Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-12-14

The following Is summary Of the message
Of Gov. johnson. transmitted to the Virginia
legislature On Monday, the 9th inst.
The various backing institutions Of The
State are said to he healthy. sound ard ef-
6cicnt. aud tie colleges and academies high
iy prosperous; an increase Of tuition fees, IN
order TO secure more competent teachers for
the children of the poor. tho adoption Of
general system Of free schools, the increase OF
free students at the Military Institute to the
number of 6fty. snd the encouragement OF
volunteer compsnies, arc recommended The
working Of she new constitution, particularly
10 regard to an elective Judiciary. is spoken
Of in terms Of colimcncation. All banks,
whose charters are a bout 20 expire, ifre-char
tered, it Is suggested. should be held to the
restrictions under which they at present exist
and provision should be made TO suppress the
issuing, by irresponsible persons. OF q worth
less, irredeemablc circulation. 1t is also sug-
gested that the Legislature should make an
additional appropriation to the Washington
Monument at Richmond, and likewise pur-
chase Mount Vernon. and establish there au
agricultural or literary school.
The finances of the State are represented
to be in prosperous condition, insomucb that
the present rate of tax. with the productive
stocks held by the State. viii be found suffi-
cient to meet all her engagements. The ag
gregate outstanding public debt on the goth
Of September last, the termination Of the ifs.
cal year, was S1s.041,775. The par value
Of the productive investments Of the State is
IS, 256,l71 Deduc: this amount from the
aggregate outstanding debt and We have
balance of 80. 900. 275 Of urrroductive stocks.
Subscriptions. appropriations and loans au
thorized by law render the State liable for
an additional sum Of S7.750.739. which, added
TO the above amount OF $9,922.075, will ex.
hibit an aggregate Of Indebtedness and liabil-
ity. over and above productive stock, of$l7,
671,0l4 And il we add this sum to the
amount of productive stock, to wit. 1885,
Ill, we will ind that the grand total of out
standing debt and liability is S25, 937 ls6.
Moreover. the State is subject to contin-
gent liability for $2,9lO,0S0, being the
amount of subscription to companies Of whose
organization no information has been received.
1t thus appears that the whole debt Of the
State, exclusive Of productive investments,
amounts to $40, 531 ,094, or to S2S.847 ,266
if We include the amount of productive invest
ment. But the amount of unproductive debt.
to wit, $40 1856 54, is small in comparison
with the resources Of the State. The audi
tor Of public accounts estimates the value of
property in the State at $500, 100000. The
revenue to be raised FOR the support of gov
eminent, including the payment of interest
on the entire debt. is but S2,0O0,000; so
that an ad ualorem tax at The rate of thirty.
five cents in the hundred dollars will suffice
for the demand If we exclude from the cir
culation the amount of property exempt from
taxation estimated at third Of the whole
the rate of tax on the remaining $780,
600 900 viii be in the proportion OF fifty cts.
to the hundred dollars. But, as the State
derives about half Of the revenue from other
sources it is manifest that much less pro-
portion in the hundred dollars will be re-
quired mot more, it is believed. than one
half that amount In enumerating the liza
billties Of the State no account is taken Of the
literary fund that being regarded, as a debt
from the State to ITSELF The total produc
tive capital of the literary fund is $l.606,
eO2
The receipts into the Treasury during the
last fiscal year. including the balance on hand
were $3.50 SIT. and the expenditures for
the saue period were $l.773.6iS, leaving an
balance in the Treasury of $ie6.
259 1t is estimated that the receipts for
the current year will amount to $2.O00.0O0,
and that the expenditures for the same period
viii! about equal the receipts
The message states that large increase of
crime has taken place in the State since
is47. This IS attributed in part to the OPP.
GRAFTON of the new code, and it is suggested
that the minimum term ofconfnement in the
renitentiary be restored to three years. The
proportion of crime between whites and free
negroes is as one to sirteen. This fact con-
firms the opinion expressed in former mes.
sage that measures should be adopted to re-
move the great and growing evil'' Of the
free negro population The labors Of the
colonization board are commended; but
at best, it is thought they can only remove
the annual increase in the free negro popula.
ton. leaving the original number of SIS, 900
free negroes in the State.
"A large portion OF the message is devoted
to consideration Of the internal improve
ment system Of the State 1t is manifest
that the governor regards the system With
much favor, and anticipates from its compile
ton tho development of the vast resources of
the State. The system is pushed forward
With commcndable energy. and it is Thought
that the new board of public works will i'm
part an additional impetus to its progress
The message recommends an appropriation
soihcient to complete the great leading lines
OF railway at the earliest possible periodic
ferring any expenditure on collateral works
until their construction shall involve no EN-.
barrassment of the treasury.
And here the governor recommends, as IN
outlet for the rich treasures of Virgins and
a source OF incalculable wealth and prospect.
ty to her people. direct trade with Europe
awarding tribute to the incompatible ports
OF the Chesapeake. and the country tributary
to its waters.
The message repeats a previous recon
mendation that some point at or near Clifton
Forge Be selected as the western terminus of
H.