The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-05

800 s shT,,syv aiEg wHFs spE nfaa5ved b9 rass5@e-
eatiss { ata aat sdsen ssas sss ~, snss 24e r. sor rssp Fssss
ryIsf. is1e.s prpsiding for aFs-4ss gssinenL1 ln ! 4ssEts
audsdtstioTai objection. sssgtssas gr ,tse qsssss
az 2 g asi,s, ,,n gnnsg;fa sass s Il Fl sbese RE
I. NM. rseneral Assemb5JAsalt
assessraenI or the real sstate O. tnis s a,se5 y, nv, lhe yssr
5 Tgs,s OF Sss e sI'egssaer. proyiasd. In milking aueii as
sesanicnt, no LAND shall be aseesseo s sspaf 1, ! ~ nnssa,yy
IA vrlue.s 50 In interpreting eoHstisutlnnai PToyE
asns i.,s ! ;. safe rule sS a sss a1 les s. M nn-seGesassss-
cceding IN which 2 Power SHOULD pc eXsIcLsen ~ aa
b Il Isist z s.rsp E b rrsEr;1Id p mn fl,sp 4 a me- p s9G mode
jon6tad. and b5 authority of which my, ana aii.ase
sesarnerts oflants must be iiade; presGri2 pes s In ,hs ~
assessments OF the real iestIte IN the s,ate s hn =
made. A re-assessEient shall be made In me !esI
1870, Or az soon lhsrss !, sat as s. pT mahfna s,, sat asses ssss
~ e n 70 mo iand Shall be assessed above or below.
it's vnine.,' Pho very Just rnle here prescI1DeatssiItt He
land shall be assRssed neither above nor DeloWy 10
..,',a 20 annlicabIe only to .snch" assessments as
arc made nc the times prescribed in the preceoips
clause-viz.. the first nssesslnent anu aioss = III :.
every fifth wear thereafter. No rule ls prescrlDeda as
to any other assessment. mol. are any otnsr as sess4
mems author.zed.&I If The intent were 10 perniii
prIe ne tn value enlarged and made applicable TO az
rstSer than such = assessments rs were enunle.
rated? Why was not such intent expressed ed as sy seas
The mower Of the General Assembly were unlimited
in this respect, why attempt t. T,, prg goTar to an im u5ose
taxation Is Inherent In, every Government auh hy !
uncontrolled except by the faIdaniental awo.
nre nsii by the Constitution. this power must he
exercised within the est Established and defined bolinas.
The Constitution of 1851 Gid not contain the sectioh
uuoer discussion. and the fict that 1t was incoipo-
rated In our present Constitution raises a strong
presumption that lis trainers not only deemed some
LIN Il ,h9s b 9RojPf d fse \ TiTS Fu o. al tas hat Ssn they intend
ed that the power should he Exercised on'y at the
times and In the manner prescribed. While am MOI
prepared to pronounce this act TO he "in paipapie
ppio]p,rion Of the constitutions, l entertain snch grave
doubts upon the subject that / wouid counset an
avoidance of any further legislation OF tnis ciaraJs
ter. have no doubt that In some localities lalldS
have decreased, while III others they have Increased
I'm value since the assessment Of 1870. but can the
ton TO every Temporary fiuctuation in the value OF
property In every locality In the state nat j.
needed. and what VIC liave not yet had, IS a talr, JUST,
monwc,Ith +: but this cannot be attained by J. re-as-
sessmcnt, even If the Legislature had thc GhuGuGtea
authority 10 order Il. 1t can only De accolnpLsncu
by some plan of equalization. which shail as near AZ
possible Secure the assessment OF all properly ~ lS
real value, as prescribed In the Constitution. fa7'
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
The reports of our three insane asylums, and the
Institution for the I,caf, Dumb and Blind, are mere
with submitted. All these institutions have been
most admirably managed during the past year, re-
fecting the highest credit upon the officers IN chaIst
ana Tie several DOllhS VI l. ecA. -.
nnon the General Assembly the necessity Tor In
creased accommodation for the Insane. Large num-
hers of Il csc unfortunates are cortined IN our JiliS
because there Is not room for then, in either asylum.
Our present asylulns must lie enlarged, or a new one
constructed. | am still of the opinion, ana Tor inc
reasons urged in my last annual message. that it's
advisable to establish another asylum at Lynch.
burg or some other point equally acccsslDlG 10 tuat
norton the south si1c) of the State" All things
considered, deem 1t unwise to attempt the enlarge
ment of either our eastern or western asyiuins: J.
regret to see 4 renewal on the part OF tnc autnorllifs
of the former Of Il persistent ana. us l tnink: un"iss
effort 70 secure from the Legislature a SANCTION OF
an extensive scheme for the enlargement OF mat IN
Stituton,
While the penitentiary Is In better condition, and
ia ne we'll If not better managed :llaT ever before.
