The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-08

(, is most ,deleterious. It familiarizes then
with the idea of crime, and has q tendenc,
to soften and destroy the terrors and shame
of convict life. The most serious objection
However, to this system Is its effect upor
the convict himself. Prisons and peniten
tiaries are maintained chiefly for the pur
pose of punishment but how much pun
| ishnent Is it to many Of our prisoners to bt
we'll fed, clothed, and cared for, and only
compelled to perform about sufficient labol
to keep them in good health3 doubt no
that many of them would prefer 1t to q lift
of self-dependence and care, and, in many
cases, of want and hardship. / have yielded
a reluctant assent to this system under tht
| pressing necessities Of our situation. i
would be almost impossible to keep all oul
convicts within our present penltentlary
while the expense of maintaining so large
a number in fdleness would be enormous
and the effect upon the prisoners most inju
rio1Is. II, however, our present buildings
were enlarged sufficiently, or 4 new, com
modious, and well-arranged prison were
built, all our prisoners could be employed
within the penitentiary to much greater
advantage to the State, the people, and the
convicts themselves, than by the present
contract system. The prison could thus be
made self.sustaining and complete reali-
zation of the idea of penitentiary-" q
place where offenders are confined for pun.
ishment and reformation, and compelled to
labor.'
Another change is required In our prison
system. Now the youth Of twelve or fiji:
teen years, sent to the Penitentiary fora
year, perhaps for larceny, may be incarce.
rated in cell with wretch hardened by
twenty years Of crime. Atthe end oftwelve
months the youth graduates from prison a
perfect master ofall the arts and appliances
of an accomplished thief and burglar, ready
and eager, perhaps, to put in practice the
knowledge acquired during his years aseo-
ciation with the depraved companion Of his
cell. This may be an extreme case, but not
at all an improbable one. There are many
cases now in our penltentiary differing
from this only in degree. Now, prisons
should be reformatory as we'll as punitive.
While the criminal is punished for viola
tion of law and for its vindication, as we'll
as for an example to others, no effort
should be spared to reform and elevate his
moral nature. Particularly should all in
strumentalities possible be used to reform
the young, impressible, and inexperienced.
They should be removed from the contain.
mating influence and association OF older,
more experienced, and hardened criminals.
We ought to have reformatory prissn for
youths under eighteen years Of age, sepa.
rate and distinct from the penitentiary, to
be controlled and managed upon somewhat
different principles, and under different
rules and regulations and l trust that,
whether the present buildings be remodeled
or new penitentlary constructed, this idea
will be carried into practical effect by the
erection of another and separate prison, or
by q division of the penitentiary in such a
manner that youths under eighteen years of
age may be assigned to section completely
isolated from the balance of the prison and
prisoners.
SPECIAL LEGISLATION.
One Of the wisest provisions OF our Con-
stitution is contained in the 20th section of
the 9th article, which declares that "gene-
ral laws shall be passed for the organiza-
ton and government of cities,a no special
act shall be passed except in cases where,
in the judgment of the General Assembly,
the object of such act cannot be attained by
general laws" The principle here applied
to the laws for the organization and gov
ernment of cities ought not to have been
| limited in its scope to one subject, but
| should rather have been extended, so as tc
cover every subject of legislation. Specia
| legislation has grown to be an evil OF glgan
| tic proportions, and i'll some States anC
| legislative bodies has become the prolific
source Of decentralization and corruption
AS q general rule, no special act should bt
| passed upon any subject, the object OF which
can be accomplished by general laws. Tt
| determine, in part, the extent oil the evil
special legislation, 80 Tar as we are con
cerned, you have but to refer to the pub
lshed acts of your last session. Some O
,,I l,t, nklN fal, no
cessary, owing to the abnormal condition
our affairs. But look ut tile number of spe
cial acts of incorporation, including cities
and towns, and the acts relating to or fol
the bereilitt CT private corporations alone
Compare the space which these acts occupy
in that yolume with the total legislation 0l
the session and its cost, and the result Will
astonish you. And yet there are very few
Of these acts the object of which might not
have beet attained by general laws. General
laws for the organization OF towns and
cities and stock companies, for mining and
manufacturing, banking, and insurance,
and all other kinds of business for which
stock companies are organized, should be
| passed, if those we have already are insuft1-
! cient. l am also in favor of general free
railroad law. Wherever railroad, or O
canal, or transportation company Is need
ed, and people can be found VINO will In
vest the necessary capital, let the enter
prise be organized and completed. Ne fears
need be entertained that we shall have too
many of either. Our Session Laws for
wears past are filled with special charters,
many of which remain unused to this day +,
and, perhaps, in many cases, were never
intended to be used, except for the pur-
poses of speculation or for the exclusion OF
others who might desire to occupy the same
field Corporations. l sincerely believe that
the enactment of general laws of the char
acter named, and the establishment OF an ir.
reversible rule, never to grant any special
charters, would not only annually save to
the Commonwealth large sums of money,
but would tend very largely to the devel.
opement of our agricultural, mining, anc
| commercial resources.
PRESENTATION OF BILLS.
The late Constitutional Convention, IN I'll
profound wisdom, among sundry other limo
yations heretofore unknown in the civil p0
lity of this State, imposed upon the Exec
utive the duty of examining and APPROX
| ing or disapproving of every act passed by
the General Assembly. This is technical
! known as the veto power, and its eXercls
| by the Executive, at any time and unde
any circumstances, is duty OF pecnla
| delicacy and importance. Without here
discussing the wisdom or necessity OF tn
lodgment of this power in the hands of th'
Executive, am free to say that, personally
I should rejoice to be relieved from the La
Dor and responsibility which it impose
upon me; but while it remains one OF tn
constitutional obligations devolved upol
me, / shall fulfil it in a manner at least sat
isfactory to my own conscience, and bene
fetal, trust, to the Commonwealth. 1t
the sworn duty Of the Executive "to TAX
care that the laws be faithfully executed,
and the like obligation rests upon him t
tinterpose his objections to the cnactmen
Eof either hasty, corrupt, or unconstitu
tional laws. Fortunately, it is matter {
pride and profound congratulation that 1a " v