Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-03-14
vIpernIA LEe1sLATURE.

u an Saturday for extending the ses-
nil.e .;,l the 10Th March, which was at that
slcn "a;scted and laid on the table, was
hm a.i nm by Mr.. Stuart, and the subject be-
:an duly considered, the Senate passed res
i nInt;on extending the session to April I'd
w. @ull Constitutional term
U" ghe following communication was receiy-
J, rom the Executive, read, and on motion
e. M Johnson, laid on the table and order
ca EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
March IL, 1860.
Gentlemen of Senate and House Of Delegates:
q, the 29th day of February last, You de-
10 .;nod 70 extend the session of the Gene
- Assembly to the 18th instant. The
:. and Importance OF the business OF q.
aasral and special character, matured by
several committees, aud reported Tor your
ln os;daration aud action, rendered an extern
0 :an of the session indispensably necessary.
Mneb Of the business Of general interest and
'.ast nublic utility has been Opposed of, but
s ast number of bills, many of them of a
lo,al nature, deeply interesting to the people
;mmediately to be affected by them, and
lhsrs more general in their objects. remain
- hs considered and if you shall adjourn on
,bs dav designated, will be left Enacted upon.
The Calendar of the House of Delegates
.hows facts to which solicit your attention.
SYsv.four bills have been laid on the table
-seyenty-eght Senate bills have been re-
ror,ed from committees, but not acted upon
~tbirty-one bills are on their first reading
two hundred and thirty-fye bills are on
,bs;r second reading-one hundred and
s;chty-seyen bills are engrossed-one hun
ared and nineteen reports from committees
ara not acted upon, and eighteen memorials
laid upon the table.
The Calendar of the Senate shows thirty
ona hills now ON their third reading. four
,asn bills on their second reading. eighty
hills epgrossed, seven House bills not acted
mon. and twenty Senate bills read the Sec
and time and laid on the table.
4 thus appears that there are now before
The House and Senate, in various stages OF
torwardness, the very large number OF eight
hundred and sixty six bills, of which the
greater portion could be disposed of in the
next twenty days. But if you shall adjourn
on the 18th instant, all the labor which has
been expended by the committees in prepar-
ing and maturing these bills, and all the
time which has been devoted to their consid-
Grafton by the two Houses, will have been
thrown away, and it will occupy two months
at least of the next session to place these
bills in their present situation.
On both calendars are found bills. OF the
utmost Importance to the dispatch OF the
public business, imperatively demanding
action before your adjournment. If they
shall be neglected, the public interests must
suffer seriously. The questions relating to
the boundary lines between Maryland and
Virginia, and North Carolina and Virgin
ia, demand prompt action unless 1t IS your
purpose to allow these matters 10 remain
in their present condition until the meeting
of the next General Assembly. The expen-
SEES incurred in this connection have been
heretofore charged upon the civil contingent
fund-thc Legislature having failed to make
appropriations for these objects. Clerks are
required, in addition to the force now author
lied BY law, to keep up the business IN the
Offices of the First and Second Auditors, the
Treasurer, the Register of the Land Office,
and the Adjutant General; and their comperl-
sation has also been charged upon the civil
and military contingent funds. These clerks
ought to be provided for by law-the num-
Der to be employed in each office specified,
their COMPENSATION prescribed. and such
sum appropriated as will be required TO pay
them. Such things ought not to be left to
official discretion.
As little discretion as possible should be
left to the exercise of public officers. Execu-
tive patronage is always more or less corrup-
ting and greatly prefer to see il diminish
ed rather than increased. 1t Is always
inclined to increase the number of its de-
pendants, and to enlarge the circle OF It's
influence and power. In Government like
ours, all such dangerous influences should
be jealously guarded against, and whenever
it can be done, the action of public officers
should be regulated by law, and not discre-
ton If the dispatch Of the public business
requires additional officers, 1t is your duty
to provide them, prescribe their duties, Tx
their salaries, and appropriate the money
necessary for their payment.
Further Legislation is necessary in regard
to the armory, which you have directed to
be reftted and put into operation. The act
does no. prescribe the duties OF the Saperin-
tendent and the Master Armorer with sutfi-
cient precision, and this is necessary TO be
done to secure the smooth and harmonious
working of the establishment Define clear
ly the duties of each of these officers, and
conflicts and disputes, disagreeable IN their
character and results, will thus be prevented.
This recommendation is made from no want
Of confidence in the prudence, discretion
and judgment of either of those officers; but
because | think each would be better salts
fed, and because think the original act de-
fective in this particular. | commend this
matter to your consideration, and trust that
twill be your pleasure to act upon 1t before
you adjourn.
There is another defect in this law that
should be remedied. 1t directs me TO APP
point three commissioners, whose duties are
therein specified, but their compensation IS
not fixed 1 do not suppose that the Legis-
lsture expected these gentlemen to abandon
their regular business, and engage in this
important service without far and just
compensation. That compensation should
be fixed, and provision made for its payment,
aswell as for the expenses incident to their
duties. These gentlemen are admirably
qualified for the faithful and efficient dis
charge of the duties confded TO them, and
they have entered upon them with that zeal
and spirit which was expected by all who
knew them
The present embarrassed condition OF the
James River and Kanawha Company re-
CURES legislative action before your adjourn