The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-10
aeneral Assembly ofvirginia
WEDNESDAY, February 9, 1870.
SENATE

The Senate met NJ IL U Cioen' az" w."
called to order by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MAnYE.
PRAYER by Rev. Dr.. Jeter.
The Journal of yesterday was read anu
approved.
| GENERAL CANDY.
| \ communication from General CANDY
acknowledging the receipt OF resolution OF
the Senate inviting him and stan 10 inc
floor, and expressive of thanks, was read to
the Senate.
| CLERKS REPORT.
The clerks report, from the Clerk of the
House of Delegates, was read and LAID on
the table for printing.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The House joint resolution providing Tor
the election of certain officers was taken up
and passed.
FROM THE HOUSE.
House joint resolutions in regard to the
election of officers and political disabilities
we're received.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Colonel Owen, aid to the Governor, pre-
scented to the Senate the following:
Gentlemen of the Senate
and House Of Delegates:
On entering upon the discharge OF my
duties as the Chief Executive of the State
under the Constitution on the 9th day OF
January last, excepting that Of Attorney
General found nearly every Office in the
Commonwealth either vacant or filed by Q
military appointee. The Office of Lieuten-
ant Governor, made vacant by the resiSna-
ton of the Hon. John F. Lewis, was filled
by the appointment of John L. Maryc, Esq,
who duly qualified on the 9th day Of Jan
uary last. The authority for this appoint
ment is contained in the 5th section OF the
4th article of the Constitution. The neces-
sity for the prompt exercise of this author
ity was 30 apparent and pressing that was
unwilling to assume the responsibility OF
delaying it. Twelve days would elapse be-
fore the assembling of your honorable bo-
dies, and probably several days thereafter
before you could make suitable provi-
sion for filling the Office. In the mean
time the death of the Governor would
tive head, and inevitably thrown its
affairs into confusion, fraught with the
greatest dangers. The commission of Lieu
tenant Governor Marye will expire thirty
days from the commencement Of your pre-
sent session, and it will be the duty Of the
| General Assembly to make timely provi-
sion for filling the office thereafter. The
Secretary of the Commonwealth, the First
| md Second Auditors, and the Register of
the Land Office, seyerally rendered their
| designations to me, to take effect on the lst
instant. For many reasons did not deem
it advisable to accept any of these resigna-
tions, and the duties appertaining to those
offices have continued to be discharged by
| the former incumbents. To solve all legal
doubts as to whether these officers could
| hold over after the restoration of the State
| to civil government, as we'll rs to perfect
the prompt organization of the State Go
vernment under the Constitution, trust
the General Assembly will proceed at once
to fill these Offices as we'll as that of Urea
surer.
PENlTENTIARY.
You have also to elect Superintendent.
and General Agent and Storekeeper Of the
Pentertiary, and the earlier you perform
that important duty the better, both for the
interest of the State and the safety aud
well-being of the prisoners. The acting
general agent and storekeeper has already
rendered his resignation, but the supcIin-
tendent has not. The condition Of our
penitentiary demands your prompt anu
serious consideration. During the past
year the number of convicts has Increased
to an alarming extent. On the LIST OF JaEu-
ary, 1869, the number of prisoners re-
naming in the institution was 81, while
on the LIST of January, 1870, the number
had increased to COL. The expenses Tor the
fiscal year ending September 80, 1868, were
| 5,20l sc, while for the fiscal year ending
| September 80, 1863, they had increased to
s79 ,03S.73. Most of the prisoners are able
bodied men, and ought to be employed at
some mechanical business, thus Tightening
the burthen which this institution has al
WAYS been TO the State, and benehtlng the
| prisoners themselves by providing them
| regular and healthful exercise 1or Doth
body and brain, and by teaching them
some useful occupation. But the expo
rience Of other similar institutions, as well
as our own, I believe, has demonstrated
| that this cannot be done with any profit by
the State. Hence, in most of the State
the "contract system " has been re-
sorted to, and, so far as am informed, with
| GOOD success. The convicts are employed
Under contracts with persons not otherwise
connected with the prisons extending from
three to FIVE years, at certain stipulated
| price per day, in the manufacture Of arti-
cles of merchandise, but principally boots
and shoes. In such cases the State fur
nishes only the necessary room Tor the ac-
commodation of the prisoners, and the
power (steam or water) necessary for the
PROPULSION of the machinery required and
guards or keepers in sufficient numbers 10
prevent the escape Of the prisoners and to
preserve order and discipline among them.
| am strongly of the opinion that the State
can be relieved from very large portion
of the expenses Of the penitentiary by the
proper introduction of this system. l have
already in my possession one or two propo-
sitions, from entirely responsible parties,
proposing to employ all the able-bodied
male prisoners in the institution in the
J manufacture Of boots and Shoes I have
!. delayed accepting any proposition thus far
, because, among other reasons, the State
Government had not been fully organized
under the Constitution, and because 1t ap-
peared to me that some additional legisla-
ton might be required. The present build
inss are old, much out of repair, unsafe,
and not well adapted for prison with the
necessary workshops. 1t must be repaired,
and ought to be remodelled and enlarged,
or q new penitentiary built.
The lands occupied by the institution at
this time are too valuable for such a pur-
pose. A new location can undoubtedly be
obtained, easy Of access, and possessing
equal or greater advantages than the pre-
i sent, and new, more suitable and complete
buildings erected thereon at an expense not