New-York tribune., 1842-01-05
will be hailed with much satisfaction oy IN

et'a.sars mn commerce. The effect OF the
oct is postponed until May next anc the 1oVe'-
NOR il authorized further 20 suspend II whenever
the Executive authority OF this State shall su:1.n-
der three persons heretofore demanded by The
| Lieutenant Governor of that Commonwealth as
fugitiv.s from justice. ana the Legislature shat
repeal the law extending the trial by Jury, lhare
ectful!y informed the authorities OF Virginia,
that my convictions of the legailty OF that r.
QUESTION are unchanged and that although New-
York, from motives OF seli-reapect and Devotion
TO the Union, will not re1aliate, nor even remoa-
| 5trate, yet she can not consent 10 remain & re-
spondent, since Virginia has seen III 20 transcend
| the sphere assigned her BY the Fedora! Cons;!tu-
ton, and 10 pass an aggressive law but tnat this
State Will cheerluly return 10 discussion OF Inc
subject, with sincere peslre 10 arrive al COZ
c!uslon mutually satisfactory and conduclve 70 the
general harmony, wheneve! the effect OF lnei
unfortunate statute shall be removed oy the ac-
ION OF our sister States:or by an overrulng de-
cision Of the Supreme Court OF th- United States
The Legislature will decide whether tae t!!ai by
Jury shall be reinquished and whether S;at-.
which acknowledges no natural inequality oi
men, and no political inequality which may noi
ultimately be removed, snail wrest thai precious
shield from those only whose freedom assalled,
not for any wrong doing ci Their own, but b.
cause ,he greatest of all crimes was committed
against their ancestors, Taught as we have been
by the founders Of th- Constitution. and rnostrnl
phatlcay by the statesmen OF Virginia VIZ can
notrenounce the principle, thai Ill men ase bora
free and equal. nor any OF lis legitimate coaze-
quences But we can. nevertheless. give 10 n
ginia, and TO the whole American family, pledges
of peace, affection and fidelity 10 the mon, by
! relying upon legal redress alone, and by waiting
the returning magnaplmlty OF a state whose eaf-
Iy and seli-sacrfcng vndcaliono OF the !lghts OF
man has entitled her TO enduring vencrauon and
gratitude.
submit, also, for your information, a cores
pondence between the Governor oil Georgia and
myself, which my respected contemporary has
made subject Of some commsntin communities
tions to the Legislature OF that STATE.
Nneteen associations upder the General Bank
lRg Law, and five Safety Fund institutions, ha.-
been closed. recommend that measures be
adopted 10 replensll the Bank Fund without de-
lay, and that ii be exempted from llsbllty Tor
private depostes. To guard hereafter against
fraudulent eXcesses OF circulation, suggest that
the Safety Fund institutions may be required 10
! receive their circulating notes from the Bank
Commissioners or the Comptroller. While can
not doubt that you will adopt these or more SUIT
able measures TO sustain the currency and cor
rect abuses in banking, am sure that no harsh
or injurious spirit will be ndulged towards lnsii-
tutions which, deriving their powers from publc
grants, have performed their trusts with genera!
fidelity, and whose stability Is Intimately con
nected with the public Interests and the general
welfare
More than an hundred years ago. the Legsla-
ture solemnly denounced forcible seizure oi the
lands OF the Six Nations, as an act thai wond be
not merely unjust, bat perfdious and ungra,eful
10 ,ime-honored and faithful allies The lapse
of time mas wonderfully changed the condition
and relations Of the parties, butit=has not d!mn-
ished the sanctions OF justice. nor weakened The
motives of philanthropy invltc your attcn-
lion, therefore, TO the al egalisa Of te survivors
of that heroic and unfortunate people, that The
tate treaty by which they surrender the remnant
of their lands, under the sanction of the Govern
ment of the United States, was procured by clr-
cumvention and fraud.
1t Is supposed that in recognizing the Con
gressional Districts, you Will, as far as possible,
adopt the principle that representation is mos,
perfect where the Districts are not only equal,
but as numerous as the Delegates and it's con-
idently expected by our fellow. citizens that you
will divide large towns and wards into ccnve-
nient Districts and direct that the annual slrc-z
.ions shall hereafter be held On one and TIE same
day throughout the State
According to reports received at the State De.
partment, there have been four hundred and
ninety.seven convictions OF telonles, including SIX
capital cases, and aboutiour thousand convlcuon.
of 1nsdemeanors and minor offences, showing al
increase of eonies by fifty seven, and oilnierlor
violations Of law in greater proportion. The
reformation of offenders has been steadily keptn
view in the discipline ofthe prisons, and no COM
plant of inhumanity has reached me. Tie fiscal
condition of those penitentlarles is satisfactory;
but the employment of the convlcts in depart
ments OF mechanical industry which bring their
fabrics into competition with those of citizens,
subject of complaint so general and SO Just, thai
am constrained to commend II 10 your earnest
consideration.
Every philanthropic mind will cling to#'he
hope, that ultimately, the supremacy OF the laws
may be maintained, without eXacun9, IN ang
case, a forfeiture of life Nevertheless, the sub
ject requires most cautious dehberauon. The
substitution OF Imprisonment for HE would be
spnally unsuccessful, wlhou. such modification
of the pnrdoning power as might prevent lis o-.
/ ing employed except III cases where II would
seem 10 be necessary 10 correct error one hun
dred and nlnety.seven persons have been con
signed for HE 10 the Stale prisons within Inc last
twenty-five years, all OF whom were pardonrd
after terms averaging five years and two months,
except those who escaped, thIrty-'wo who dled,
of whom twen,y-iour did not reach that average
period. and twenty-five now In prison, OF whom
fourteen have not Yet been confined so long
term The average OF limited sentences, is four
years and eight months
Although more lhan'-i, 200 personsarc annually
confined IN our county jalls those penItenuaTIes
often exhibit scenes revolving 10 humanity; and
many youthful prisoner, instead OF beng sub
jec,ed 10 a salutary discipline, becomrs NOR
depraved lndaige nope that tins interesting
subject. So often fruiiessly submitted 10 the L.
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