Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-01-13

wisdom and integrity Of the great body oil the people
will tako the place OF dsIust in the minds of those
who lear that political and other may endanger
the healthul exercise OF this power on the port Of the
people BY present system, that identity of inte-
rest and reciprocity of feeling which should alyays
exist between the representative and the Constituent
dse and voluntary suffrage OF those who are directly
and most deeply ntere sled faithful dscar pc Inis
duties, viii be inspired with confidence in his position
ard eerlessness IN the discharge Of the funct ions of
his office; and the people, conscious oil the great res
possibility with viii CHI they are clothed, will feel
lively interest in the subject, compare opinions and
elicit Information from every source. And thus, whilst
The exercise OF this power will uni and endear more
ehseiy the citizen to his government, it will enqhien
and eeaate the masses upon whose intellectual m oral
ana political education, depends the stability of rep
lnestimable advantages which must inevitably accrue
to the suagan by extending to him The right to elect
TO ofhce the men OF his own choice, it must be you
source oil unieigned graduation that another provl-
sion OF constitution extends the benefits re-
suRg from the exercise OF the elective franchise to
large and respectable class of our citizens who
heretofore have been driven from the polls and whose
poverty appears TO have been their only fault. That
Virginia should have long retained this exclusive
and lnti-democratic feature In her state government
and that this numerous class OF citizens should have
acqulesced in it up to this time, ID another sking il
usraon of the fact, THAT mankind are more dlspos-
ed 10 suffer while evils are suferable, than to right
themselves by abolshlng the forms to which they are
accustomed" and proof conclusive that our people
though acquainted with and jealous Of their political
rights, and nevertheless pre-emnently law abiding
people, unwilling to seek constitutional reform nv
other than constitutional means.
herewith transmit you copy of the new constl-
tuition, from which 1t will be that many subjects
embraced IN II VIII require legislation your part to
give 1t efficiency and effect. 1t makes it your duty
TO cause every city or town, the population of which
exceeds i've thousand, to be laid off into convenient
wards, and establish in each separate place Of yo-
tng-to district the counties for the election of Ius
tees OF the peace and to divide the state into three
districts for the election of a "Board of Public
a he tlo.xr
and state districts shall be laid of-wheher immedi-
aely by the Legislature by commissioners appointed
Tor the pnrpose. will be subject for your consdera-
ton and decision | cannot dismiss this subject how
ever, without congratnaing you upon the fact that
these are the only geographical divisions provided Tor
In the organic law OF oar new government, and they
are not political in their character. Those arbitrary
lines by which the state has been heretofore laid off
into political divisions and districts, were unnecess.-
~ and unwse in their conception and only produc-
tive OF pernlcous results. These lines are now oh
liberated. And though our magnificent mountains
traverse the state from extremity to the other
they no longer are assumed to divide people having
conflicting interests and separate destiny. Hence.
forth, the Blue Ridge will. not form dividing line
between the East and the West; Tide Water and
Piedmont, the Valley and Trans Allegheny are united
by Indlssoluble bonds, and with common interest
and common destiny shall know no East no
West, but all shall be Virginia.
cannot too strongly recommend the adoption of
such measures will effect speedy organization of
the Board OF Public Works. The interests of The
state require 1t, and particularly that great and grow
ing interest over which this board designed to take
control. At an early day, before government had
| become deeply interested in the subject 8 board
was organized by the appointment of commissioners
| taken from different sections Of the state. These
commissioners reslded at points remote from the cap
itai, and the board thus organized found to be
expensive and inefficient Commissioners were dis
pensed with, and alter several changes made at differ
eht times in its organization, the duties of the board
devoyed upon the governor register OF the land office
treasurer and first and second auditors AT that time
the business of the board was lnconsiderabe, and
could, without Inconvenience be discharged by these
| state officers. But now, while the business of each
department of the government has been greatly in.
creased, requiring more attention and labor on the
part of those who preside them the subject of
Internal Improvements has become a most i'm
porant and complicated interest, and demands more
attention from those under whose control it is now
placed than their other engagements will permit them
devote to its duties. By prompt and efficient action
your part upon this subject, you will relieve those
officers of this burthen and enable them 10 devote
more OF their time and labor 10 the other important
subjects that claim their attentions and, the same
time, place this already important and growing inter-
est IN the hands OF Others who, having other du-
be the better enabled to devote to the subject their
whole energies, which its merits would SO richly us-
THY and which It's wants so impe rously demand.
The annual report oil the Board of Public Works
is herewith communicated Your attention is esne
caliy invited to the statistical information and the
| many valuable suggestions contained therein
| While wi.ely directed government in most cases
will find it necessary TO leave the various branches Of
industry to the guidance and control Of individual en-
terprise the agricultural interest of our state is of
such paramount importance that it may well clam the
serious attention of your boay. Whether we consider
the vast amount OF capital invested and the number
OF our citizens engaged IN this pursuit and who de-
pend alone upon 1t Tor their subsistence, or, in ma
| tlona point OF view, look to the benefits which must
result from its successful prosecution and the evils
| which must flow from It's negect-the high claims of
this department of labor upon your attention and fos
tering care will be apparent to all The General As
sembly at carly day devised and est b. he'd an
educational fund. the annual proceeds of which,
amounting at this time 70 the of $l0l DIG o. ia
chiefly devoted to the advancement of elementary
education in primary schools And liberal approprl-
atoms and oans, amounting in effect to donations,
have from time to time been made from the Literary
Fund and the treasury of the the higher grades
of schools and colleges throughout the commonwealth,
for the promotion Of education in the other depart
mens of science. Why, then, should agricultural,
the most important, and in our state the neglect
ed branch OF education, be made exception Eng
land and other European states have sufficiently and
successfully tested th efficiency of governmental aid
in the promotion of agricultural science Some of
our sister states have extended to this branch of in
dustry their fostering care with the most benefcalre
suits; and why should Virginia refuse to Join in this
mafcn OF agricultural progress Voluntary associa-
tons and individual skill, unaided by the government
have already tested in different of the COM
monWealth the practical efficiency oil agricultural
science in reclining wasted and worn out lands
and in making our own soil more productive. This
science Is no longer an untrled experiment. The R-
creased value OF the lands lying 10 the Tidewaer
district, exhibited by the returns of the recent as
sessmant, vindcates the science, and appeals strong
ly to you tor your aid and encouragement in its be-
half In 1919 the lands in this district were valued in
the aggregate al the of $7I 1876 997 and in 1898
at $50, 7O4 05S 2oa exhibiting decrease in value dur
Ing the nineteen years that aervened, to the enor
NOUS amount of $l0,792, 943 79A. And yet those
same lands were recently assessed at the of ST.
so4 pa 52 showing increase in their value during
the last twelve years of $17 52l 81.
This RENAL kabe and gratifying change in the value
OF these lands cannot be attributed to any great ex
tent TO benefits resulting from works of internal i'm
Pfovement; Tor thus far these improvements havo
nod tn 9th oant.r oF a.
And in vain will look for solution OF this pj o.
blen, unless we remember that for several years past
the enterprslng citizens of this section Of the state
have been devotng themselves with commendable
zeal to the subject of agricultural Improvement; and
by proper application. of compost, mari and other
ledge of this branch OF education has placed at their
command, they have redeemed and made productive
and valuable, lands heretofore worn out by an I'M
proper made OF cultivation, and consequently abau-
doned by the farmer worthless and unfit for agri-
cultural purposes.