Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-12-08

iHHh better met q HttIaAHA
Il IF ee#l'czz-rH ~ rcfface chr stcls. nno f.
ff.=s "a. sth al banks. flc experiment could not
h. sHa.la without seriously embarrassing every
lr.mehaf Hesiucsz, and subiecting MANY 81 or
fftizfrz 10 heavy a-s 4 nj whilaour sister states
continue the policy Il elarterin2 banks, II r
note would take the place of orr own, Eiath
would aHI drteriora:e our currency nnd contrib
atc - their wealth. itisHo les gratifying 10 H.
Than honorable TO the Institutions themselvez,ttat
thc staie Banks Of Virginia have generally been
conducted upon prudent and sale principles AM
IL this respect forming exception compared
Hitl those Of other State. Ir may have been
greatly owing 10 the man ies trietion- that haze
been imposed upon them 10y their charters olaa
die laws of the State: aud whilst it proves the
" dom aud proprietY If those restrictions, u
should admauish To continue them, together
ajih any other conditions thar prudence may Gie-
fHfe. many new charter that may be granted
Experience ha- abuudantly shown that the"
mammoth moueyed Institutions cannot be too
closely guarded to protect the public interest
Should the Legislature think proper to renew those
charters ! would recommend that the mother
banks lac rechartcred with their present brunch
g.. By doing 50, VIC shall be able to keep up
IA distribution Of the capital Of the country and
locafc il in Positions to be useful 10 all. We dit
fuse and cqualizc those commercial advantages
which might be monopolized; we reduce the cost
Of remittunecs or Of exchanges at interior and
remote points h We ItiiilNl litil ioi' N'iui''
because the mother bank aud its branches are
responsible for losses TINT may occur al any one
OF them, bt acknowledgement or otherwise.
Whether we =hauld have two separate and dis
tinct systems OF banking in the state at present
might nj first appear questionable but perhaps
this would be more likely To result IN good thah
injury. Tie rivalry between the two systems
will produce mutual scrutiny into their manage
mcnt. and an examination into their condition.
thai would keep them under proper restraints and
within legul boauds,-and thus each improve the
other.
It's Of great advantage to Inc community that
il circulating medium should be known; and yet,
81 the nine independent banks tint have gone III
tnuperafiun, there has been no public announce
mcnt and ii is impossible for the people TO know
whether they are legally constituted or not.
These consist Of the Bank of the Old Dominion
the Manufacturers and Farmers Bank OF W heel
my, tie Merchants Bank of Virginia, the Cen
trail Bank Of Virginia, the Bank of Winchester
the Monticello Bunk, the Fairnont Bank, the
Bank of berkeley, and the Trans Allegheny Bank
The charters Of these banks exempt them from
the operation OF the 9TH section of chapter 5s
Of the Code, aud hence there is no provision fer
ewing notice 10 the public that any such are
in existence. | recommend that some such pro-
vision he adopted,
Whleupon this subject, | cannot refrain from
expressing the hope that some provision may be
made which will ciicctualIy prevent the issuing,
by c-poushIe persons of Il worthless, irrcdecm-
able circulation. Ihepresent law is admitted to
be detective. The consequence is, it is wholly
disrcgardcd. | cannot believe that law may
not br framed 10 prevent the evil, and punish
those who violate it. Nor do believe that the
courts and iuries would fail to execute such
law. respectfully invite the attention Of the
general assembly 10 the subject.
The report upon the penitentary, with the ae
inn tod -
recommended 10 your favorable consideration.
The melancholy fact, that "A large increase of
crime has taken place IN the State Is clearly cN-
hbied, Gnr hundred and nine free persons
were received IN the institution the past year.
They consisted of - white and - free coored
persons. At the end of the fiscal year POS
maiued IN rison-consisting of lSO white males.
but VIII te females, Ga fact ereditable To the fe
males Of the STATED Fl coorcd males, aud q col
i orcd iomalcs- exhibiting an increase of 30 whites
and : coured couyicts in the year The report
presents the remarkable fact, that in the five
] years from the LIST Of October 1913, 10 the Both
! OF September lsj3, no less than }Ol whites and
! lh2 free persons of color were imprisoned. If
w may regard this an indies to crime in the
two races we shall find by reference to the tables
al population, that the proportion among the free
persons of color is nearly siTieeR times greatlr
] than among the whites. This remarkable differ
! ence is not indigenous to Virginia or other slave
/ holding States. \ communication from the SIT
ppr'ut,udtut If the i'enitentiary to member Of
/ the Senate IN March last exhibits the average
proportion OF crime among the free eolored pop
/ ulntion ot irginia and Maryland together, g.
quail to % 10 | white, whilst the average among
/ the same classes in the States of Pennsylvania,
! New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, MasSachu-
setts and Indiana combined, Is in the proportion
Of 1890 Of the coored to one of the white
Upon the subject of the increase of crime gen
orally, since the adoption of the new Criminal
Code, it j. shown that in four years prior to the
3Hth Of September lS47 the annual average of
conyets was about IA, whilst in the last year
/ LOO were received. 1t appears hat nearly one
fourth Of the conyletS are sent for year, and
more than half for less than two. The supern-
tcndeut md the board Of directors concur in the
/ proprcty ot restoring the minimum term of i'm
/ pr -omuent 10 three years, as the best means Of
/ ehocking crime and improving the conyicts as
| well a. 10 render their labor more profitable to
/ the state.
The manufactures have increased probaly ia
/ proportion To the increase of prisoners; but in
/ consequence of increased expenses, no additional
/ profit has been derived. Fora detailed statement,
! however, of IFS financial operations during the
/ year, respectfully refer you to the reports and
| accompanying papers.
/ In my first message to your predecessors, |
] called theirattenton to the continued increase of
/ our free negro population, and recommended the
adoption of more energetic measures for their re-
moyal. Ii anything were wanting to remind Us
/ of the necessity of removing this great and grow
ing evil, it's furnished in the facts exhibited in
/ the report upon the penitentiary. With such an
exhibit before me, cannot hesitate to again call
your attention to the subject
BY the act passed April 9th 1853, the sum of