The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-04
The Proposed County Organization
Il will Cost no More than the Present

The Proposed County Organizatlon''-
II will Cost no More than the Present
system and Require no More officers.
lis highly important shat the minds OF
the PEOPLE should be disabused OF wrong
impressions of the expense that it is gene
rallv believed the county organization will
entail upon the several counties OF the
state. These misconceptions have arisen
from ignorance of the practical workings OF
the new system and prejudice against any
thing that New England might originate.
Now, let intelligent gentlemen who arc OPP
posing the adoption Of the new'constltll''oh
on account Of this clause remember that
GOOD may come out OF Nazareth, and give
This matter an impartial consideration by
comparing it with the Alexandria constitu-
ton. .t
The expcnse OF the magistcrial system IN
the large counties will compensate Literally
the county judge (who is to be eicc'eo ny
the Lccislaturc), and tho constitution pro-
yities that counties containing less IMAM
5000 inhabitants shall be attached 10 ad-
;oin;uo counties for tho formation OF dis
trcts for county Judges. ,....'. .-.,.
In the place of four Justices OF the peace
in each magistcrial district the constitution
provides for the reduction OF The number TO
one for each township; and the Legislature
NAV include two or three OF the present
districts in one township. So great wouid
he the reduction thus made in the county
judicial system that the number ol county
officers will be fewer under the new tllan
under the old constitution, excluding school
trustees, who are not properly county ON
GERS. The justices will be merely conscrf-
ators of the peace, with authority TO
take Acknowledgements Of deeds, depoSl-
lions, and to try warrants, and will receive
no compensation except the usual fees OF q
notary.
Instead Of the sheriff, who is now the col
hector and treasurer of the county, and the
marshal of the courts, there will be She
riff with the duties Of marshal only, and in
addition treasurer elected for the county,
and collector for each township. These
additional officers, performing the precise
duties Of the sheriff, should only receive in
the aggregate what he now receives as COM
assessors, whose duties will be identical with
those of the commissioner of the revenue
under the present system. So far, certainly,
there can be no additional expense incurred
by the new system.
The compensation of the supervisors for
their small but important duties i'll audit
ing the accounts, examining the books of
irin no
valuation of property, and fixing the county
levy-whch duties are now discharged by
full bench of iusticcs-will not be i'll the
aggregate as great as is now paid the jus
tees for performing the same duties, rs
there will be only Il supervisor from each
township instead of four justices from each
district. The township clerk will have but
little to do, and his compensation will be
small. The new road system is generally
preferred.
The conclusion may therefore lie reached
that the county organization, independent
Of the school system, will not be more ex-
pensive than the present.
The whole control of the school system,
which the constitution requires to be gradu-
ally introduced, is in the hands of the Lc-
gislaturc. That public schoolSarc desirable
and beneficial to all communities, none can
deny but especially will they prove u bcnc-
fit to our community, which has so large Il
class possessing all the rights of citizens but
who are still in the depths Of Ignorance and
the most scryile subjects of obstinate pre-
iudice and clandcstine revenge. The great
t,,.l.x, &
The additional taxation which the constitu-
ton nccesSitatcs is to secure i lasting hcnc-
fit to the Statc-one that will prove no small
auxiliary in the development of our mate
rial resources. We want Immigration,
and that want must principally be supplied
from the North, where public schools uni
vcrsaily exist. Is it probable that hard
working, industrious men of the North will
leave these advantages to come to Virginia,
where his children must grow up in igno-
rance unless he can afford to educate them
himself? The fact that we shall have county
regulations similar to most Of the northern,
States will be no small inducement to emil
grafton from those States. We must offer
inducements other than those of climate
and fertility of soil to make immigration to
our State general. Objectionable though
some of the provisions Of this constitution
be, yet important and weighty consdcra-
lions demand its adoption, with moditica-
tons. 1t is TO be feared the people are not
sufficiently aroused TO the Importance of
securing every vote for modification that is
possible.
Much time Is lost In denunciation of the
constitution that should be spent in earnest
Efforts to secure its modification. The adop-
ton of the constitution, either tcith or arith-
Omt modification, is iorcgonc conclusion.
Then let every one strive to have the con>ti-
tuition eXpurgatcd by sacrificing upon the
altar oi our dear old State all personal pre-
lerences for the attainment of this great
end.
S----------------
The Herndon Case.
Comment il proypkpl nv the decision OF