The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-06

exnensef The subject Ia an important ont,
| and Ia entitled to your serious consideration.
The report of the superintendent Of pub
lie buildings asks for an appropriation to
meke necessary repairs to public property
| Isubmit also the,reports of tthe weighmas
ter of live stock and OF the superintendent
of weights and measures - 4<s
The bank returns, herewith submitted, ex-
biht those institutions in sound and pres
i perous condition. The charters OF mostaf'
| These banks win expire in 1857, and as the
] siops, deem 1t more than probable that ap-'
4 nlication will be made during your present
session for renewal of those charters
/ This subject Is not without its difficulties !;
/ but in view of the vast interests involved,
| the question had better be met and decided
promptly. IL we desired to retrace our steps.
and to dispense with all banks, the expert
ment could not be made without seriously
embarrassing every branch of business. and
subjecting many ofour citizens to heavy loss.
| And while our sister states continue the poll
cy of chartering banks, their notes would
take the place of our own, which would only
deteriorate our currency and contribute to
their wealth. 1t is no less gratifying to us
| than honorable to the institutions themselves.
that the state banks of Virginia have gene
rally been conducted upon prudent and safe
principles, and in this respect forming an ex-
| cepti0n compared with those of other states.
This may have been greatly owing to the
many restrictions that have been imposed
upon them by their charters and the laws of
| the state :; and whilst ii proves the wisdom
| aud propriety of those restrictions, it should
admonish us to continue them, together with
| any other conditions that prudence may die
| tate, in any new charter that may be granted
lExperiencehss abundantly shown that these
mammoth moneyed institutions cannot be too
| closely guarded to protectthe public interest
Should the legislature think proper TO renew
those charters, Iwould recommend that the
| mother banks be rechartered with their pre-
| sent branches. BY dong so, we shall be
able to keep upa distribution of the capital
of the country, and locate it in positions to
| be useful to ALL We diffnse and equalize
those commercial advantages which might
| be monopolized; we reduce the cost of remit
| tanees or of exchanges at interior and remote
points; and we render them more secure, be-
cause the mother bank and its branches are
responsible for losses that may occur at any
one of them, by mismanagement or other
wise.
| Whether we should have two separate and
| distinct systems of banking in the state as at
present, might at first appear questionable !;
| but perhaps this would be more likely to re-
suit lii good than injury. The rivalry between
| the two systems viii produce mutual scru
| tiny into their management and an e1amina-
| ton into their condition. that would keep
them under proper restraints and within legal
bounds-and thus, each improve the other.
1t is of great advantage to the community
that its circulating medium should be known;
and yet. of the nine Independent banks that
have gone into operation, there has been no
public announcement, and it is imp0ss BILE for
the people to know, whether they arc legally
constituted or not. These consist of the
| Bank of the Old Dominion, the Manufuctu-
rers and Farmers Bank of Wheeling. the
Merchants Bank Of Virginia. the Central
Bank Of Virginia, the Bank of Winchester.
the Monticello Bank, the Fairmont Bank, the
Bank OF Berkely and the Trans Allegheny
isBaIlk. The charters of these banks exempt
| them from the operation of the 18th section
/ of chapter SO of the Code and hence there is
no provision for giving notice to the public
| thar any such are in existence irec0mmepd
| that some such prov ision be adopted
While upon this subject, / cannot refrain
| from expressing the hope that some provis-
ion may be made which will etfeetually pre-
vent the issuing by irresponsible persons,
of worthless, irredeemable circulation
| Tie present law is admitted to be defective.
! The consequence is, it is wholly disregard
/ ed. | cannot believe that law may not be
framed TO prevent the evil, and punish those
| who violate it. Nor do. ! believe that the
| courts and jures would fail to execute such q
law respectfully invite the attention. Of
the general assembly to the subject.
| Tue report upon the penitentiary, with The
accompanying documents, herewith present
ed, is recommended to your favorable con
siderc;on. The melancholy fact, that a large
increase of crime has taken place in the state,
| is clearly exhibited. One hundred and nine
free persons were received in the institution
during the past year. They consisted of 50
white and % free eOlored persons. At the end
of the fiscal year POI remained in priSon--con-
sistipg Of $50 white males, and no white fe-
males, Ia fact creditable to the females of the
State 81 colored males, and colored females
Exhibiting an increase of 80 whites and
colored convicts in the year. The report
presents the remarkable fact, that in the five
years from the lst of October 1s4s, to the
3)th of September 1883, no less than 3o4
whites and lo2 free persons of color were i'm
prisoned. Ii we may regard this as an index
| 10 CRIME IN the two races, We shall tnd by
Il reference to the tables ofpopulation, that the
proportion among the free persons of color is
Fnearly sirteeD times greater than among the
. whites. This remarkable difference is not
indigenous to Virginia or other slaveholding
states. A communication from the superin
lntendeut of the penitentiary to member of
|
age proportion of crime among the free col
ored population of Virginia and Maryland to-
gether, as equal to 1893 to white, whilst the
average among the same classes in the tates
OF Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Indiana com
bintd, is in the proportion of 1880 of the
colored to one of white. 80.
Upon the subject of the increase of crime
generally SINCE the adoption of the new
Criminal Code, it is shown that in four years
prior to the 30th of September 1917, the an
Enpal average of convicts was about AZ. whilst
In the last year 1919 were received. 1t appears
that nearly one fourth of the convicts are
sent for one year, and more than half for less
= than two. The superintendent and the board
OF directors concur in the propriety of restor-
ing the minimum term of imprisonment to
three years, as the best means of checking
CRIME and Improving the convicts, as well as
70 render their labor more profitable to the
state.
The manufactures have increased probably
IN proportion to the increase of prisoners /;
but IN consequence of increased expenses. no
additional profit has been derived, For de-
!! tailed statement, however, of its financial
: operations during the year, / respectfully re-
: | Ter you to the report & accompanying papers
/ Ill. IN my first message to Your predecessors, /
/ caned their attention to the continued in