The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-24
The Seventh Article of the Constitu.
ton


ton.
The Alexandria Constitution, which is
our present organic law if we have any,
provides for the election, i'll each county, of
a clerk of the circuit court. clerk of the
county court, Il surveyor, an attorney for
the Commonwealth, sheriff. and one or
more commissioners of the revenue. 1t also
provides that each county shall he laid off
into districts, Tor townships, as the new con-
sttution calls them, and in each of these
districts, or townships, there shall be elected
four justices of the peace, and the needed
constableS and oycrseers of the poor. Over
scers of roads are provided for by law. The
justices lay the county levy.
Now, examine the new constitution. The
article on "county organizations" provides
for the election of all these officers and scye-
raj more. The third section of this article
provides for the election of large number
OF school trustees i'll each county but rs
the constitution provides that the tax for
school purposes, to be assessed by the
county officers, shall not erceed .ffiy cents
on the hundred dollars ac0rth of property
and rs this fifty cents, added to Il like sum
obtained from the State, is to pay for all the
schooling of all the children, that section Of
the seventh article may be passed over. 1t
ut least cannot increase our taxes much.
Where, then, is the increase to be? The
supervisors merely perform the duty now
performed by the justices of laying the
county tax, &c., and will take no more time
and receive no more pay for it than the jus
tees receive. The assessors take the place
of the commissioners of the revenue. The
collectors collect the tax instead Of employ
ing number of deputy shertlS. The coul-
missioncrs and overSeers of roads need not
cost any more than they now do. The town.
ship clerk will have little to do, and receive
only such pay as the Legislature may give
him.
Now, these are all the officers provided
for in the article on county organizations"
Read it again, and see if we have not named
them all
ARTICLE VII.
COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS.
SECTION l. There shall be elected by the qualified
voters OF the county one sheriff; attorney for
the commonwealth, who shall also be the com
monwealths attorney for the circuit court one
county clerk who Shall also be the clerk OF the Cir
.uN court except that in counties containing fif-
,I err h there may be separate
Clcrk Tor The circuit court one county TREASURER.
and one superintendent of the poor. And there
Shsii DC appointed In the manner provided for in
ArIyle VII. one superintendent Of schools Pro-
Ctded, That counties containing less than etrb:
thousand Inhabitants may be attached to adjoining
counties Tor the formation of districts for sperin
tendcnts OF schools Provided also. That in conn
Ties containing thirty thousand Inhabitants there
may Dc appointed an additional superintendent of
schools therein. All regular elections for county
first Monday in November, and all officers elected
or appointed under this provision shall enter upon
The duties OF their offices the first day of Janu-
airy next succeeding their election and Shall hold
their Offices for the term Of three wears, except
that the county and circuit court clerks shall bold
III :lr Offices for four years.
TotcnshipS
SECTION .. Each county Of the State SHALL be