IL has not during the past year been as sHccesSlnl III
the reduction of expenses aud the increase Oh iS
EARNINGS as had hoped, nor as believe II wonlu
have been, had the recommendations which l nave
hereto fore made been promptly sancti3heG u!
propcr legislation. 1t was 4 charge upon, the Trea,
srrv during the last fiscal year, over and above al,
receipts. OF S65.0J0.7S; but when the amount earned
but unpaid on the lst Of October h Last i9 pr tge b niI roo Oh
vlcts upon the capitol aud penitenuary improve
ments, together with the amount expended IN me
into consideration. it will he found that the actual
cost of this Institution to the State. was less than
$4,000: and this. too, Notwithstanding the fact that
the number OF prisoners WAS aDout Us u Seas upuAnS
any preceding year.
Some changes have been made In The system OF
hiring ont convicts Formerly the contractor bore
nil the expense of the care. custody, clothing. and
M ,n,inten,licc of the c~onyicts employed by him, and
paid to the State twenty-five cents iHT each uays
fahot performed. The Changes which / have made
are in the price per Gay, which has hceh raised to
forty cents, and placing the medical care and super
intentleuce of the conrict5 entirely under tle con-
trni of the surgeon of the pcnitcntiary. Thus the
State will realize fully o%nc-third mere for each days
labor performed, and the health and general condl-
tion OF the cOnvictS he more carefully ana SltiSfac-
torilv maintained and protected. There were on tfc
list OF October last s3 conrictS, of whom S67 were
hired out to labor outside OF the penitcntary' IN
,,-n ~ t1,n T. It Anrlt 80 Ike.
I cordially commend the RECOMMENDATION. OF the
Hoard of directors as To increased accommodation
within the peniteatiary. and | desire to call especial
attention 10 the valuable suggestions OF the surgeon.
And in this connection l desire again to call attcn-
ton TO tic necessity of some provision for the sepa-
rate care and custody OF youthful conricts, and re-
neat here the language of the message of December
1th. 1870 :"Anotiler change Is requiredin our prison
system. Now, the youth of twelve or fifteen years,
cerv, may be incarcerated in u cell with a wretch
hardened By twenty years oil criife. AL the end OIL
twelve months ne youth gr'aua1es IRON r ~ so "a u
accomplished thief and burglar, ready ana eager
perhaps, to put In practice fite krowicdSc ac-
uuired during his years association Win the
irnruvei con.pluiOH cf his cell. This may
be an eytrelnc case, but not at all au lmproha-
bic one: There are man! casts now " ~ our
Now, prisons should lie rciorniatory as well Us punt
tive. While The criminal is punished for = violation
of law and for its vlndication, rs wei us lor an eN-
ample to others, no efforts should be spared 10 reform
and elevate his moral nature. Particularly should
Mi instrulucntalities possible lie used TO- reform the
Young. imprcssiblc, audincXrerienccd. They should
be removed from tho COMMUNICATING influence and
association OF older, more experienced, and harden
cd criminals. We ought 10 have i relorinntory pri-
son for YOUTHS under eighteen years OF age, separate
and distinct from the pcnitenttary, to he controlled
and managed upon somewhat different principles,
and ul:dcr different rules and regulations; and
trust that. whether the pSeSeEt buildings tic reno
Gelcd or Il new penitcDtiary constructed, this Idea
VIII be carried into practical effect by tile erection OF
another and separate prison, or ny q division OF the
o,,itn III ~ In GIIch "A manner fnIt NDuttS ulUpr
eighteen years Of age may he assigned 10 Il section
completely isolated from the balance OF the prison
and prisoners"
Among the many reforms looking to the decrease
of the expenses and the increase or the Teve-
nues of the State which | have had the homo
to recommend to the General Assembly, and which
I regret have not been fully carried into effect by
proper legislation. was that OF our Judicial system.
Two plans were suggested III my last annual mes
sage for the accomplishment of this o~bject-cither
the Enlargement OF The nlI.berol circuit courts ana
the reduction of the jurisdiction OF the county courts
or the enlargement of the jurisdiction OF me county
courts and the reduction or tie nuInDerald Jurisdlc-
ton Of the circuit courts. Further reflection has con-
vinccd me that the former is the more feasible plan.
We need but one court Of record 81 original Juris-
diction, and undoubtedly twenty, or 1t most twenty
four. circuit courts could readily and promptly ut
lend 10 all legal business. except probate. necessary
to be transacted IN courts OF record. County courts
cannon be abolished without an anlcudncnt OF the
Constitution, nor should deem IL a,iTisa6ie under
however, Is within the control of tue Legislature.
Let Their Jurisdiction be limited TO matters of pro-
bate aud such civil and criminal jurisdiction and
general supervision OF county matters rs may be
deemed advisable. but dispenIing with juries,
except at the OF ton and expense of utlganiS,
aud providing for a system OF fees which
shall dcfray the whole expenses OF the court except
y small salary to be paid from the State treasury In
conformity to the Constitution. and l. saving OF ut
least sIOc,Go0 can he annually made to the Common
wealth. I have no fault TO find with the manner In
which our county JUDGES have discharged their tunc-
tons. 1t is not the judges, but the system, which
va have tDO mluy courts and an uuQpcpS-
sarily expensive Judicial system. Fewer courts and
better puid judges will elevate the judicial standard.
secure the prompt and satisfactory transaction Of
business, and materially lessen the burthens of the