Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-02-17


whers. s
BY thu adoption of this system. and by
requiring that the value of the property
stolen shall be at least thirty dollars to
constitute the crime of grand larceny,
you will free the courts Of record ola very
large proportion of their criminal basi-
ness and the Commonwealth from a fourth
to third of its criminal charges"
Gases of trial and conviction Of larceny,
with mere suspicion Of burglary. have
lately come to my knowledge, where the
whole value of the property stolen did not
exceed one dollar, and ye. these cases
went through all the formalities of arrest,
examination by a magistrate, commit
ment, in default of bail. to the county
Jail, a formal investigation by the grand
jury, resulting in a formal indictment and
trial by the county court and petit jury
consuming days OF time aud costing the
Commonwealth from seEenty-fve to one
hundred dollars. Now, such cases ought
to be summarily tried by justice of the
peace in two hours. at an expense net ex
ceeding FIVE dollars. Every county and
city should be compelled by law to estab-
lish, at as early day as practicable, a
poorhouse, for the care and sustenance of
the ipfrm and helpless within its corpor-
ate limits, and in connection Herewith,
Or with the Jail, workhouse, where os
tenders of the class under consideration
MAY be compelled 20 labor upon the pub
lie roads, or in tilling the soil, or at such
other employment as may be most profit
able, thereby contributing to tighten ratll-
er than increase the burthens of the peo-
pie. In all courts, the compensation of
all officers except the judges. should be
the only fees appertaining to their respec :,
tive offices, to be paid in all cases by suit
ors, except in criminal cases, where either
the prosecution fails, or the defendant
has no property from which the fees can
be collected While our courts should be
freely opened to ALL and the cost incident
litigation ought not to be so high as to
amount, in any sense, to denial of JUS
tice, yet it is right that suitors should
bear. to some extent, the increased ex-
penses they occasion. | would recon-
mend that, in every civil case in court
of record, a fee Or tax of from three to
FIVE dollars be imposed, to be paid to the
clerk at the commencement of the suit,
aud before any papers are filed or issued,
and to be by the clerk paid into the
treasury of the State.
By such notifications of our laws as I
have thus briefly suggested, it is quite
probable that at least fifty thousand dbl
lars can annually be saved to the State in
the administration of the civil and crimi-
nal Jurisprudence.
ASYLUM FOR INSANE coLoRED PEOPLE.
Soon after entering upon the discharge
of my duties as Provisional Governor, [
ascertained that both the Eastern and
Western Lunatic Asyluns were filled to
overflow with patients, and that there were
many insane people, both white and col
orod, in the various county jails, and 9TH
CT places about the State, where they
could not be properly treatsd or cared for
It seemed inperatively demanded that
some measures should be promptly provi
ded for the suitable care aud custody of
these unfortunate people. The propriety
of charging tie Eastern Luuatic Asylum
was first considered, but the expense of
such enlargement seemed too great to JUS
tify its being undertaken at that time
Besides it was deemed advisable that the
insane of the two races should be provid-
ed for separately. subsequently the prop
erty lying Immediately east of the city,
known as Howard Grove Hospital, through
an arrangement effected by the Com
.manding General, was turned over TO the.
State, and it was determined to convert
the same into an Asylum for the Colored
Insane, and to remove thereto those of
that race who were at the Eastern Lunatic
Asylum, thus leaving in that Institution
sufficient accommodation for the white in
sane, who, as before stated, were in differ
ent jails and other places of confinement
in the State. That arrangement has been
carried fully into effect. The property
thus turned over to the State. without cost,
is of considerable value. 1t consists of
Ci2ubcGu tiCl CS vi lAuu INV uuuSi ICdcC W
the State for ten years, at an annual rem
tai of two hundred dollars, wherein stands
several wooden buildings, worth five
six thousand dollars, have been erected.
and some necessary Improvements and
repairs made at the expense Of tho State.
Beds, bedding and other necessary arti-
cles, which were in use or stored on the
premises, were purchased from the gov
eminent at nominal price. a
The lease and plan of the grounds
and building are on file in tho Office of
tire Auditor Of Public Accounts The
report herewith submitted of the Superin-
tendent of Public Buildings who at my
instance has had charge of this property
for the past month, contains statement
of the expenditures made by the
State, the condition and capacity of tho
intuition and the number of patients now
under treatment. With the further ex-
penditurc of a small sum it is believed
that all the colorcd insane of the State
can be well and comfortably accommodated
at this ASYLUM for the next. ten, years
| would respectfully Recommend that a
law be at once enacted organizing this
Asylum upon the plan of the Eastern
and Western Lunatic Asylums, and
providing for the care and custody of
all the oolored insane Of the State at the
same.
have been requested by the authorities OF
Randolph Macon college to submit for yeur
"a proposition in writing, for
the sale to the State Of The property of hat
institution situated in Mecklenburg county,
for an asylum for insane colored people. My
great respect for the gentlemen who make