Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-02-17
ok, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY FEBRUARY II, 1870 .
Message Of the Governor.

Message Of the Governor
R1cuMoND, Feb. 9-Goyernor Walk
er sent to the Legislature to-day the fol-
lowing message: Is.
Gentlemen of the Senate .at.
"a and House Of Delegates /:
On entering upon the discharge Of my
duties as the Chief Executor Of tie State,
under the Constitution, on the 9th day
of january last, excepting that Of Attor
new General, found nearly every office
| in the Commonwealth either vacant or
filled by military appointment: The
Office of Lieutenant Governor, made va
cant BY the resignation of the Hon, John
F. Lewis, was filed by the appointment Of
John L. Marye, esq, who duly qualified
| on the 9th day of January last The
authority for this appointment is contain
ed in the 9Th section Of the 4th article Of
the Constitution, The necessity for the
prompt exercise ST this authority was SC
apparent and pressing that I was unwill-
ing to assume the responsibility Of delaying
it. Twelve days would elapse before the
assembling of your honorable bodies, and
probably several days thereafter before
you could make suitable provision for fill
ing the Office. The commission Of Lieu
tenant Governor Marye will expire thirty
dave from the commencement of youl
present session, and it will be the duty o.
the General Assembly to make timely
provision for filing the Office thereafter
The Secretary of the Commonwealth, the
| First and Second Auditors and the Regis
ter Of the Land Office, severally rendered
their designations to me, to take effect OF
the 1st instant For many reasons l did
not deem it advisable to accept any Of
these designations, and the duties apper-
tanning to these offices have continued tc
be discharged by the former incumbents
To solve all legal doubts as to whether
these officers coald hold over after the
restoration of the State to civil govern
ment as well as to perfect the prompt or
ganization Of the State Government under
the Constitution. I trust the General AS
sembly will proceed at once to fill these
Offices as we'll as that of Treasurer.
9lW PENITENTJARy. ..
You have also to elect Superintca
and General Agent and Storekeeper Of
the Penitentiary, and the earlier you per-
form that important duty the better, both
fer tue interest of the State aud the safety
and well being of the prisoners. The act
ing General Agent and Storekeeper has
already rendered his resignation, bat the
Superintendent has not. The condition
of our Peuitentiary demands your pornipt
and serious consideration. During the
last year the lumber of convlcts has IN
creased 10 an alarming extent, On the
1st of January, 1869, the number of pris-
oucrs remaining in that Institution was
357, while on the 1s5 Of January, 1870,
the number had increased to COL. The
expenses for the fiscal year ending Sep
TEN Der 80, 1868, were SOS, POI .36. while
for the fiscal year ending September 80,
1869, they had increased to so 038 70.
Most of the prisoners are able bodied
men, aud ought to be employed at some
mechanical business, thus tightening the
burthen which this institution has Always
been to the State, and benehtting the
prisoners themselves by providing them
regular and hralthtul exercise for both
BODY and brain, and by teaching them
some useful occupation. But the expe-
rience of other similar institutions, as
we'll as our own, | believe, has de-
monstrated that this cannot be done with
any profit by tbs State. Hence in most
of the States the contract system has
been resorted to, and, SO far as am ia
formed, with good success. The con-
victs 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 articles of mefchan
disc, but principally boots and shoes. In
such cases the State furnishes only the
necessary room for the. accommodation o.
the prisoners and the power, steam Oh
water. necessary for the propulsion of the
machinery required, and guards or keep
ers in sufficient numbers to prevent the
escape of the prisoners and to preserve
order and discipline among them. an
strongly of the opinion that the State car
be relieved from very large portion O
the expenses of the Peni.entiary by thu
proper introduction of this system. i
have already in possession one or TIVE
propositions from entirely responsiblepar
ties, proposing to employ all the able
/ bodied male prisoners in the institution IL
the manufacture of boots and shoes.
have delayed accepting any proposition
thus far because, among other reasons
the State Government had not been fully
organizod under the State Constitution
and because it appeared to me that some
additional legislation might be required
The present buildings are old, much ou
/ of repair, unsafe, and not well ad aptec
| for prison with the necessary workshops.
It must be repaired and ought to be re
modelled aad enlarged, or a new penitent-
larry built. r. p Il 1a
| The lands occupied by;his Institution a
this time are too valuable for such pur-
pose A new location can undoubtedly
be obtained, easy of access and possessing
equal or greater advantages than the
present and new, more suitable and COM
plete buildings erected thereon at an ex-
pense not very much in excess OF the val
ue of the present Penitentiary property
re YOUR honorable bodies should agree
with me in this view Of the subject,
would recommend that amediate action be
taken for the saleof the present, and the