The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-14

ettabh fi,all arfeual the Court houe OF every
county, and employ there an srmourer to keep
in repair and fit for ufe, all fuch arms a. might
be depoGted therein in which there might he
eonanty kept, arms, a.eouchments and ammunition
fufcient at at for one or two companies, to be
dy for ue in cafe Of lois of by accident or the
fcisure Of them by infurgents: and which might be
iued and diltrb.ted when alarms, certain oliicers
and prvatcs might anemble at the eourt-houie as an
alarm rof A regular guard coniieing OF corpo-
raj and fix men mould be confanty duty at theie
arlenas and proper reefs OF centnais placed every
night over them. Thefe guards to be furniihed from
the militia IN rotation and to be allowed the fame
pay and rations as the folders of the public guard in
Richmond. The armourer might in time be furni.h-
ed from amonga thofe at the public mandatory
of arms, mould captain Clark>s plan be adopted,
| which recommend to the General A6enibly rs well
worthy of their adoption, and again tranmt to them
for their examination. (See No. q. 1t is true that
thefe guards and armourers would be experivc, but
the expence wenld be fnall indeed, compared with
ths.. which might be incurred, by the ruin, or the
lois of the arms and the nealeuabe lofes, which
| would be iulaned, by an infurre aion and which
ieh ate nf preparation for reance, and vigilance,
as is propelled woiiid in all probability prevent. Pub
| lie economy is in many nitanoes erroneouly called
republican virtue.-Economy it is true ihould cha
raaerile the individual citizens in republic beeaue
Its oppofte vices luxury, extravaganza and dlpati.
ton, would expofe them 70 lois of their liberties
but it is Multiplication Of the when applied
reffraining meafures Of government. within the IL
| mits OF fcanty appropriation, meaiures, which
Of importance the PROPERTY, nay fafety of the
public. Whatever the public gond requires
public may, with more propriety than any other GO
vernment literally pay for, andeven encourage with
what has been called, in Tonarchiss, royal niuii
cence. The utmoa iiberaity dplayed in attempts to
promote the public good, would be preferable to
fyaen of economy, which might endanger the peace
| and happiness of the commonwealth or which Nigh,
only impede its progreis in undertakings which
conducive to the fafety, proiperity, to the
reputation Of the aate.-No means hitherto propof-
ed by the executive have proved eHeetua for the col
lleaing and removing to Richmond, the cannon, NOR
tars, ihells, and hot, which faid be lying III
different parts Of the Rate. But houd the Legifla-
ture dire that the oundery ihali be completed which
was originally intended, and for the completion of
which contracts have been made it is probable that
many of thoie cannon might become valuable OBJ
jea as being capable of being calt into field pieces
tor artillery companies; at leatt into fuch the
modern contraction of cannon, has ihown to be,
though much lighter, of equal utility with he longer
and heavier of former days; and here beg leave to
refer, to the confederation of the General AAenbly
an extract from report OF captain Clarke fuperin-
tendant of their pablo works of the arnoury the
fubje4 of founaery (See No. 81 His reafons align
ed for completing the latter appear cogent to me
the opportunity now enjoyed of erecting work &c
valuable, whlh in our power to have the direction
OF perfon who has dilpayed ingenuity, and the
oretical and practical knowledge and indefatigabl,
diligence, in the direction and contraction of work
already completely executed, and which are viewec
by every judcious traveller through Richmond as al
y, honor to our country.
o With refpef to the penitentary and the penal laws
beg leave to remark that the former, the orr
lain IL ha, +. ..f
degree be accomplished, till the attempt to derv,
prof; from the labor of the prifoners lall be aban
doned, and their confinement hal be frialy folitary
tor according tothe preent mode of conducting th
5ullneis the numbers who employed together ir
making nails or hoes, 70 great, to form kind
fociety, which frequently ueditate on and fonetme
execute plaas Of ec,pe in fome of which the muir
der of the keeper has been propoed, and to remov,
all icrupes of confidence Of the way the propofe
has declared that he had felt any computation
or remorfe, although he had twice committed muir
: der, and when it was only thought neceiIary as Z
caution againf his being difcovered and proecutec
for robbery his Object then in view From fuel
ioceties. there may be produced, fome more harden
ed fnners; but fcarcey contrte pentent; and nc
Doubt Tome may 60 well in!fru9 ed how TO avoit
detection IN future, and animated with warm de
lire OF repeating the experiment in which they hao
failed, tor want of that 1k acquired in their A.
cademy OF crimes and this is the more probable
as in cafe Of future detection they eau only be fen,
back to the fame place, to be better nirufed, ard
where they will find congenia fouls to coaiole them *
aiiit them in ee Sing their hoped for ecape; Wherea:
were the mott desperate advenurer in atrocous crime.
* the mof hardened in fins during the ufual term OF
confinement coniiany fecluded from all (ociety & left
to converie with his own confidence, he would re-
ceive ineh adnonition from that divine monitor that
If any Poibity remained of his being reclaimed and
rendered lit TO be refored to the boon of country
which the vrtuous alone fhould nhabit he would be
reclaimed; and rendered at leaf worthy of beneyo-
lent attentions; and might be viewed as melancholy
object OF coinpaiion, ntead of adherence muil
candidy confes, that believe great crimes are fel.
dom committed by perfons capable of reformation
and that reformation of uch perfons, more likely
to happen IN another country than in thar in which
their crimes were committed, and are known TO have
been puniihed and that therefore, banilment afte
ioiitary confinement in the penitentiary, would be
mott likely to produce the reformation hoped for by
the benevolent friends Of this intuton and appears
the only means OF taking from the view of the virtu
aus citizens of this fate, the daily horrid fpeetacle OF
recorded criminals whom the vengeance of the
Penal laws had been inflicted and politely without
producing their expected pentence and amendment
God, the feareher of hearts, knows how devoutlv
pray for the virtue and happinefs of mankind; and
how incerely with that the vioators of our laws
may be reclaimed and prevented from repeating their
crimes BY the mild punhn,ent at preient inflicted