Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-16

SYNOPSIS OF MESSAGE III.

SYNOPSIS OF MESSAGE ii.
The Governor commences Message No.
2 with compliments and thanks to military
and individuals who did service at Harper's
Ferry and Charlestown, He says: II shall
continue sufficient military force until af-
ter the 10th, and urge upon you, in antici-
patton Of withdrawal of troops, an eff
cient organization and arming of the border
from the Point of Rocks to Wheeling
That city has shown her truth to Virginia,
and | was proud Of the corps she was prompt
to send to prove it. Irely upon the North
West, which has nobly rendered services
from every point"
He recommends an appropriation of $685.
900 to meet expenditures already made for
defence, and $25, 900 to pay for arms and
munitions already purchased.
He recommends an dctive militia, Of men
from Is to IS yeaas Of age, and of volun-
tecrs Of any age I; to bo fully armed and e.
quipped, and frequently drilled, and COM
PEELED to do duty under heavy and summary
fines and penalties, TO be ordered out from
time to time, in squads, at discretion of
commanding officer, to do duty as military
patrols. This branch Of militia tos6e ex-
empt from working on roads and serving on
juries An enrolled and reserved militia
Of men over 25, not volunteers, to be as
scmbled once a year, and pay tax of 81
each. The general officers to be appoint
ed by the Governor, by and with the con-
sent the Senate, and all field officers and
captains to be appointed by the Governor.
Various details are suggested
Turning from these, call your attention
to other subjects of less painful interest
The Sinking Fund shows,
Debt due on LIST Of jan. 1852. 1871 1888. 80
Debt created since, 19,460, 32l. 80
! Total of old and new debt 3l452l59.6 Ga
Redeemed Of old, l,2el,s4a 90
redemption OF new, 1883, 657.20
Total redeemed and in
vested for redemption --- 2.345, 500. 20
Leaving of old debt, lO,709, 96530
Leaving of new debt, 1896 GALS
Total OF old and new,
unredeemed and I'M
! invested, 29, 1876 l59. AZ
The annual interest TO be provided for
as the whole debt now stands, adj
! ding unredeemed and uninvested
together j. l,7s6, 1928 &c
For each half ear, 500, Ala Sc
He recommends that all taxes, State and
corporation, on State bonds, be repealed
and forbidden that the commissioners be
required in all cases to invest the sinking
fund in our bonds at par; that the Legisla-
ture provide by general law against the fail.
ure to pay interest punctually on our guar.
anteed bonds; that the rate of legal inter
est be not charged, and that the usury laws
be not relaxed
The funded debt of the State is 500, 16O..
656 50, and the floating debt S265, 01235;
making the totalsliabilites the State 500.
371,672 rs. The estimated surplus Ia the
treasury on LIST Of Oct, 1861, will be 1894.
l52 80. In view Of this statement, the
Governor thinks the Legislature may safely
appropriate .tt0e millions of dollars to the
public works, and add that amount to the
public debt, without impairing public cred,
| it.
The James River and Kanawha Canal i.
recommended as the most important line il
the State, and the following appropriation
to other improvements are proposed:
To the Covipgton and Ohio Road 81 600, 900 O;
Manassa Gap road. 200, 900 OF
Extension Of the Danville road 200 600 OF
Clearing OF James d Appomattox
! Rivers. l50. 900 OF
Other works as it may be dstrib-
uted. 45O, 1000 OF
Total recommended. 100000 Gt
| And by all means urge the charter to
construct tie railroad from Strasburg te
Winchester.
It is worse than idle to urge the collection
of revenue in specie. do not recommend
any reduction of taxes, but Encouragement
of taxes, especially on merchants licenses.
And repeat my recommendations more ear
nestly than ever Of increasing the revenue
by a tax upon the oyster trade; and I'd, by
policies Of insurance by the State.
On the subject of the banks, the Cover
nor urges the Importance of having ''ceu-
ire of trade in the State, and recommends
the repeal Of the act passed April I'd, 1858,
entitled IAN act providing for more uni
form currency Of the banks of the State. p
It is wrong in principle and in practice.
The Literary Fund has been increased
nearly 100000, and the pertinent invest
ments will soon be two millions of dollars.
The interest upon this will be about 1920
900, and the whole capitation tax being de-
voted to the common schools, the funds for
education now t., be annually expended, are
little short of $3.50, 600. Surely some con-
siderable portion of this can be appropriated
to an increase of the annui:ies to the Uni
yersi,y and Military Institute, and other an
nuities may be given to the Colleges, and to
the Professional and High Schools, without
diminishing the bounties to the Common
Schools. | recommend:
For the University. 1926, 900 90
For Military institute. .......... 10000 90
For Medical School at Richmond....... s 900 90
For ten Colleges Observation-Disclosures. $4,000 90
For one hundred High Schools. ....... 10000 co
ITO, 600 90
For Common Schools Observation-Disclosures. l20, 900 90
S2a0, 1000 90
The reduction of the number of Directors
of Lunatic Asylumns to three, is recon-
mended