The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-12-15

stituton. In the late municipal difficul.is,
in this city, the control of single company
Of wel7organizcd and equipped militia would
have enabled the Executive to quell, in its
incipiency, that disgracefnl ami most unjus
tifable instruction against the laws Of the
Commonwealth. But he then had neither
officer nor private under his command, and
he has none now. Even the public property
Of the State is guarded by officers sworn in
as special policemen Of the city Of Richmond,
and subject to its control It is true th at I
employ these guards, and pay them out Of
the contingent find, because absolutely
necessary for the protection of the public
property but it is equally true that they are
not the officers of the State, nor technically
under the control of the State authorities. !
Under the authority of a joint resolution,
approved February Is, 1870. tho superiu-
tendcnt of the psaitentiary, with my approx
al employed twenty temporary guards"
for sixty days to guard the State prisoners
and the penltentiary. To default of any
other provision for supplying this necessary
Service, this guard has ever since been con-
tinucd, and paid from the contingent fund.
This condition of things ought not longer to
exist. Provision should be made for the
organization of a suitable State guard,
which [ am satisfied can be maintained at an
expense very little in excess of the cost Of
our present guards. And I am inclined to
believe that the State guard shall form
part of the militia organization of the State.
to be organized, armed and uniformed. aud
be subject to the same regulations, and to
receive the same compensation, as the mill
tia when in active service. s9
The ninth article of tho constitution is
mandatory upon the Leg islature to provide
for the organization of the militia and. un-
der the second section of that article, there
can be no difficulty in framing law which
wi fully met the wants and necessities Of
our peculiar situation.
On the 9th of March last, in response to
q resolution of the House of Delegates. I
transmitted to that body a communication.
from which I quote the following language
During the late war, by authority of the
freedmen's bureau CT other Federal authori-
ty. large number of colored people were
settled. and have ever since continued to
reside upon. a plantation known as Taylor's
farm, in Norfolk county, and upon a plan.
tation known as Celey Smiths farm, in Eliz-
abeth City county. When the functions Of
the freelmen's bureau ceased, these people
were left in possession Of these properties.
surprising, as they claim, and no doubt
honestly, in their ignorance of right and
law, that they had right to the same be-
cause of the authority by which they had
been put in possession and they were not
disabused Of this idea, as they ought to have
been, BY these authorities. Several unsuc-
cessful attempts we're made to peaceably re-
move these people and restore the possession
Of the property to the rightful owners
Finally, ejectment suits were instituted in
the civil courts, and judgments rendered,
prior to the restoration Of the State to repre-
santation in Congress in January last; but
for causes to me unknown, writs of possess
sion were not executed, and an attempt
lately made to execute such writs by the
sheriff Of Elizabeth City county was met
with armed resistance by these colored peo..
pie. These occupants declare that they
we're put in posscssi of this property by
the United States, and that they will yield
possession only to the United States govern
ment, or by its authority. I am inclined to
believe, from information have received,
that any attempt to enforce the writs of the
courts By State forces might result in blood
shed, which [ have no doubt that the officers
of the law will have no difficulty in performs
ing their duty, and will avoid bloodshcd, if
o small force Of United States troops DO
placed at their disposal In view of these
facts, it would appear to mo desirable that
the General Assembly should, in the mode
prescribed by the constitution and laws OF
the United States, request of the President
of the United States such military force as
will enable the sherlffs of the counties named
to execute the legal process of the courts in
these cases"
On the next day, the 25th of March. the
General Assembly passed joint resolution
in accordance with the foregoing recommen-
dalton, and the same was promptly trans.
mitted to the President of the United States.
In due time an order came from the War
Department to General CANDY, then COM
manding this department, to furnish the aid
requested. At my suggestion, General
Candy ordered troops to the assistance of
the sheriff of Elizabeth City county first,
who, with the aid thus rendered, successful
ly executed the process of the courts. 1
entertained the hope that the example thus
set would have a beneficial effect upon tho
Illegal occupants of Taylor's farm, in Nor
folk county, and with this view, advised
some delay in the latter case ; but in this [
was disappointed. Ia the meantime this
State had beea attached to the Department
Of the East, and to its commander, General
Irwia Mcdowell, Iapplicd for aid for the
sheriff of Norfolk county, on the 3lst of
May last. La response to my application,
troops were ordered from Fortress Monroe
to the assistance Of the sheriff of Norfolk
county on OR about the 2lst day of juno
following. On the 22nd day of June re-
csived from General Barry commanding at
Fortress Monroe, telegram, of which the
following is copy:
Eft MONROE, June %, 1870.
To his E,cellency Gilbert c. Walker, Governor Of
Virginia.: -
lu obedience to a telcgraphic order from
she honorable, the Secretary of War, have
this day recalled the detachment &C troops
sent by me tc the Taylor farm to protect
the sheriff of Norfolk county. q>f4.w
WILLIAM T. BARRY"
And at about the same time | received
from the sheriff of Norfolk county the fol-
lowing telegram
"NoRFoLK VA. June %, 1870.
70 his EXceilency Gilbert G. Walker Goyernor