should not be worked upon the public
roads; and the authorities controlling the
misdemeanor convicts in all such counties
shall have the power and authority to
place all the felony convicts, sentenced
in the courts of their respective counties,
to work upon the public works or roads
as the misdemeanor convicts are worked
Provided, however, that a county shall
not have the right and authority to hire
lease or loan to any private individual or
corporation its felony convicts, but shall
at all times confine the work of such con-
VictS 10 the puDlO WOAAS INV P~NfAS
roads.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That on
the expiration of said contracts Of hire un-
der which the felony convicts are now
worked, 1t shall be the duty of the prison
commission to deliver to the custody OF
the authorities of the counties, working
misdemeanor convicts, upon demand with
out price or cost, all convicts which are
under sentence from the courts of the re-
spective counties Except those convicts
which are now required by law to be
placed upon the prison FARM and said
convicts, when delivered to the proper
authorities of said counties, shall be work
ed only upon the public works or pubic
roads. as the misdemeanor convicts are
worked. All convicts so delivered shall,
however, be transported to their desti-
nation by the counties demanding the
same, without expense to the state OF
Georgia