Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-12-17
MESSAGE OF TIE GOVERNOR
OF VIRGINIA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
December Ctr, 1880.
FeltOW- Citizens of the senate,
nnI of The HnuSe nf neLnnut.

FeltOy- Citizens of the senate.
anil Of the House Of Delegates.
offer YOU my since.e salutatlons
upon tins your first, asscmblage under
the new Constitution. To you belongs
the task OF giving the first impulse to
the Government, and you will not fail
properly to appreciate the honor and
magnitude of your stations, or the diff
ficuit and responsible duties which have
devol'ed upon you.
In the call OF Convention. its pro-
gress, and the ratification Of the amen
ded Constitution by the people, Virgil
ma has exhibited 10 tae world, ano-
Their grand spectacle, of "a nations
changing It's fundamental law. without
discard or difficulty, directed alone by
reason, and making manifest to The u
inverse the great truth, that man is ca
pable Of self government.
We lived it is true, for more than
hall century under the former Con,
stltutlon, and enjoyed great Tranquility
and considerable share o. prosperity.
That many should have preferred 1t to
any that could be substituted, is not a
matter OF surprise, when we consider
how intimately it was blended with all
the past in our history.
When that instrument was formed
the population at Virginia hardly cx-
tended beyond the Great Valley-slnce
that period, large counties have been
Created in the West, with a rich. ma
merous and increasing population in
= habitlng steep, difficult and mountain.
Gus country-far removed from the
Seat OF Government, and destitute oil
commercial facilities it should afford
us little matter OF surprise, that the PEG.
pie OF that Region, should desire a
change in the anticipation Of much be.
neht. In. the change which has been
made, 1t is perhaps, only what might
have been expected, that both sites
should think they perceive some cause
OF misunderstanding one, in having
lost more than was hopei, the other
IN having gained less than was desired
... The contest is passed: let the tri-
nmph of victory and the bitterness o.
defeat, be forgotten in an united effor
to benefit our common country, anC
add new lustre to this, the oldest O
the Republics. To this we are encou
ragged, no less by the memory of the
past, than the promise of the future.
Amongst other important duties
those OF recognizing the Judiciary
and OF introducing into the Judicia
system such notifications as may teno
to the cheap and more speedy admins
tratlon of justice viii demand your mos
anxious attention.
The various and somewhat conflict
ing opinions which are believed to pre-
'aii on this interesting subject will be-
reconciled by your wisdom, and full
and perfect system be put it is hopet
INTO harmonious and successful opera
ton. The country reposes in salet,
upon your prudence and dlscernment
NotwIthstand.n the arduous ser
vice, which you will have to perform
In rendering more perfect our form O
civil policy, | cannot fail to recommen,
to your attention the subject of our in
ternal condition in reference to tn
means OF Intercommuuicaiion betwee
distant parts of the Commonwe alth.-
BY the bountiful dispensation of Provi
dence, that beautiful and extensive re
gion lying below the falls of our rivers
has afforded TO it, all those facilItie
which open every market to the indus
try and enterprise Of its inhabitants. =
This fortunate condition is denied I
the inhabitants above tide water, an
presses with unspeakable weight upo
our citizens residing beyond the mour
tains.
While this state ofthings IS sufFere
to continue, the resources Of the Stat
admit Of but partial developement-
lands ofinexhaustabIe fertility, renal
unreclaimed and the country is depri,
ed of much Of its efFiciency-what
the inducement to reclaim the forest {
cultivate the earth, If the means Of oil
taining remuneration for ones labor
denied7 That argument, which in OF
position to judIciouS system of in
provement is made to rest upon the IL
equality Of contribution either real {
supposed, to be made by the differer
portions Of the State, appears to me, (
fail utterly in its object. 1t oppose
the only means which can ever brin
about that equality Of contribution
tbe pubic. chest which it seeks earnes